Timeline & categories for the MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Awards revealed!

I know a number of you have been waiting for more information about the MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Awards, and I’m happy to finally share with you this year’s timeline and award categories.  As you may have already guessed, we are doing things a little differently this time around.  

The MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Award nominations will open this summer on Aug. 14 and close in the fall on Oct. 14.  Five award winners will be selected to each receive $10,000 for their program, featured in our 2013-2014 series of issue briefs and included in our Afterschool in Action Compendium.  The winners will be announced spring 2014, in conjunction with our Afterschool for All Challenge. 

A benefit of this timeline is that you have more time to think about exemplary afterschool programs serving middle school youth that you would like to nominate.  Our webinar in April, “Afterschool Innovators and Middle School Success,” is a great resource to learn more about the specific information reviewers involved in the selection process are looking for.

An additional advantage this year is that we are announcing the four categories ahead of time.  The four categories are:

1. Keeping Kids Safe and Supported in the Hours After School – Programs that are providing a positive, encouraging and socio-emotionally supportive environment that helps students feel safe, reduces problem behavior, and keeps kids engaged and excited about learning.
2. The Role of Afterschool and the Common Core State Standards – Programs that are intentionally and successfully offering programming that supports student learning toward the Common Core standards and promotes the habits of mind (knowledge, skills and dispositions) that are reflected in the Common Core in order to help students become college and career ready.
3. Students with Disabilities and Other Special Needs and Afterschool – Programs that are providing an environment that strengthens the self-confidence, perseverance and emotional wellbeing of children with disabilities and other special needs, giving them the tools to learn, play and succeed side-by-side with children of all abilities. 
4. Why Data Matters: How Afterschool Programs Use Data to Improve Programming – Programs that are successfully improving their programming and ability to serve children in their community based on data collected by the program, data gathered from partners (e.g., schools, other afterschool programs, community-based organizations) and/or program evaluation data prepared by outside entities.