Shining a Bright Light on Afterschool
Across America, small towns and big cities are gearing up for what is promising to be one of the most exciting Lights On Afterschool rallies ever. This year, afterschool programs and supporters will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool initiative. For the anniversary, the Afterschool Alliance is gathering diverse and powerful personal stories on the Internet for its Afterschool Storybook.

"There is a tremendous energy for Lights On Afterschool celebrations this year," said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. "From Los Angeles, California, to Meridian, Mississippi, afterschool supporters are planning events that will demonstrate the many ways afterschool programs support America's families and communities. In these uncertain economic times, we will send a strong message that the afterschool programs that keep our kids safe, inspire them to learn, and helping working families are more important than ever."

This year, it's not just the Empire State Building that will light up for afterschool on Thursday, October 16. In Fairbanks, Alaska, dignitaries, community leaders, and students themselves will decorate trees with energy-efficient holiday lights to represent each organization that supports afterschool in the community. The trees will remain lit throughout the winter to show continuing support for afterschool.

Some people may be "spooked" by Lights On Afterschool celebrations in Addison, Maine. The EdGE afterschool program will sponsor "Lights Out for Afterschool Haunted Trails," with a Lord of the Rings theme. More than 500 people are expected, and the proceeds will benefit a fuel assistance program. The trail will bring to life 12 scenes from the novel, with talented high school students serving as actors and actresses.

In North Beach, Maryland, dignitaries will be out in full force to celebrate the grand opening of the new $2 million Bayside Boys & Girls Club in honor of Lights On Afterschool. Governor Martin OMalley, State Senate President Mike Miller, North Beach Mayor Michael Bojokles, and school superintendents will participate in the festivities and enjoy performances by the Rhythm Club at St. Mary's County Boys & Girls Club.

The Boy Scouts will be leading the way for Lights On Afterschool at the Dallas Zoo in Texas, along with Dallas Mayor Tim Leppert and Police Chief David Kunkle. The Boy Scouts will serve as guides for the 1,000-plus youth from 60 programs who will attend the special Lights On Afterschool carnival activities at the zoo. A local news station will transmit a live broadcast of the event for one hour.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa is a community that suffered great damage from the storms and subsequent flooding this spring and summer. The Helen G. Nassif YMCA, which administers before- and afterschool programs for children and youth, suffered millions of dollars in damage from the floods. Following the disaster, one afterschool provider said he no longer knew where many of the program's youth were living. For Lights On Afterschool this year, providers in Cedar Rapids will hold an event that highlights the ways afterschool supports working families as they recover from personal and community-wide loss.

It's not too late to register your Lights On Afterschool events on the Afterschool Alliance's website, and receive free posters. The website also features tips and resources to help plan successful events. To check out the Afterschool Storybook and post a story, click here.

Education Department Study Calls Attention to Benefits of Afterschool
Two new broad-based research reports affirming the positive academic impact of afterschool programs were the focus of a recent forum in Washington, D.C. The Scientific Evidence in Education Forum, sponsored by the nonprofit American Institutes for Research, drew afterschool policy experts to hear from a panel of researchers and a U.S. Department of Education official.

The September 17 event included presentations on a new federally funded study of afterschool conducted by MDRC, a nonprofit research organization, as well as on a new synthesis of afterschool research covering more than 90 separate studies of afterschool programs conducted by Robert Granger, president of the William T. Grant Foundation.

MDRC conducted the research for its "Evaluation of Enhanced Academic Instruction in After-School Programs" report with a grant from the federal Institute for Education Science's National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Researchers tested the effectiveness of 45 minutes of focused academic instruction during afterschool, using specially created materials. The result was a statistically significant increase in students' mathematics scores.

The study is the first federally funded research to focus principally on what works in afterschool, rather than on whether afterschool works at all. "The evolution of the Department's funding of afterschool research is significant," Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant said. "Even the decision to fund the study is important. This research was aimed at identifying the circumstances under which afterschool is most effective, with an eye toward improving afterschool. That's a far cry from the way the Department framed the findings from the Mathematica study several years ago, which they cast as testing whether afterschool worked at all. It seems the Department of Education may be accepting what parents, students and providers know so well: that afterschool programs inspire students to learn."

A Department of Education official said the research demonstrates that 21st Century Community Learning Centers grantees could play a key role in improving the effectiveness of the Supplemental Education Services program. "We are reinforced in the notion that there are pockets of success out there in SES and 21st Century," Doug Mesecar, Assistant Deputy Education Secretary for Innovation and Improvement told the media. "If anything, [the MDRC study] made us more certain that if we can solve some of these implementation problems in SES, we will start to see some very positive results. We know enough that this is effective in certain cases... and we want to do more of it. We certainly want to see SES be successful, and we want to better leverage the investment that goes into 21st Century every year."

Granger discussed his recent synthesis of afterschool research published by the Society for Research in Child Development. "After-School Programs and Academics: Implications for Policy, Practice, and Research" reviews three recent meta-analyses covering more than 90 afterschool evaluations. "It is clear that to be effective, programs should actively involve participants, be intentional about their goals, and focus on the interactions between youth and staff," Granger writes. "If positive academic outcomes are one of those goals, programs may need to include specific activities that are focused on academic achievement, but the approach should build on the opportunities presented by the out-of-school setting."

Granger called for putting top research priority not on whether afterschool works, but rather on identifying the best ways to improve program effectiveness.

For Granger's synthesis of recent afterschool research click here. The MDRC study is available here.

Legislation Would Aid Rural Programs
On September 24, United States Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the "Investment in After-School Programs Act of 2008" (S. 3545), which calls for a pilot program to establish or improve rural afterschool programs. If it is passed and funded, the bill will grant $50,000 or more to programs to invest in projects or activities needed to create or strengthen rural afterschool programs. These may include transportation, professional development, training, planning, or increased access to technology.

"Afterschool programs play a critical role in the lives of children, families and communities. Unfortunately, many children in Arkansas and other rural areas across the country face a number of barriers to quality afterschool programs: high poverty and food insecurity rates, transportation challenges due to geographic isolation, a shortage of financial resources and private partners, and difficulty recruiting and retaining staff. With this legislation, high-quality, affordable rural afterschool programs will be available to more children who desperately need them," Senator Lincoln said.

In a letter to senators in support of the legislation, Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant explained the difficulties faced by programs in rural areas. "Too often programs are not available in rural communities. This is because afterschool programs have to contend with high transportation costs, a shortage of private partners, a limited tax base, and difficulty recruiting and retaining staff. The Investment in After-School Programs Act will provide resources specifically designed to help existing rural afterschool programs overcome barriers to service and assist those rural communities that still lack access to afterschool programs," Grant wrote.

The legislation would establish a pilot program to help existing rural afterschool programs overcome barriers, and help rural communities that lack access to afterschool. It would be funded at $500 million over five years, with annual $25 million increased increments to lay out a roadmap for investment. Grants would be administered by the Department of Agriculture and provided to lead education agencies, community-based organizations, or other public or non profit organizations in rural communities. The funds could be used for transportation, professional development and training, access to technology, staffing and planning grants.

Priority would be given to grant applicants who have partnerships in place. The bill also includes a small set-aside for evaluation and dissemination of best practices.

Afterschool advocates in rural areas should contact their federal legislators to urge them to support the Investment in After-School Programs Act of 2008, Grant said.

Community Involvement Improves Schools
The Community Agenda for America's Public Schools, a new initiative endorsed by more than 100 local and national organizations, officially launched on September 24 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. A panel of distinguished leaders, including Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant, helped issue a call to action to the President and Congress to initiate a national conversation on the Agenda's goals for student success, and to define specific legislative and programmatic recommendations for its implementation.

"Schools and community are positively and inextricably connected to each other," said Martin Blank, Director of the Coalition for Community Schools. School/community partnerships produce students who learn to be active members of a democracy, added Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers. "When schools are community hubs, offering kids and their families access to health care, counseling and other social services, students can thrive and have a greater chance of closing the achievement gap," she said.

Grant discussed the role community partners play in creating fun and educational activities for afterschool students, noting that programs bring in local chefs, artists, musicians and paramedics to give students unique and engaging opportunities to learn. "These partnerships are... why quality afterschool programs are so successful at inspiring students to learn and helping them improve academically, socially and professionally," she said. "Kids want to come to their afterschool programs because they make learning both relevant and fun, and they do that by engaging the community. We are convinced that the entire education system can learn a lot from the afterschool approach."

Warren Simmons, Executive Director of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform echoed Grant's message about creative learning techniques, stressing the need to change the standard definition of "academic achievement" to incorporate more than high test scores. Successful afterschool programs demonstrate this point well, teaching students math, science and other basic skills by applying them to real life, he said.

To learn more about The Community Agenda for America's Public Schools, click here.

2008/2009 'Afterschool Ambassadors' Named
The Afterschool Alliance recently announced the selection of 18 local leaders from 15 states to serve as 2008-2009 Afterschool Ambassadors. Each Ambassador will continue directing or supporting a local afterschool program while also serving a one-year Afterschool Ambassador term organizing public events, communicating with policy makers, and building support for afterschool programs.

"In their work as Afterschool Ambassadors, each of these talented individuals will bring real energy to the task of spreading the word about the need to make afterschool programs available to all families that need them," said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. "I look forward to working with them to build support for afterschool among parents, lawmakers, the media, and business, faith-based and community leaders. We are proud to have each of them on our team."

The 2008-2009 Afterschool Ambassadors are:

* CA, San Francisco: Jenny Arcilla-Gonzalez, Chinatown Beacon Center.

* CO, Denver: Melanie Haas, Colorado MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement).

* DE, Newark: Carol Scott, University of Delaware, New Castle Cooperative Extension, 4-H Youth Development.

* FL, Orlando: Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Fulmer, Orange County Public Schools (returning Ambassador).

* FL, Tampa: Bobbi Davis, Children's Board of Hillsborough County.

* IA, Clinton: Loras Osterhaus, Clinton Community Schools.

* ME, Addison: Charles Harrington, EdGE Program, Maine Sea Coast Mission.

* MI, Flint: Ladonna Gamble, Bridges to the Future.

* NE, Lincoln: Dayna Krannawitter, Community Learning Center, Arnold Elementary (returning Ambassador).

* NM, Farmington: Florencia (Flo) Trujillo, Farmington Public Library.

* NY, New York City: Megan Demarkis, Harlem RBI's REAL Kids Program (returning Ambassador).

* NY, New York City: Nassim Zerriffi, Global Kids.

* NY, Rochester: Caroline Merenda, Rochester Area Community Foundation.

* TX, Dallas: Marco Galvan, Dallas Afterschool Network.

* VT, Montpelier: Virginia Burley, Community Connections.

* VA, Annandale: Regla Armengol, Prospera Initiatives, Inc.

* WA, Seattle: Sherrie Belt, School's Out Washington.

*WI, Eagle River: Robin Mainhardt, Project Bridges CCRR.

Urge Media to Cover Lights On Afterschool
With Lights On Afterschool fast approaching, now is the time for programs to alert local journalists to their events. Media coverage will help programs reach new audiences and raise awareness about the many ways afterschool programs support students.

Television, radio, websites and blogs, and mainstream and community newspapers all offer excellent opportunities to publicize Lights On Afterschool activities. Successful media outreach can remind parents, policy makers, community leaders and others of the importance of afterschool programs and the need to continue funding them.

From outdoor barbeques to carnivals, rallies at state legislatures to open houses, and much more, each Lights On Afterschool event can give reporters a glimpse of the work afterschool programs do, as well as access to their best assets: the children and youth who benefit from these programs. Reporters who cover education, features, crime, the arts, sports and the community should be among those invited to cover Lights On Afterschool events.

Organizers should contact local reporters to invite them to cover events. There are both traditional and creative ways to do this. For example, in Lincoln, Nebraska, at McPhee Elementary School near the state capitol, youth "ambassadors" will hold a news conference with Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler for Lights On Afterschool.

Other organizers are making the media part of the event. For example, in Columbus, Georgia, the A. J. McClung YMCA Prime Time Afterschool Program's Lights On Afterschool event will be emceed by radio personality DJ Chip from FOXIE 105 FM, the top rated radio station in the tri-county community.

There are many ways to engage media in Lights On Afterschool. For ideas on how to reach out to media and sample materials, please visit the Afterschool Alliance website.

Afterschool for All
Afterschool for All totals 20,469 partners who have pledged their support for afterschool. Thank you to all the partners who have joined this special effort! Lights On Afterschool is just around the corner on Thursday, October 16. Don't forget to tell a friend or colleague to sign the Afterschool for All petition in honor of Lights On Afterschool. Anyone can sign up at www.afterschoolalliance.org.

Be sure to tell us how you are using the Afterschool for All campaign to build awareness for afterschool in your community. To share your stories, contact Marie Coichy at mcoichy@afterschoolalliance.org or call 646/943-8662.

Funding News
The Afterschool Alliance's website has resources for afterschool providers, including tips for initiating relationships with funders and businesses, and for identifying funding opportunities. To learn more, click here.

GRANTS/AWARDS AVAILABLE

Awards for Youth Voluntary Service Prudential is offering Prudential Spirit of Community Awards to youth in grades five through 12 who have engaged in a volunteer service activity in the past year. The maximum award is $5,000 for the honoree, and $5,000 for the nonprofit, charitable organization of the youth's choice. The application deadline is October 31. For more information, click here.

Grants Promoting Outdoor Education The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and America's National Wildlife Refuge System are sponsoring the Preserve America Grant Program, which offers grants to education initiatives for elementary and high school age children that encourage youth to connect with the outdoors. Development of oral histories for refuges, collection of land use data, creation of online information and websites, and similar projects could receive grants, which range from $10,000 to $15,000. The application deadline is November 1. For more information, click here.

Awards for Excellence in International Education The Goldman Sachs Foundation and the Asia Society are seeking applications for the 2008 Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education. Awards will be given for the following categories: Elementary/Middle School; High School; District/State; and Media/Technology. Each award is $25,000. The application deadline is December 1. For more information, click here.

In Their Own Words...
"A Nation at Risk recognized that children need more time for learning. With information doubling every few years and with education standards increasing, we need a new day for learning, including after-school and summer opportunities. We have little chance of closing the achievement gap if our students remain locked into a six hour school day and a 175- to 180-day school year." -- Former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and Afterschool Alliance Board Chair Terry K. Peterson, Education Week, September 24, 2008

"The quality of after-school programs is correlated with higher achievement levels, increased student safety, less likelihood to engage in criminal activity and greater college acceptance rates. This year, you will see stronger, expanded after-school programs across the District, especially in our high schools, which previously had very little after-school extracurricular support. For the first time in the D.C. public schools, we evaluated the providers who work with our children in after-school hours, and we have more evenly redistributed their skills throughout the District so that all of our students can receive after-school support." -- Michelle Rhee, Washington, D.C. Schools Chancellor, Washington Post, August 21, 2008

"We know both anecdotally and from research that good after-school programs keep young people from skipping school, dropping out and falling into risky behaviors. With increasingly more children growing up in homes with two working parents or a single working parent, families in Hilo can benefit from the safe, structured learning opportunities that this after-school program provides. This program keeps children safe, improves academic enrichment and helps relieve stresses on our working parents." -- James R. Aiona Junior, Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii, reporting on the expansion of the Kaunu'u afterschool program, US States News, August 20, 2008

"Clearly every school should have an after-school program." --Andres Alonso, CEO of Baltimore Public Schools, Baltimore Sun, August 19, 2008

The Public-Private Collaborative Commission recently issued a report that calls for schools, superintendents and communities to make it a priority to improve education. Among its recommendations is extending learning time for students through out-of-school-time programs that go beyond basic school day education. "No one believes that children should stop learning when the bell rings at the end of the day," Columbus Superintendent Gene Harris told the Columbus Dispatch.

Florida
Enrollment in afterschool programs in the Daytona Beach area has decreased, according to program officials, because county school officials discontinued bus service to save money. In all, the county eliminated 2,500 "alternate stops" and extra routes that allowed children to be dropped off at afterschool programs, reports the News-Journal. The county eliminated the stops in order to help cover a $45.8 million deficit in the school budget.

Indiana
Parents in Indianapolis are unhappy about Mayor Greg Ballard's 2009 budget proposal, which would take away eight afterschool programs currently held at Indianapolis Public School buildings. According to the Indianapolis Star, Indy Parks is seeking grants to continue the programs, but the Mayor's budget makes no funds available. Some parents and staff members are considering a petition drive to restore the funding. "It's going to mean more of our children are going to be on the street," said David Klinkose, president of the Afterschool Coalition of Indianapolis. "There [are] safety issues in that."

Maryland
Six city-funded afterschool programs serving 450 children age five to 15 were not funded this year, according to Baltimore's Safe and Sound Campaign. The Baltimore Sun reports that the cuts angered City Council members, who report being overwhelmed by calls and letters from angry parents. One reason for the cuts is the Mayor's new emphasis on allocating funds to violence prevention among high school students, and to three neighborhoods with high youth violence rates.

Massachusetts
In an effort to increase youth participation in state government, Governor Deval Patrick recently swore in a statewide youth council. Two youth from each of the state's 14 counties, ranging in age from 14 to 20, were chosen to sit on the council. It will meet four times a year and provide advice on teen violence, education and civic engagement. The Boston Globe reports that the council was initiated after 13 teens "accused the governor of indifference when they unsuccessfully tried to meet with him to discuss their concerns about violence."

North Carolina
The disruption in deliveries and supplies in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike caused schools in Charlotte-Mecklenburg to cancel field trips, afterschool programs and middle school sports for a week at the beginning of the school year. The school system realized that it lacked fuel reserves to transport the students to afterschool activities. According to the Charlotte Observer, afterschool programs were forced to postpone their start dates.

Pennsylvania
In mid-September, the Philadelphia nonprofit organization, Philabundance, announced it would stop providing milk to 1,045 children in 18 afterschool programs and child care centers because of a 20 percent drop in food donations to the organization. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philabundance also cited the high cost of transporting the milk from its warehouse to the afterschool programs as a reason to end the deliveries. Public outcry was immediate, and the organization now says it will fund-raise in the hope that it will be able to continue providing services to afterschool programs for the next year.

Virginia
Students in Pulaski Middle School's afterschool program in Roanoke will learn math, reading, science and "good citizenship," while running their own "microsociety," reports the Roanoke Times. Through a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, the students will manage their own government after school. Based on the community's town manager system, students will role-play as business leaders, bankers, teachers and politicians.

HFRP Updates Key Evaluation Resources
The Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) has published an updated version of one of its many useful publications on afterschool evaluations. "Measurement Tools for Evaluating Out-of-School Time Programs: An Evaluation Resource" describes instruments and tools that afterschool providers and researchers can use for on-the-ground program evaluation. The updated version reflects new tools that have become available since the November 2005 first edition.

The paper is part of the HFRP's eight-part Out-of-School Time Evaluation Snapshots series. Each publication covers a different aspect of afterschool evaluations. All eight publications are available for free download here.

A separate publication from HFRP, new this September, is a Research Update focused on two topics: the uses of afterschool evaluations and the ways afterschool can improve outcomes for older youth. Many afterschool programs use evaluations principally as a way to document their effectiveness, authors write, overlooking ways that evaluations can help improve their programs. The Update offers guidance on how to accomplish both goals. In addition, it discusses research findings on afterschool and older youth. The publication is available for free download here.

What's Your Afterschool Story?
Just in time for Lights On Afterschool, the Afterschool Alliance will unveil a groundbreaking online initiative to celebrate the diversity, depth and power of the afterschool experience in America today. The Afterschool Storybook project will highlight how afterschool programs are improving the lives of children and parents, and enriching communities. In advance of the Storybook's launch, the Afterschool Alliance is collecting powerful stories from each state. To enter your story, click here. To view sample stories contained in the Afterschool Storybook, click here.

Survey Finds Afterschool Suffers
Nearly half the respondents to a new online survey led by Republicans in the House of Representatives said that high fuel costs have forced schools in their communities to cut field trips and afterschool activities. One-third of respondents reported that high costs have forced schools to limit bus routes, and 90 percent indicated that high gas prices are having an impact on schools in their communities. Nearly 1,000 people from across the country responded to the Back to School Energy Survey from July to August 2008.

Contest Seeks Youth Solutions
The New America Foundation is seeking input from youth on the best way to improve the lives of Americas young people. The Foundation's Workforce and Family Program is sponsoring the contest, which asks youth to answer the question: "You have just been elected President of the United States. What is the most important thing you will do to improve the lives of America's children?"

The contest is open to all high school seniors, and the winner will receive $2,500. The top 25 essays will be chosen as semi-finalists and will receive special recognition. The deadline for entries is February 20, 2009, and winners will be announced in June. For more information, and to enter, click here.

Use A4A for Discount on School Supplies
The Afterschool Alliance partnership with Discount School Supply gives friends of afterschool a ten percent discount on all school supply orders. To receive the discount, put the code A4A (it stands for Afterschool 4 All) in the pink promotional box when ordering supplies at www.discountschoolsupply.com. Or mention it when you call 1-800-627-2829 to place an order.

Mark Your Calendars...
October 2 - 4, 2008 National Safe Place and the Southeastern Network member agencies are sponsoring the Building a Safety Net for Youth Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Conference topics include community and street outreach, and fundraising and development. For more information, click here.

October 16, 2008 The Afterschool Alliance will sponsor the 9th annual Lights On Afterschool. The Empire State Building in New York City will be lit up in honor of Lights On Afterschool. This year's celebration will mark the 10th anniversary of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers federal afterschool initiative. To host a Lights On Afterschool event at your program or in your community, and for more information, click here.

October 17, 2008 The Rhode Island Afterschool Plus Alliance will host the 2008 statewide afterschool conference in Providence, Rhode Island. The event will take place at the Providence Marriott and will include a keynote speech and book signing by Erin Gruwell, author of "The Freedom Writers Diary." The event also will feature workshops and student performances. For more information and to register, click here.

November 5 - 6, 2008 The Best Out-of-School Time Conference will host a High School Summit in San Diego, California. The conference will focus on high school afterschool programming. Proposals for sessions are now being accepted. For more information, click here.

November 14 - 15, 2008 The New Jersey School-Age Care Coalition will sponsor the annual state afterschool conference, "Outdoors in the Garden State," in Princeton, New Jersey. The focus of the conference will be creating linkages between children and youth in afterschool programs and nature and the outdoors. There will be 70 workshops, one-third of which will focus on nature and the outdoors. For more information, click here.

*** And mark your calendars now for the Afterschool for All Challenge to be held April 27 and 28, 2009, in Washington, D.C.! ***