Cities Tout Afterschool Programs
Vigorous leadership by mayors and city council members can yield big dividends through improvements in the quality of after-school programs, according to a new publication released today by the National League of Cities (NLC).
The publication, The Afterschool Hours: A New Focus for America’s Cities, spotlights eight successful community initiatives focusing on engaging students in the critical hours after school and offers practical advice and lessons for other local officials to use.
Recognizing that the hours children spend after-school offer an ideal time to reinforce and supplement learning while providing enrichment opportunities, each of the eight communities — Charlotte, N.C., Fort Worth, Tex., Fresno, Calif., Grand Rapids, Mich., Indianapolis, Ind., Lincoln, Neb., Spokane, Wash., and Washington, D.C. — assembled a diverse group of key stakeholders, including municipal officials, school board members, school administrators, parents, community based organizations, and business and civic leaders to design or improve implementation of critical after-school programs.
Participating cities focused on a range of issues reflecting the needs of their communities: increasing access to services in underserved neighborhoods; improving the quality of programs; building public support; alleviating turf battles and competition through effective partnerships; developing better governance and finance structures; and engaging youth in program development.
The report found seven lessons that municipal can use in strengthening after-school programs while working to address other community issues, and that municipal officials are in a position to ensure funding for long-term stability.
Sponsored by the NLC Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) through a grant by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the 30- month project sought to assist local communities in improving and expanding after-school programs while illustrating the leadership roles that mayors and city council members can play.
“Many municipal leaders seek opportunities to share their experiences, compare their city’s strategy against promising practices, or learn from other local elected officials,” said Cliff Johnson, YEF Institute executive director. “This publication shows how important it is for city officials to get involved and would be useful to anyone interested in improving after-school programs.”
The eight cities are:
Charlotte, N.C. — In Charlotte, the Beatties Ford Road Corridor Initiative is a collaborative effort to expand and enhance after-school programs for middle-school students in an underserved area. The project led to the formation of a steering committee, research and development of a plan of action, and funding support from the city. The results: Stronger community involvement, enhanced after-school programs, links to other city priorities, recognition of the need to engage local residents, and a vision shared by all key stakeholders.
Fort Worth, Texas. — The Fort Worth Afterschool Initiative focused on 52 of the city’s underserved schools, providing funds to existing after-school providers so they could create new programs at school sites. The results: Program stability through a broad-based governance structure, engagement of providers in the development of quality standards, and use of evaluation data to focus on continuous improvement.
Fresno, Calif. — Fresno addressed a lack of programs in low- income neighborhoods by increasing program access and program quality using a coalition of city officials, parks and recreation staff, the school districts, chamber of commerce, Boys and Girls Clubs, the United Way, and the Fresno Communities Organizing Resources to Advance Learning (CORAL). The results: Greater assessment of local resources and needs, partnerships with business leaders, and a mobile after-school initiative to bolster academic achievement.
Grand Rapids, Mich. — Municipal officials — working with program providers, civic and business leaders, parents, and school administrators — identified gaps in services, developed standards of care, made recommendations on policy and practice, used surveys to locate programs, and evaluated outcome measures. The results: Use of multiple strategies to reach parents and other residents, adoption of quality standards, development of a plan for community needs assessment and sustainability, and a partnership between the mayor and the school board president.
Indianapolis, Ind. — Indianapolis formed the Afterschool Coalition of Indianapolis (ACI), representing more than 25 organizations and co-chaired by the United Way. Its mission is to create, develop, and expand after-school programs. The results: After-school programs established as a top city priority, a new structure for public/private collaboration, outreach to state policymakers, and two federal grants totaling $5.4 million for tutoring and mentoring middle-school students.
Lincoln, Neb. – Lincoln’s Community Learning Centers (CLC) were made a top priority by the Mayor’s office to expand and improve quality in city social services. Lincoln public schools created a survey in cooperation with other community organizations to determine after-school program needs, and to see if CLC could address those needs. The results: Development of CLC as a long- term, sustainable program to meet after-school needs, and alleviation of providers’ concerns that their programs would be lost within the CLC framework, thus establishing trust and a collaborative spirit.
Spokane, Wash. — Spokane created five after-school learning programs known as HUBS, which offer learning, enrichment, and recreation. A survey of the public’s attitude on out-of-school time found that there was strong support for after-school programs. The results: Survey findings convinced city council members and the mayor that after-school programs support the city’s economic base; communications between city and school officials improved; young people would have a forum for their concerns; and a broad youth development perspective was adopted helping to raise program visibility.
Washington, D.C. — D.C. wished to provide additional after- school opportunities to support youth in low-performing schools and to raise academic achievement. Both city and non-profit resources were leveraged to provide more academic support to schools and address summer and after-school needs. The results: With persistence during a budget crisis and with reliance on a local intermediary to build capacity and a coalition, D.C. expanded or sustained existing programs.
The report can be downloaded from the NLC website at http://www.nlc.org . Hard copies can be requested by leaving a detailed message at 202-626-3014. The National League of Cities is the largest national organization for American cities. NLC serves as a resource and advocate for 18,000 cities, towns, and villages of all sizes, which collectively serve 225 million people.
