Community Ownership
To ensure that each AfterZone runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible, community ownership is critical.
AfterZone Coordinating Councils
Building on an intensive planning process with each host community, Coordinating Councils now exist in each AfterZone, composed of non-profit and higher-education partners, city leaders and key middle school principals who work with PASA to design the AfterZone and who contribute resources and support to make the community model work.
Following guidelines jointly developed and agreed upon in a memorandum of understanding, Coordinating Council members make decisions regarding the allocation of funds and hiring of new AfterZone staff, uphold quality standards and determine which AfterZone programs receive funding. Facilitated by an AfterZone Manager hired by each group with PASA leadership, they also take part in professional development and regular assessments.
View a full list of Coordinating Councils
Site Management Agencies
PASA’s strategic vision is to foster community ownership of the AfterZones and to collaborate on after-school operational activities by transitioning ownership of the school-level functions to community site management agencies.
This allows PASA to scale back involvement in the day-to-day management of the AfterZones and focus on providing technical assistance, linking systems and common practices, as well as securing resources to ensure long-term sustainability of the model. Responsibility for programming and operations is then shifted to a high-quality, high-capacity organization. To support AfterZone operations, these site management agencies receive considerable funding through 21st Century Community Learning Center grants from the Rhode Island Department of Education and other resources gathered by PASA.
