Providence, October 27, 2017 – At the Lights On Afterschool! mini-conference held today at the Sheraton Providence Airport Hotel, Providence After School Alliance (PASA) was recognized for delivering best practices in youth-led program design and for ensuring positive youth experiences. Graham Maione, PASA High School Hub Program Coordinator, and Brandon Soum, Site Coordinator for AfterZone at DelSesto Middle School, led a workshop on how to keep the youth perspective at the center of program planning and how to be better advocates for the students success. They covered what are the barriers and distractions that prevent youth from staying engaged or participating in the first place and how to build programs to foster higher, more sustainable youth engagement.
According to Graham, “Professionals in the field of education and youth engagement, design innovations for out of school time programming that do not consider the experience of the young people they are meant to service. In our workshop we paused and investigated the youth experience from program sign ups to sustained active engagement.”
The interactive wo
rkshop was geared for professionals working with middle and high school youth and asked participants to consider the factors that contribute to an engaging and youth-desired program.
The Afterschool Alliance organizes Lights On Afterschool, the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. The effort has become a hallmark of the afterschool movement and generates media coverage across the country each year.
About PASA
The Providence After School Alliance’s mission is to expand and improve quality after-school, summer, and other expanded learning opportunities for the youth of Providence, Rhode Island by organizing a sustainable, public/private system that contributes to student success and serves as a national model. PASA has served over 14,000 youth to date and is the largest public private after-school partnership in the city. For more information, visit mypasa.org or follow @MyPASA
About the Afterschool Alliance
The Afterschool Alliance is the only organization dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of afterschool programs and advocating for more afterschool investments to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs. For more information visit https://uwriweb.org/LightsOn