The need for quality after-school programs isn’t unique to Providence. For that reason, PASA’s system building and quality improvement models are shared with, and customized by, interested organizations across the country. That way, PASA’s work doesn’t just serve the youth of Providence; it improves opportunities for youth across the country.
PASA shares what it’s learned with other interested cities at our annual City Symposium. This allows for cities to take what they learn from Providence’s model and adapt it for their own particular needs. It also gives us the opportunity to learn from the ways that others use our approach — collaboration!
Cities that have attended our City Symposium and are advancing their after-school systems using knowledge gained in Providence include Nashville, TN; Charlotte, NC; Asheville, NC; Omaha, NB; New Orleans, LA; and Buffalo, NY.
This year’s City Symposium in November 2015 was a huge success. Fifty-four guests attended from ten cities including: Brookline, MA; Central Falls, RI; Detroit, MI; Flint, MI; Framingham, MA; Hartford, CT; National After School All-Stars in Washington, D.C.; New Bedford, MA; Pittsburgh, PA; Providence, RI; and Richmond, VA. The event would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Thank you to the following 2015 sponsors:
EVERY HOUR COUNTS: EXPANDING LEARNING, EXPANDING OPPORTUNITY
PASA is a member of Every Hour Counts, formerly the Coalition for Building After-School Systems (CBASS)—a leading voice in promoting the work of building expanded-learning systems.
Every Hour Counts:
• Supports a community of practice by sharing promising practices and engaging in knowledge-sharing activities.
• Is developing a Measurement Framework that describes common measures for outcomes at the youth, program, and system levels. This framework will provide a blueprint for coordinated accountability and improvement, so quality practices lead to measurable, improved outcomes for students.
• Leads demonstration projects that test the feasibility of policy and practice concepts, and disseminates findings and tools for replication.
• Serves as a clearinghouse of information about expanded-learning systems.
• Convenes stakeholders to share knowledge and ideas.
• Advocates for policy change.
• Provides local, customized technical assistance.
The Every Hour Counts coalition represents longstanding partnerships with more than 1,400 schools, districts, and community-based organizations that provide quality after-school and summer programming. Every Hour Counts partners support initiatives that reach 240,000 students each year.
INTERMEDIARIES: THE ENGINES OF EXPANDED-LEARNING SYSTEMS
Every Hour Counts is a coalition of citywide organizations. Each has built — and continues to develop — an expanded-learning system in its own city. These organizations, called intermediaries, unite stakeholders around a shared mission, coordinate and maximize resources, and drive improvement throughout their communities.
An intermediary’s work includes:
• Increasing access by raising funds and targeting resources to where they are most needed as well as guiding policy change that supports expanded learning.
• Driving improved student outcomes by coordinating expanded learning with in-school learning.
• Improving efficiency by building relationships that help public agencies, funders, service providers, schools, and parents work together.
• Intermediaries also streamline logistics and operations, from scheduling facility use to providing transportation and snacks, creating a unified, cost-effective system.
• Promoting continuous improvement by collecting data about program effectiveness, setting shared expectations for quality, leading multi-year planning efforts, and providing training and professional development.
Every Hour Counts partner organizations are:
• After School Matters (Chicago)
• Boston After School & Beyond
• Family League of Baltimore
• Hartford Partnership for Student Success
• Nashville After Zone Alliance
• Partnership for Children & Youth (Bay Area, CA)
• Partnership for Youth Development (New Orleans)
• Prime Time Palm Beach County
• Providence After School Alliance
• The After-School Corporation (TASC), New York City
• Youthprise (Twin Cities, MN)