1. Mentoring and Afterschool: A Powerful Combination

2. www.afterschoolalliance.org Making the Case: What is Afterschool? Afterschool Outcomes Making the Connection: Mentoring Afterschool Policy Matters Issues Facing Afterschool Programs Advocating for Afterschool & Mentoring What We’ll Cover

3. Making the Case: What is Afterschool?

4. www.afterschoolalliance.org Provides a supervised, enriching environment in the hours after the school day ends Usually offered in a school or a recreation / community center Different from individual activities, such as sports, special lessons or hobby clubs As defined in America After 3 PM: A Household Survey on Afterschool In America, 2009 What is Afterschool?

5. www.afterschoolalliance.org America After 3 PMAmerica After 3 PM America After 3PM 2009 Compared to 2004 National Percentages 20092004 Kids in Afterschool Programs15%11% Kids in Self Care26%25% Kids in Sibling Care14%11% Parents Satisfied with Afterschool Program 89%91% Kids Who Would Participate if a Program were Available 38%30% Kids in Summer Learning Programs 25%-- 8.4 million kids participate in afterschool programs 15.1 million kids on their own after school Economy is having an impact

6. www.afterschoolalliance.org Demand for Afterschool Programs 2/3 of voters consider afterschool very important* 74% of voters want their newly elected federal, state and local officials to increase funding* 82% of school superintendents say these programs are important (NAA- Champions Survey, 2011) * Source: Afterschool Alliance Poll conducted by Lake Research Partners, November 2012*

7. Making the Case: Afterschool Outcomes

8. www.afterschoolalliance.org Academic BenefitsAcademic Benefits Improved School Attendance, Engagement in Learning 95% high school graduation rate for students enrolled in Project Exploration programs Improved Test Scores and Grades 69% of Wisconsin 21 st CCLC program attendees increased their academic performance Students at Greatest Risk Show Greatest Gains 3,000 low-income students demonstrated significant gains in standardized math test scores after 2 years, compared to unsupervised peers – Promising After-School Programs Study

9. www.afterschoolalliance.org Social, Emotional and Behavioral BenefitsSocial, Emotional and Behavioral Benefits Keep Children Safe Kids attending LA’s BEST are 30 percent less likely to be involved in criminal activities than peers. Help Working Families 74% of parents agreed that NYC out-of-school time programs make it easier to keep their jobs. 73% agreed they missed less work than prior to their children’s involvement New York City’s Out-of-School Time Programs for Youth Initiative evaluation

10. www.afterschoolalliance.org Crime and Truancy-Related Savings Every dollar invested in LA’s BEST saves Los Angeles $2.50 in crime-related costs. Benefits to the Bottom Line Worries about children’s activities in the afternoon leads to unscheduled absences and makes working parents less productive at work, costing businesses as much as $300 billion annually in lost productivity. Benefits to the Community

11. www.afterschoolalliance.org Afterschool programs: Keep kids safe Engage kids in learning Help working families At their best when they complement but don’t replicate the school day Afterschool programs are also community- school partnerships Key Messages

12. Making the Connection: Mentoring in Afterschool

13. www.afterschoolalliance.org “Afterschool programs, with their history of supporting families and communities, are an ideal platform for successful mentoring programs.” (Afterschool: A Place for Older Youth to Mentor and Be Mentored, 2009) The afterschool space serves as a way to intentionally strengthen youth-adult relationships and bring structure to mentor/mentee meetings. Mentor Placement in Afterschool Programs

14. www.afterschoolalliance.org Afterschool Some afterschool programs tend to focus on improving and strengthening their students’ academic abilities, causing them to neglect the social and emotional development that occurs when positive youth-adult relationships are formed. Mentoring As experts in the field of positive youth-adult interactions, the presence of mentors at afterschool programs could help to increase the development of the students; ultimately, helping afterschool programs reach their goal. Bridging the Gap

15. www.afterschoolalliance.org “Connecting youth to caring adults is one of the key factors in keeping youth involved in afterschool programs.” (Afterschool: A Place for Older Youth to Mentor and Be Mentored, 2009) Connecting Mentoring with Afterschool Mentoring organizations can collaborate with afterschool programs to ensure that every student is in contact with an adult. Mentors could be used to staff afterschool programs by putting them in charge of one-on-one or small group activities. Bridging the Gap

16. Policy Matters: Issues Facing Afterschool Programs

17. www.afterschoolalliance.org Variety of Federal Funding Streams

18. www.afterschoolalliance.org 21st CCLC Funding21st CCLC Funding

19. Appropriations

20. www.afterschoolalliance.org House: Student Success Act block grants afterschool funding Passed House in July Senate Health, Education, Pensions & Labor Committee: Protects 21 st CCLC funding but would divert some funds to school redesign/longer school day Major differences to be resolved – doesn’t seem likely ESEA Reauthorization

21. Advocating for Afterschool & Mentoring

22. www.afterschoolalliance.org Developing an Advocacy Action Plan  Things to think about:  What are your immediate goals? Long- term, short-term, immediate?  Who are your allies? Who supports summer learning or afterschool in your community?  Who are you targeting?  How do you plan to get the attention of each target?

23. www.afterschoolalliance.org Start a letter / email campaign Arrange a meeting between parents and district staff. Attend the Afterschool for All Challenge Raise your voices – contact Congress/local officials

24. www.afterschoolalliance.org Arrange a site visit

25. www.afterschoolalliance.org Host a Lights On Afterschool Event

26. www.afterschoolalliance.org Invite the media  Plagiarize freely! – from our website  Create a media list  Identify 2-3 key messages  Structure events with media in mind  Appeal to the press, build relationships  Issue press releases  Develop press kits

27. www.afterschoolalliance.org Spread the Word with Social Media

28. Thank you! Alexis Steines Field Outreach Manager Afterschool Alliance asteines@afterschoolalliance.org 202-347-2030 Greta Poku-Adjei AmeriCorps VISTA Leader Afterschool Alliance gpoku-adjei@afterschoolalliance.org 202-348-2030