Engaging Municipal Leaders in Afterschool Programs

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Engaging Municipal Leaders in Afterschool Programs

• Institute for Youth, Education, and Families
• National League of Cities
• Supported by the
• Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

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The National League of Cities

• Nations oldest and largest organization
  representing local elected officials
• Represents roughly 18,000 cities
• Direct member cities 1,800
• 49 state municipal leagues
• Work with local elected officials from cities of
  all sizes and all parts of the country

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Background Institute for Youth, Education, and
Families

• Launched in January 2000
• Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino emphasized the new
  YEF Institute would not be a typical think
  tank rather an action tank.
• The YEF Institute would have a strong orientation
  towards practical help for municipal officials as
  they grapple with real problems or challenges in
  their own communities.

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YEF Institute Areas of Focus

• Early Childhood Development
• Education
• Family Economic Security
• Youth Development
• Protecting Children Youth

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Municipal Interest in Expanded Learning
Opportunities

• NLC conducted indepth interviews with officials
  from 28 cities across the nation in 1999.
• This survey found nearly unanimous agreement
  regarding the need for an expansion of programs
  that offer constructive activities for children
  and youth during nonschool hours that help them
  grow, learn, and develop.

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YEF Institutes Work Around Expanded Learning
Opportunities

• Secured funding from the Charles Stewart Mott
  Foundation to
• Increase the availability of highquality
  expanded learning opportunities for children and
  youth in urban areas.

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Selected Cities

• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Fort Worth, Texas
• Fresno, California
• Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Lincoln, Nebraska
• Spokane, Washington
• Washington, DC

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Areas of Concern from Applications

• Collaboration Among Providers 70.9
• Sustainable Funding 69.3
• Improve Academic Achievement 62.9
• Develop a System of Programs 51.6
• Create More Public Interest in Programs 50.0
• Address Diverse Population 48.3
• Improving the Quality of Programs/Staff 46.7
• Best Practices 45.1
• Evaluation 45.1
• Address Drop Out Rates 45.1
• Determine Community Need for Programs 43.5
• Address Poverty and Crime Rates 43.5

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Roles Municipal Officials Have Taken

• Promoting partnerships that make it possible to
  forge a shared vision of afterschool challenges
  and opportunities
• Building public will to sustain a strong
  municipal role in the development of a local
  afterschool system over time
• Assessing local resources and needs through
  surveys and data analyses

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Roles Municipal Officials Have Taken (continued)

• Improving quality so that programs effectively
  deliver on the promises of safety, academic
  achievement, and cultural enrichment
• Broadening access to ensure that all children,
  including those from low-income families and
  neighborhoods, have opportunities to participate
  and
• Developing financing strategies that support
  stability and long-term growth.

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Thinking of Engaging a Municipal Official
Remember These Rules

• Know your Government Structure (it is more than
  just the Mayor)
• Know the Municipal Officials Concerns
• Indicate why Afterschool programs are a priority
  for them

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YEF Institute Strategies Tools

• Technical assistance projects
• Action kits
• Your Citys Families Conference and other
  workshops training sessions
• Targeted research periodic surveys
• Audioconference series
• Website email listservs
• Nations Cities Weekly

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Tools from IYEF

• Action Kits, Nations Cities Weekly
• Your Citys Families Conference
• Audioconference Series
• Website and Email Listserv

• Raise their Awareness
• Bring a Team
• Listen Together
• Encourage Participation

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Municipal Leadership for Expanded Learning
Opportunities Staff Contacts

• Audrey M. Hutchinson Program
  Director, Education and Afterschool Initiatives
  [phone]
  hutchinson_at_nlc.org
• Mark V. Ouellette Senior Program
  Associate, Afterschool Initiatives
  [phone]
  
  ouellette_at_nlc.org
• Denise G. Van Wyngaardt
  Research Associate, Education
  [phone]
  wyngaardt_at_nlc.org