Partner Highlights of 2014

Earlier this week we shared some of our proudest moments from 2014. Today, we’re sharing accomplishments from our partners that made their 2014 highlight reels.

• 

  Secretary of Education Arne Duncan looks on as After School Matters students work on a mosaic.

  After School Matters hosted a very special guest in November — U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan! Secretary Duncan met Chicago teens who participate in a range of After School Matters programs — from dance, mosaics, computers, and more. The programs got a hearty stamp of approval from Secretary Duncan who said, “What After School Matters is doing in Chicago can be a model for the nation.” Don’t miss the photos from Secretary Duncan’s visit!

•  Prime Time Palm Beach County honed their storytelling with a new whiteboard video that explains their impact in making out-of-school-time programs throughout Palm Beach County the best they can be.

• The Providence After School Alliance celebrated 10 years of bringing high-quality, hands-on learning opportunities to youth in Providence with a birthday bash with friends and supporters, including Congressman David Cicilline and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras. Check out their 10th anniversary video for testimonies from students on how PASA has brightened their future.

5 Every Hour Counts Highlights from 2014 (and a Look Ahead)

In 2014, we built a Framework tool for expanded learning systems to measure their progress, hosted an Institute for system-builders from around the country, and even fit in a trip to Brazil to talk shop with expanded learning school and community leaders there. As we jump into 2015, we’re taking a look back at our top highlights from 2014:

• Unveiled a Blueprint for System-Builders to Track Progress. Our Measurement Framework is a brand new tool for expanded learning systems to measure success and make improvements at the system, program and youth level. The Framework offers expanded learning systems a small set of targeted outcomes to focus their evaluation efforts and make data driven-improvements to improve outcomes for students in their communities. It also identifies a set of six social and emotional “power skills” that are likely to drive student success.
• United System-Builders from Around the Country. In May, we hosted our first ever System-Building Institute. More than 100 people from 25 cities across the country joined us in Baltimore to share challenges, offer lessons learned, and begin planning next steps to implement in their communities. Read a summary here.
  

  The Twin Cities team at the System-Building Institute

• Strengthened School-Community Partnerships with a New Bill. We worked with Congressman David Cicilline (RI) and the Providence After School Alliance to unveil the Community Partnerships in Education Act, exciting federal legislation that would incentivize and require partnerships between schools and communities. We’re thrilled that Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) just recently introduced a complementary bill in the Senate. Would you like to join our list of supporters? Sign on here.
  

  Congressman David Cicilline meets a Providence After School Alliance program participant after announcing his new bill to build school-community partnerships.

• Took STEM Learning to the Next Level. Informed by several years of practice infusing informal science education into expanded learning systems, we released the FUSE Resource Guide. This guide offers promising practices in informal STEM learning, up-to-date research, curriculum resources, evaluation tools, funding opportunities, and professional development resources.
• Took our Lessons to a Global Stage. In November, Jessica Donner traveled to Brazil to present at an international education conference hosted by the Itaú Social Foundation (with real-time translation into Portuguese). Jessica presented to 600 school and community leaders from around Brazil about integrating school and informal education through community partnerships. #everyhoracounts
  

  Jessica presenting on unifying after-school systems.