Wednesday March 7, 2007
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
12:30 PM - 1:45 PM Lunch
1:45PM - 4:00PM
A. After the School Bell Rings: A Staff Development Toolkit
Natalie Ferry, Ph.D., Coordinator of Special Program Initiatives, Penn State Cooperative Extension, University Park, PA
After the School Bell Rings: A Staff Development Toolkit was designed to assist afterschool program supervisors to provide staff members with a basic understanding of the components of a quality afterschool program. The toolkit contains a training guide, a staff notebook and a CD with program examples. The toolkit’s modules provide training on the following afterschool program components: Quality Programming, Community and Family Involvement, Research and Evaluation, Financing, Staff and Training, Management and Administration and Policy and Advocacy. The toolkit will be reviewed. Upon completion of the institute, participants will be capable of using the training tool with their staff.
B. Building Resiliency in Children and Teens
Kenneth R. Ginsburg, MD, MS Ed, FAAP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Pediatrician, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Recognizing that the ability to bounce back after disappointment can be a problem for children and teens that do not learn positive ways to deal with internal and external pressure. Dr. Ken Ginsburg, one of the nation's foremost specialists in adolescent medicine offers an approach to building resilience. It recognizes that while no child can be invulnerable, each child can be better prepared to meet with success despite challenges. To organize the discussion, the ingredients for resilience are broken down into "the crucial seven C’s": competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping, and control - and are supplemented by discussions of understanding and respecting emotions, enjoying play, fostering creativity, delaying gratification, managing stress, and taking action instead of worrying. Techniques will be provided to institute participants that teach new coping skills and reinforce existing ones at each developmental stage. Applicable to all age groups, detailed stress management plans summarize the main concepts and guide youth workers to work more effectively with children.
C. Impact of Family
Karen Shanoski, Parent School Community Partnerships Project Manager, Center for Schools and Communities, Camp Hill, PA
No Child Left Behind legislation mandates family involvement with schools. It encourages parents to become actively involved with their children and their schools, and requires schools and programs that receive federal funds to involve parents in planning and policy decisions. A growing body of research demonstrates the positive impact of the family on student progress and achievement in schools. A segment of the research examines how the partnerships among family members, schools and community entities can effectively improve student success. The Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC) offers tools and supports to parents, school professionals and community organizations that strengthen family engagement and encourage partnerships that result in improved student achievement. In this workshop we will review the NCLB legislation, look at the research, and examine the tools and materials that can be used to develop successful Family-School-Community Partnerships. In this institute, participants will learn basic elements of developing and implementing a plan to engage families, schools, and community groups together and have an opportunity to share your successes and challenges with peers.
D. Introductory Summer Learning Institute
Brenda McLaughlin, Deputy Director, Johns Hopkins University, Center for Summer Learning, Baltimore, MD and Eric Gurna, Executive Director, Development without Limits, Beacon, NY
Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning will present this institute which will introduce participants to the foundations of high-quality summer programs and thematic learning. Participants will examine the research supporting the importance of high-quality summer programs in preventing summer learning loss, learn the essential characteristics of effective summer programs, understand how the thematic learning approach supports effective programming; and, learn how to plan a meaningful thematic unit that engages young people. The institute will be interactive, with small and large group activities, lively discussion, and opportunities to share best practices.
E. Links to Learning Institute
Ellen S. Gannett, Director, National Institute on Out-of-School Time, Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
Afterschool programs are coming under increased pressure to become more academic in nature, like an extended school day. However, enrichment activities and creative expression are equally important. With a balanced approach to learning, the Links to Learning training addresses children’s holistic development while supporting both their academic achievement and overall development. In addition, the Links to Learning training focuses on strategies afterschool programs can use to effectively communicate and coordinate with schools and families about children’s development and learning, stemming from the latest research on engagement and motivation.
F. The Temple Youth VOICES Project: An Interactive Youth-led Multimedia Showcase of Voices and Curriculum
Catie Cavanaugh, Project Coordinator, Temple Youth VOICES Project, Philadelphia, PA
The Temple Youth VOICES Project is the centerpiece of the University Community Collaborative of Philadelphia’s Youth Civic Engagement work. VOICES is a project-based learning initiative that integrates youth media, youth leadership development and youth organizing activities in community and university-based settings. Their mission is to empower youth to use their voice for positive social change. Participants will learn about the program history, ongoing process of curriculum development and implementation, youth leadership development strategies, approaches to partnership building with families and communities, recruitment, retention and assessment. Participants will take part in interactive, youth led activities taken from the VOICES curriculum and learn from a multimedia showcase of VOICES past accomplishments, current initiatives and future goals.