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2010 NAA Annual Convention Wrap-up

BOSTnet Leads Workshop on Inclusion Supports
BOSTnet's Lead to Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities (LOYD) project has provided over 200 children with disabilities with access to meaningful after school opportunities and trained over 800 after school educators on working with children of all abilities. Based on this work, BOSTnet's Manosi Datta presented a workshop at the 2010 National Afterschool Association (NAA) Conference in Washington, D.c. on creating a system of inclusive afterschool opportunities for children with disabilities. About 80 attendees from across the country discussed how to assess the needs of children with disabilities in their community, approaches to implementing inclusive strategies, funding strategies, and collaboration with other service providers that work with children throughout the day. BOSTnet's Statewide Advisory Board Member Susan Richards of the Cambridge Agenda for Children presented a case study of Cambridge's citywide inclusion efforts.

A recurring theme in the discussion was the myths surrounding not only children with disabilities, but also the effort and resources it takes to support them. While programs need additional resources to adequately support children of all abilities, targeting resources toward staff training on basic inclusion strategies, family engagement practices, and leveraging existing inclusion community resources can break down some of the initial barriers to inclusion. Access to information on issues children may be facing was another area of discussion. After school programs did not feel they could get sufficient information on children from families, schools, and other partners to meet their needs. In some communities, access to information was facilitated by strong leadership that developed systems for sharing information.

Serving children with disabilities continues to be an issue of interest to programs throughout the country. Without simplifying the issue, BOSTnet educates programs and community leaders on the basic efforts of staff training, information and referral systems, and strategic partnerships that break down the initial barriers to inclusion in after school programs.

Over 2,500 after school leaders from across the country attended the National Afterschool Association's 22nd annual conference in conjunction with the Afterschool Alliance's 9th Annual AfterSchool for All Challenge. Click here to read more about Capitol Hill visits to congresspersons to support quality after school programs for children and youth.

 

BOSTnet to Serve as the Massachusetts Affiliate for the National Afterschool Association!

"Our board members appreciate that BOSTnet has stepped up to the challenge of offering the school age providers a professional membership organization.   BOSTnet has the experience, knowledge and resources to re-energize a professional association for school age.  BOSTnet will continue to be a positive force for school age providers in Massachusetts.”

-Joanne Gravell, Program Director, Child Care Connection & MSAC Board Member

2009 will mark an important milestone in the history of BOSTnet as we transition into the role of statewide affiliate for the NAA! We are excited to partner with leaders in the out-of-school time field to expand our network across the Commonwealth. As the recently convened Special Commission on After School and Out-of-School Time made very clear, we need to work together to strengthen the identity of the field as the natural pathway to healthy youth development; improve our ability to connect, collaborate and communicate; develop the quality of our workforce; and build new streams of funding that serve the professional needs of the field. We must also recognize the importance of a strong professional identity to help us recruit and retain the highest quality staff possible. With the NAA’s renewed focus on providing meaningful provider services, this is a critical time for Massachusetts to have a strong member-driven network that is responsive to the needs of youth programs.

 

BOSTnet would like to thank The Boston Foundation for a Vision Fund Grant to support activities to engage in a constituent needs assessment and research model state affiliates nationwide. In the coming months, BOSTnet will be reaching out to programs across the state to begin building memberships. As an integral part of this outreach, BOSTnet has created a field survey to assess needs and identify the key services you would like to see in a membership network. Your input is critical if we are to be successful in building a strong professional network for OST educators in Massachusetts. Please start this dialogue by completing our online survey and talking to your colleagues about this effort. We will also be working with statewide leaders to create an advisory committee to inform our efforts, and assess the work of model NAA affiliates across the country.

 

As a member, providers will receive all the benefits of NAA membership, including discounts on NAA publications and products, subscription to The School-Age Review, discounts on registration for the NAA national conference, policy representation in Washington, and technical assistance for NAA accreditation. More importantly, members will be part of a growing network of OST educators in Massachusetts that will expand upon BOSTnet’s current network services, including consistent information through our monthly newsletters, research reports and policy briefs, opportunities to author posts on our blogs, leadership opportunities on statewide committees, access to our technical assistance and best-practice toolkits, free enrollment in our Directors’ Roundtables, and discounted registration at our statewide conference and quality forum. You will also be part of a network of youth serving organizations to mobilize a strong voice for the OST field.

JOIN NOW!  For more information and to find out how to join our network (or to renew your MA statewide membership), Click here to become a member!

 

Achieve Boston Presses the EEC to Invest in Professional Development

On March 12, the Achieve Boston partnership submitted a letter to new EEC Commissioner Sherri Killins asking for a renewed focus on investments in a professional development system for school age providers. All partners of Achieve Boston, including BOSTnet, NIOST, PEAR, MAP, DELTAS, Boston Afterschool & Beyond, WestMOST, YMCA of Greater Boston, The Medical Foundation/BEST Initiative, and Commonwealth Corporation, signed the letter. Click here to read the letter in full. 

 

 The 2008-2009 Special Edition of the Guide to Boston's Before and After School Programs is here!

Designed for families and organized by neighborhood, the Guide provides information on over 500 before and after school opportunities in Boston. Find program information such as contact numbers, program hours and days, fees, ages served, languages spoken, physical access, DEEC licensing, services for children/youth with disabilities, older youth programming and summer programming.

The Guide is available at Boston Centers for Youth & Families, Boston Public Schools and Family Resource Centers. To request a copy, please contact info@bostnet.org or call 617-720-1290 x232.

The Guide is Available Online!

 

BOSTnet News...

BOSTnet has a complete calendar of trainings and events for the 2008-2009 school year.   Our Leadership Roundtables are free professional development opportunities for OST school-age program providers. Many of these trainings are approved for EEC hours.  View the Roundtable Schedule for Boston and the North Shore for 2008/ 2009 and a list of approved trainings.  Contact us at info@bostnet.org for additional information.

 

Children's Defense Fund Awards Fellowship to BOSTnet Project Director Manosi Datta-Project Director Manosi Datta has recently been named an Emerging Leader through the Children's Defense Fund's Emerging Leaders Fellowship program.  Ms. Datta is the only 2006-2007 fellow from the state of Massachusetts!