Utah Afterschool Network

UAN IS A CATALYST FOR BUILDING STRONG, SAFE, AND HEALTHY AFTERSCHOOL/OUT- OF-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES. UAN HAS THREE MAIN OBJECTIVES. FIRST, TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURE OF STATEWIDE, REGIONAL, AND LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS. PARTICULARLY SCHOOL-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING POLICY DEVELOPMENT AT ALL LEVELS. SECOND, TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF STATEWIDE POLICIES THAT WILL SECURE THE RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED TO SUSTAIN NEW AND EXISTING SCHOOL LINKED/SCHOOL-BASED AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS. THIRD, TO SUPPORT STATEWIDE SYSTEMS TO ENSURE PROGRAMS ARE OF HIGH QUALITY.

PREPARING A CHILD FOR THE FUTURE DOES NOT END WHEN THE SCHOOL BELL RINGS, WHICH IS WHY THE UTAH AFTERSCHOOL NETWORK (UAN) ENSURES CHILDREN THROUGHOUT UTAH HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS TO KEEP THEM ENGAGED, LEARNING, AND SAFE. DURING THE 2021 FISCAL YEAR, THE UAN TEAM CONTINUED TO AID AFTERSCHOOL AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMS IN NAVIGATING THE IMPACTS OF COVID. THE UTAH AFTERSCHOOL NETWORK CREATED A SERIES OF ONLINE RESOURCES AND TOOLS, WHICH INCLUDED BI-WEEKLY WEBINARS, WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS, PROGRAM RESOURCES, BLOGS, AND PROGRAM BRIGHT SPOTS. UAN PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, COACHING, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO OVER 271 AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT EMPLOYED 1,885 STAFF MEMBERS WHO SERVED OVER 32,000 YOUTH STATEWIDE. THIS WORK INCLUDED 320 SITE VISITS/CONTACTS. UAN'S COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE BLENDED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SYSTEM IMPACTED 1,154 AFTERSCHOOL PROFESSIONALS (UNDUPLICATED) WHO REPRESENTED 306 PROGRAMS AND IMPACTED OVER 31,000 STUDENTS STATEWIDE. DESPITE THE PANDEMIC, UAN CONTINUED TO ENHANCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUPPORT FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS. UAN'S QUALITY IMPROVEMENT MODEL CONSISTS OF EVIDENCE-BASED OBSERVATIONS THAT PROVIDE CONTENT-SPECIFIC FEEDBACK TO PROGRAMS. PROGRAMS FILLED OUT A SELF-ASSESSMENT IDENTIFYING WHICH OF OUR TOOLS, RESOURCES, PRODUCTS, AND TRAININGS CONTRIBUTED TO THEIR PROGRAM QUALITY: 83% - UTILIZING THE QUALITY TOOL CONTRIBUTED TO THEIR OVERALL QUALITY; 90% - INTERACTING WITH THEIR OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME SPECIALIST; 96% - ATTENDING AN UAN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING EVENT; AND 89% - PARTICIPATING IN A REGIONAL NETWORK. OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS, UAN ESTABLISHED REGIONAL NETWORKS FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROVIDERS AND YOUTH SERVING ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THESE NETWORKS ARE COMPRISED OF PASSIONATE EDUCATORS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WORKING IN DIVERSE YOUTH-FOCUSED ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE NON- PROFITS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, CHARTER SCHOOLS, MUNICIPALITIES, PRIVATE AGENCIES, AND CHILDCARE CENTERS. MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS IN THESE NETWORKS LEVERAGE PARTNERSHIPS TO MOBILIZE AROUND COMMON OUTCOMES AND SHARE BEST PRACTICES. OUR NETWORK ENGAGED IN PEER LEARNING AROUND DATA, STAFFING, PROGRAMMING, AND POLICY, AS WELL AS HOSTED TRAININGS, EVENTS, AND CALLS, INCLUDING THE REGIONAL NETWORK LEADERSHIP SUMMIT, AFTERSCHOOL DAY ON THE HILL, AND VIRTUAL MEETINGS WITH LEGISLATORS AND THE GOVERNOR'S EDUCATION ADVISOR.