In this Issue

December 2007

With the holidays underway and 2007 drawing to a close we are happy to provide you, the afterschool providers and supporters of New Orleans Youth, with news you can use and an overview of our plans for 2008 and beyond! Enjoy your holidays and let's continue our resolution to rebuild New Orleans one afternoon at a time.

Here's Looking at Us!

This year we are developing our 'look' with an updated logo that streamlines our name and highlights our commitment to afterschool for all the children and Youth of Greater New Orleans. In addition to the new look we are happily settling into our new location at 4240 Canal Street, Suite 100. We welcome all to stop by to see our new office and take advantage of our Resource Library. Looking for a particular item? Email Dara (dlum@gnoafterschool.org) to find out availability.

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2008: The Year Ahead

As we begin the New Year we are committed to responding to and anticipating the needs of afterschool providers and Youth throughout our community. Below are just a few of the projects we have underway. See an area of interest to you and/or the Youth you serve? Email Shelley (swarner@gnoafterschool.org) to get involved.

Day at the Capitol — an opportunity to educate and inform our state legislators about the value of afterschool.  We will be inviting afterschool programs from around Louisiana to join us.  Date TBD during the Regular Legislative Session.

Funding Guide — a complete guide to the funding streams (national, state, and private) that are regularly available and accessed by afterschool providers. We'll also use this guide to plan collaborative and strategic funding strategies for all.

Advancing Youth Development — an exciting professional development opportunity for New Orleans Youth Workers that is being presented in coordination with our partners in Washington DC at the Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation (www.cyitc.org/cyitc/dcbest/).

Parent/Youth Survey — a project for surveying providers' primary consumers, the parents and Youth of New Orleans. The surveys will focus on the needs and wishes of parents and Youth, with Youth taking the lead on the development and implementation of the Youth focused survey.

City-wide Services Survey — a project that will capture the work of all local agencies and providers that directly serve Youth in New Orleans. We plan to partner with the Forum for Youth Investment (www.forumforyouthinvestment.org) as we strive to support all Youth in their quest to be Ready by 21, for college, work, and life.

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Focus on Research

Study of Promising Afterschool Programs — October 2007
Low-income elementary and middle school students enrolled in afterschool programs and structured activities experience positive academic and behavioral outcomes, compared to students who were largely unsupervised in the afterschool hours. Over two years, afterschool participants demonstrated improved academic outcomes, and achieved significant gains in standardized math scores and work habits in school. Students in afterschool also demonstrated improved social and behavioral outcomes, showing positive gains in social skills with peers and pro-social behavior, as well as reductions in aggression, misconduct (skipping school, fighting), and drug and alcohol use. The findings are based on a two-year study of 3,000 low-income, ethnically-diverse students from eight states by the University of California, Irvine, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Policy Studies Associates, Inc. and supported by the C.S. Mott Foundation. To view the full report, please visit www.gse.uci.edu/research_SPASP.php

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Time Together

Networking and learning remain the key components to each of our monthly meetings; after a break in December we will resume meetings again on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 4319 Carondelet. The yearly meeting schedule will be available at the first meeting (usually the 3rd or 4th Wednesday of each month) including potential topics and planning areas. Planning areas will include: Advocacy needs, addressing transportation challenges, and licensing of afterschool for Child Care funding eligibility; just to name a few. Have a topic or planning area that you would like to see included? Email Shelley (swarner@gnoafterschool.org)

This year we will also be introducing an articles discussion group designed to highlight best practices and policy from around the nation. These "brown bag" luncheons will be open to anyone hoping to expand their knowledge of the afterschool and youth development field. Stay tuned for the first invitation!

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Announcements

AfterSchoolDIGEST
There's a new resource especially designed for the afterschool providers — www.AfterSchoolPRO.net. Available to everyone — it's online, centralized and growing every day. See how many of your questions can be answered there. By signing up online, you can also become a member of the AfterSchool Professional Network (no cost). Member benefits include receiving the AfterSchoolDIGEST every other week.

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
Need access to the latest in programming and curriculum development? Check-out www.sedl.org/afterschool/. You can also subscribe to the SEDL eNewsletter for the most up to date information delivered right to you.

The Finance Project
An incredible direct resource for funding questions and general organizational development! Take advantage of all they have available at www.financeproject.org/irc/yp.asp. Get involved directly by signing up for the Finance Project eNewsletter.

High School Youth Conference
Already working with HIGH SCHOOL youth? Need to know more? CASE (Cooperative for AfterSchool Enrichment), Harris County, TX is sponsoring a two-day conference titled Out-of School Time for High School Youth: Focus on Practice. Space is limited and a sell out is anticipated — April 11–12 in Houston. This is a don't-miss opportunity for practitioners — especially those practitioners working in public/private high schools. To register and for more information, go to www.OSTHS.org.

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