CUNY college presidents, New York City Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein and leaders of business, government and philanthropy met today to lay the groundwork to create the first comprehensive system of professional development for staff who work in after-school programs.
The collegium was convened at CUNY Graduate Center by The Center for After-School Excellence, a new initiative of The After-School Corporation (TASC). The Center is collaborating with the City University of New York (CUNY) to develop college courses and certificates for the after-school workforce, and to build a degree program in after-school studies. Its goal is to ensure that students in after-school programs are served by the best-trained staff possible.
"We know that professional development for the after-school workforce pays off in better outcomes for kids," said Lucy N. Friedman, president of TASC. "Now that New York and other cities are building large-scale after-school systems, our focus must be on quality. And high-quality programs require thoroughly trained staff."
More than 10,000 people currently work in New York City after-school programs, which serve about 140,000 students. After-school is the city's fastest-growing educational sector, in large part due to a recent infusion of public funds through the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD)'s Out-Of-School Time program.
"We believe students need extra learning time so they can meet higher standards for academic achievement," said DYCD Commissioner Jeanne Mullgrav. "The after-school hours are increasingly seen as an optimal time to supplement a child's in-school education with arts, sports and other enrichments."
Yet there is currently no comprehensive system of training for those who work in the after-school field. Their jobs demand expertise in child and adolescent behavior and management, informal learning, and a vast array of content, from literacy to recreation to obesity prevention.
"Universities - and CUNY in particular - are the ideal settings in which to build the training and research infrastructure which the field of after-school needs to mature into a full-fledged profession," said Mark D. Levine, newly-appointed Executive Director of the Center for After-School Excellence.
"I applaud this new partnership between CUNY and The After School Corporation," said New York City schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein, who delivered remarks at the collegium. "I welcome the investment in a new professional development system that will support and enhance New York City after-school programs. Building professional development programs that reflect clear accountability is critical for our after-school workforce that spends three hours with our students each day."
CUNY college presidents participating in the collegium include Jennifer Raab of Hunter College, Regina Peruggi of Kingsborough Community College and Dolores M. Fernández of Hostos Community College.
On October 17, the Center will co-sponsor a two-day conference at Columbia University's Teacher's College titled "More Than Academics in After-School Education." The course, which offers college credit, is open to the public.
In January of 2007 the Center will launch its first graduate/undergraduate-level course, "Introduction to After-School for Adolescents," at Lehman College. Students will receive three credits and learn in a hybrid on-line/in-person format.
The Center for After-School Excellence is overseen by an eight-person Governing Committee, chaired by Stanley S. Litow of the IBM International Foundation.
Contact: Susan Brenna; sbrenna@tascorp.org
