UPCOMING EVENTS:
05/30/2019 – 3rd Annual OST Convening
Join us on May 30, 2019 for the 3rd annual Citywide OST Convening!
8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Community Behavioral Health (CBH)
801 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19107
- Connect with the Philadelphia OST community
- Learn about implementing continuous quality improvement in OST programming
- Attend a continuous quality improvement workshop
- Learn about M3 training
- Find info on early-literacy tools and training
- Coffee and breakfast will be served
OST Program Locator Info Sessions
PAST EVENTS:
2018 Annual Convening
This was the second annual convening of the Citywide OST Initiative. Held on February 26, 2018 at the Franklin Institute with over 160 OST stakeholders, this half-day retreat was launched with remarks from Mayor Jim Kenney, Dr. William Hite (Superintendent, School District of Philadelphia) and Michael DiBerardinis (Managing Director, City of Philadelphia).
Michael DiBerardinis then facilitated a panel discussion with Cynthia Figueroa (Commissioner, Department of Human Services), Siobhan Reardon (President and Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia), Kathryn Ott Lovell (Commissioner, Department of Parks and Recreation) and Deanda Logan (Principal, William Cramp Elementary). The panel discussed various aspects of the initiative and the new pilot of the Philly Reading Coaches model, which is currently being piloted in three OST programs based in School District of Philadelphia schools.
A working meeting, the event included over 160 stakeholders from the philanthropic, service provider, and educational communities, as well as members of allied City departments who then participated in one of three workshops focusing on different aspects of the initiative:
- The National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) facilitated a feedback session around defining program quality in OST.
- After-School Activities Partnerships facilitated a conversation around the new program locator that is set to roll out in FY19.
- The Citywide OST Initiative presented information about the new CitySpan database which will be used by City-funded OST programs and which non-City-funded programs can use at no cost.
Sharing Findings from Adding Another Voice Report
April 12, 2018
Municipal Services Building, Room 1450 (14th Floor)
At this event, there will be a presentation of the findings contained in the Adding Another Voice: Caretakers’ Experiences Utilizing Philadelphia’s Out-of-School Time Programs report and a discussion about the findings and recommendations.
Nationwide, there is a high demand for out-of-school time (OST) programs, and this demand has not been fully met—particularly in high-poverty areas. Information about caretakers’ and children’s OST needs can help citywide systems better target the limited resources available for programming.
In 2017, the City of Philadelphia launched its OST strategic initiative in an effort to increase access to, participation in, and quality of OST programs. As part of the strategic initiative, the City hopes to engage caretakers in a conversation to learn more about their needs and perceptions of the OST programs available for their children. This report begins that conversation by reporting findings from research about Philadelphia caretakers’ experiences utilizing OST programs in Philadelphia.