New Jersey After 3 Assembles Statewide Industry Leaders To Kick Off New School Year
6th Annual Orientation & Workshops Help Prepare Program Partners for Upcoming School Year
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – August 20, 2009 –New Jersey After 3, a state-wide non-profit organization dedicated to expanding learning time for New Jersey’s youth, kicked off the 2009/2010 school year with its 6th Annual Partner Orientation today. The annual event brought New Jersey After 3’s constituency together to focus on important operational policies, processes, and priorities in preparation for the new school year. Partner CEOs, CFOs, and Site Coordinators [who run afterschool programs] immersed themselves in networking, presentations, and interactive workshops addressing recruitment, training, licensing, Quality Assurance Systems (QAS), Youth Services Network (YSA), and other essential subjects pertinent to the field of afterschool in New Jersey. Officials from New Jersey School Aged Care Coalition, NJ FamilyCare, and The Association for Children of New Jersey also presented.
President & CEO of New Jersey After 3, Mark Valli, kicked off the event with an overview of the positive strides the nonprofit organization is making despite the economic downturn and the 27% reduction to the annual investment made by The State of New Jersey. Valli’s highlights included: an overview of the positive external evaluation results from a 3-year external study that showed significant gains language arts skills, increased daily attendance rates, and improved test scores; growth in private sector grants and an overview of emerging federal grant opportunities; and a commitment to focused technical assistance and training as a way to drive increased student achievement across the state.
“Our recent evaluation linked positive academic and behavioral student outcomes to the comprehensive staff training and professional development provided by New Jersey After 3,” exclaimed Kiran Handa Gaudioso – New Jersey After 3’s Director of Training and Technical Assistance. “The evaluation highlights the importance of training as one of the critical investments that New Jersey After 3 contributes to the field of expanded learning time. We’re building the skills and capacity of our network partners, strengthening the field of afterschool, and delivering positive student achievements as a result.”
Today’s Orientation is the first of several technical and training support initiatives to be offered to New Jersey After 3’s network of 45 non profit partners (serving over 10,000 students in over 110 schools throughout the state) this school year.
Professional development and technical assistance sessions will be offered, year-round, to more than 1,400 full- and part-time afterschool educators across the state. This training series provides program staff with the tools and resources they need to ensure student success.
New Jersey After 3's 2009/2010 Training Includes:
- Annual Partner Orientation – afterschool staff are introduced to standard policies (e.g., licensing) and workshops (e.g., classroom management)
- Summer Institute – afterschool staff engage in peer sharing and team problem solving, in order to tackle common challenges and facilitate communication
- Site Coordinator Monthly Meetings – afterschool site coordinators meet to learn specific skills such as cooperative discipline and curriculum planning
- Regional Trainings – part-time (classroom level) staff engage in workshops focusing on topics such as working with parents and transitional activities
- Principals Institute – principals from participating schools meet to discuss successes and challenges, along with program partners and site coordinators
- Promising Practices (& Conference) – New Jersey After 3 partners with the National Institute on Out of School Time (NIOST) to recognize outstanding practices developed by site coordinators and share them across the network.
In addition to the above mentioned, New Jersey After 3 offers on-site technical assistance, content-specific training, and mentorship opportunities to its program partners.
For more information on New Jersey After 3, and its Technical Training Initiatives, please visit our Training page located under Home / Activities & Services and select "Training" from the dropdown menu or click here.
CONTACT: Shannon Boehmer: (732) 246-7981 x 105or sboehmer@njafter3.org
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 20, 2009
CONTACT:
Shannon Boehmer
New Jersey After 3
(267) 241-5824
sboehmer@njafter3.org
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