Cambridge OST Coalition news & updates

December 2023 | Fall/Winter Issue

Greetings, It was great to see you in-person at the Foundry at the OST Coalition Meeting on September 27th. We hope that you are keeping warm as the days grow shorter and temperatures drop and the Winter Solstice and holidays draw near. We're excited to share these updates. We hope to see you at our next meeting on February 28th. More details to follow. Best wishes, Khari and Susan, Co-Directors Agenda for Children OST

Highlights & Updates September 2023 OST Coalition Meeting

OST Coalition Slide deck cover image of a wave, September 2023

The OST community leaders who attended the Coalition Meeting at the The Foundry in September were able to: connect with peers, learn about a CPS Tutoring Program and the OST Expansion Study, and engage in some collective thinking and brainstorming about our shared staffing dilemma and skills sharing at future Cambridge OST meetings. To review the slides, click here.

Skills Sharing Topic Follow up Survey

At our September OST Coalition Meeting, we did some brainstorming around ideas for possible panel discussions reflecting the knowledge, wisdom and skills of OST Coalition Members. Please use this link to complete a short survey indicating which topic you prefer and whether you would be willing to be a panelist presenting on that topic.

Update about CPS Tutoring Program

Thanks to all of the insightful input regarding CPS’s strategic tutoring program planning we collected at our September OST Coalition Meeting, AFCOST was able to share and advocate for your ideas, questions and concerns with the district. So far, it has helped to elevate the importance of lessening scheduling conflicts, and the exploration of opportunities between CPS and OST providers for collaboration and partnership – especially on behalf of our shared students. Here’s a summary of the current rollout CPS’s Excel Afterschool Tutoring Program, where and when it's happening:

Potential Additional/Eligible Schools Sites for Spring 2024: RAUC, VLUS, G&P, KO, FMA, Morse, Haggerty, Cambridgeport. If you have questions, please contact Khari (kmilner@cpsd.us)

OST Expansion Project Update

The OST Expansion Project Steering Committee met in November and, in January, will review proposals and select the consultant/vendor who will lead the study. The consultant will begin working with us in February and possibly join us at the February OST Coalition meeting.

The City of Cambridge MA is seeking a vendor to perform a comprehensive Study on the Expansion of Out of School Time (OST) Programs for the City.  Please help us spread the word to qualified consultants who may be interested in bidding on this project. This RFP may be downloaded from the City’s website, (Bid#00011310).   All questions from proposers concerning the Request for Proposals (RFP) must be submitted in writing by 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, to Elizabeth Unger, by email at: Purchasing@cambridgema.gov. Proposals are due January 4, 2024.

Opportunity to Participate in Expansion Study Advisory Group

The Advisory Group will represent the voices of the community and contribute at key stages of the process: provide inputs and discuss findings and options. If you have questions and/or are interested in joining the Advisory Group, please contact Susan, srichards@cambridgema.gov.

Save the Date Cambridge OST Coalition Meeting February 28, 2024 In-person, Location TBD 9am Coffee & Networking 9:30am-12noon OST Coalition Planning Sessions Feb 6 at 10-11am or 2-3pm Look for calendar invite with Zoom information closer to the date!

Making Sense of System-wide OST Data

At our first OST data working group meeting in October, participants discussed the possibility of meetings every other month and expressed interest in continuing the conversation highlighting the need for more capacity to do data analysis. Overall, the group highlighted the importance of using data to advocate for quality out-of-school time programs and the need for ongoing collaboration and sharing and advocating for more resources for our sector. Review a link to the Running Notes and link to the Jamboard. We hope to see you at our next meeting on Dec 20th, 10am. Zoom Link Meeting ID: 896 9494 7816; Passcode: 236239 If you are interested in participating, please contact: mercedes@agendaforchildrenost.org

We are hoping to report on OST Staff Engagement for the first half of 2023-24 in February! To learn more about upcoming professional opportunities for your team, check the AFCOST website 2023-24 event calendar.

NEW! Report on the Liberation of Leadership Experience Report Suggests that to Achieve Transformation at the Organizational and Systems Level, More Sustained, Intentional Work is Needed

Between January 2021 and June 2022, thirty out-of-school (OST) time leaders participated in two cohorts of Liberation of Leadership, a new learning experience offered by the Cambridge Agenda for Children Out of School Time (AFCOST). The qualitative data show that Liberation of Leadership participants deepened their leadership awareness and skills and experienced transformation at the individual and interpersonal level.  Follow the links to read the Executive Summary or to read the Full Report. This offering was designed to “engage a cohort of Cambridge OST leaders in a ‘liberatory approach’ to leadership development.” Liberation of Leadership was designed as a response to the need for effective leadership which is essential for shaping an equitable OST system that responds to the realities of young people, families, and staff in the OST community. To better understand the impact of this experience on the leadership practice of participants, we conducted interviews and reviewed notes from feedback sessions and other artifacts. This report seeks to capture the uniqueness of each person’s Liberation of Leadership journey, while identifying the common themes and findings.

OST School Partnership Updates

Celebrating Dr. Carolyn Turk

At the end of October, CPS Deputy Supt. retired from her role as an educator, leader, mentor and friend of OST, after more than four and a half decades of service to the district, our families and children. Dr. Turk has been a long time advocate and supporter of the Agenda for Children OST, as well as the OST Coalition and many School-OST partnerships. Therefore, it was only right that on multiple occasions during remarks she delivered at her retirement event she revered herself as part of our “OST Family.”   Thank you, Dr. Turk! We will miss your presence at CPS, but we know you will still be a part of our community and OST Family for years to come! ❤️🖤💚

Opportunities for Community Input & Announcements

2023-24 CPS District Climate Survey is closing December 22nd! Facilitate Diverse Parents Voices

Our OST community is supporting this effort to have a diverse range of parents complete the survey. Use this link to send parents a reminder to take the survey. Here is a link to a flyer with a QR Code you can print and post in your program to assist parents! CPS would benefit from hearing our families' and caregivers' input and feedback! Time sensitive! The survey will close on Friday, December 22, 2023.

CPS Community Budget Meetings Info Save the Date: December 21, 2023 @6pm More details to follow.

New! School Day Schedules for the 2024-2025 School Year Recently Ratified by CPS and CEA (Cambridge Educators’ Association)

OST programs, and our collective advocacy efforts through AFCOST and other channels The “good news” is that, during negotiations, not having a negative impact on OST programs and families was stated as a priority. This contributed to the fact that, even with the lengthening of the school day, no school end times will occur past 3:15pm. The only exceptions are for the two extended day schools, MLK and FMA, which already end later, based on multiple factors, including state funding.   Also, it is fair to say that the OST community’s collective and organized response and advocacy in 2018, the last time CPS was considering the lengthening of instructional and learning time across its schools, led to our voices being “present” during the collective bargaining negotiation sessions that led to the new schedules. Also, even though it was clear that a longer school day was imminent – the effort was made to keep the impact on the OST landscape to a relatively modest level.  We will dive into this topic more at our next OST Coalition Meeting on 2/28/23. More details: Starting in September of 2024, all CPS Elementary and Upper Schools will add 30 minutes to their days by starting their days 10 minutes earlier, and ending 20 minutes later. Here’s a link to more slides outlining what has been approved as the daily schedule changes for next school year. Some details are subject to change, and we will try to keep folks updated whenever we have additional information.

Also, every Wednesday, there will be an “Early Release Day,” which will equate to dismissals that are 30 minutes earlier than other days of the week.  There will still be “old school" half days (which equate to dismissal times that are 2 hours earlier than a typical school day), specifically on the days before Thanksgiving, December break, and on the last day of school. No changes to the high school schedules are planned at this point.  Also, please note an important change to the CPS for the current 2023-2024 school year calendar, which was also recently approved by the School Committee:  There will be an additional early release day on Friday, December 22, 2023, the day before winter break begins, for all grades. Please plan accordingly!

Save the Date Cambridge OST Coalition Meeting February 28, 2024 In-person, Location TBD 9am Coffee & Networking 9:30am-12noon OST Coalition Planning Meetings Sessions Feb 6 at 10-11am or 2-3pm Look for calendar invite with Zoom information closer to the date!

We're Hiring - Elementary OST Network Coordinator

This position is posted as the Assistant Manager of the Elementary School-Out-of-School Time Network (ESON), which is a coordinated and committed coalition of Cambridge out-of-school time providers, schools, families, and community partners who work together to provide equitable access to quality learning experiences beyond the school day and school year for children in grades JK - 5. ​Click here to apply!​ ​If you have questions, please feel free to contact Khari, khari@agendaforchildrenost.org.

Happiness Course - Dr. Laurie Santos Insights on the Power of Us Workforce Survey - NIOST Youth Fields Workforce Perspectives - NIOST Lighting the Path Forward: How Afterschool Intermediaries Have Supported Youth and Communities During the Pandemic and What They’ve Learned Along the Way - Every Hour Counts The Impact of Out of School Programs - Every Child Thrives W. K. Kellogg Foundation Nearly 90% of Public Schools Now Offer Afterschool Programs - Youth Today Developmental Relationships: The Roots of Positive Youth Development - Search Institute

Agenda for Children OST Co-Directors Susan Richards (Susan@agendaforchildrenost.org) Khari Milner (Khari@agendaforchildrenost.org) www.agendaforchildrenost.org Follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @agendacambridge Like us on Facebook: @agendacambridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cambridge-agenda-for-children-out-of-school-time Linktree: https://linktr.ee/CambridgeAFCOST