afterschoolnetwork

Overview: Data is critical for making the case for increased resources for afterschool. Understanding why, when & how to use data is as important as having the right data to share.

Paint the picture: Who is served? What income(s)? Family make-up? Costs? Benefits? What difference does it make?

Know your audience: What do they believe? How can you match their beliefs via tailored afterschool messages? Resources: see MN focus group study, think 6 degrees of separation from afterschool, i.e., What's the connection between AVIAN FLU and AFTERSCHOOL? keep kids healthy, teach good habits/hand-washing, etc.

Ideas:

- Local Afterschool for All effort (with APAN, NLC, etc.)
- Partner with professionals in gov't relations/advocacy to see who might be friendly to an afterschool policy/legislation, etc.
- Partner with event planners to leverage ideas!
- Recruit interns!!
- Policy & Advocacy Tasks: Facilitate meetings; Blog progress; Summarize policies online; Develop Strategies, Prepare Briefings; Establish appointments; Plan events, like Lights On Afterschool
- Add questions to existing surveys conducted in the community
- Study economic impact of afterschool (WA, CA) similar to ECE community brain research work (MN High School Redesign, Success BY 6)
- Use short survey bites to follow-up on key issues
- Obtain quotes regarding afterschool from varied local audiences, individuals, opinion leaders in business, gov't, non-profit, philanthropy, faith-based, police, school board, etc.
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