National Institute on Out-of-School Time 2008 Annual Summer Seminars
July 7, 2008
The National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW), a leader in the field in professional development and research, will hold its annual Summer Seminars for Afterschool Program Professionals at the John Hancock Conference Center in Boston, MA, July 14 through 17. More than 90 out-of-school time professionals from 25 states will attend.
This year’s seminar topics focus on advancing strategic partnerships between schools, afterschool programs, and communities; providing technical assistance for programs working toward quality improvement; training professionals who focus on afterschool program infrastructure and system building; and utilizing the NIOST-developed Afterschool Program Assessment System (APAS), which helps afterschool programs improve their program quality and reach their desired outcomes for children and youth. The seminar instructors are leaders in the out-of-school time field with extensive experience conducting research and training youth workers.
Ellen Gannett, Director of NIOST and instructor of two of the seminars, states “the professional development of youth workers is essential to the continued growth and value of this important field. As more of our out-of-school time workers pursue training and career advancement, program quality and youth outcomes improve, and everyone benefits—children, families, schools, communities, and of course the afterschool programs.”
For more than 30 years, the National Institute on Out-of-School Time at the Wellesley Centers for Women has been dedicated to moving the afterschool field forward through its research, education and training, consultation, and field-building. Much of NIOST’s work has encompassed projects of national scope and influence, several representing “firsts” for the field and many focusing on building out-of-school time systems. NIOST is a program of the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW). Since 1974, scholars at WCW have helped shape a better world through their social science research projects and training programs.
|
