By Sharnae Scott, AmeriCorps VISTA Member
On Wednesday, June 14th, GSAN hosted Afterschool Community Conversations: Working together to strengthen Albany at Phoebe Northwest Conference Center in Albany, GA. A group of more than 25 local afterschool and youth development providers and community members gathered to engage in lively discussions about community partnerships, strengthening the network of afterschool providers in the region, and funding solutions for afterschool program providers.
During presentations by GSAN staff, participants received federal and state policy updates, an overview of the Georgia Afterschool and Youth Development Standards (ASYD) and the self-assessment tool, and advocacy materials to send to their local representatives to preserve the 21st Century Community Learning Centers federal funding stream.
In the end, participants were hopeful, confident, and committed to working together to support Albany’s youth. GSAN is excited to provide the space and opportunities for conversations like these to take place, and we look forward to our first peer learning community in Albany on July 19th to continue to move this conversation forward.
Many thanks to Angie Barber and the Network of Trust for their generous support with the planning and coordination of the event! And to our guests, who represented organizations including DBHDD, Family Literacy Connection, Girls, Inc., Mt. Olive Community Outreach Center, Aspire Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Services, DCSS, SW Georgia RESA, YMCA, Georgia Center for Child Advocacy Albany—thank you for your participation, we hope to see you again on July 19th!
GSAN will host our next community conversation in Savannah on August 31st, stand by for further details about our event in Savannah, and other conversations GSAN will be hosting around the state! Until then, see below for additional resources shared during Working Together to Strengthen Albany:
• Georgia Afterschool & Youth Development Standards and self-assessment tool
• Georgia’s ESSA State Plan – stay tuned for ways to engage!
