Regional Summits 2010

PSAYDN’s Regional Summits in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Attract Top Experts and Advocates for Afterschool

Though PSAYDN is still collecting evaluations online, we received very positive comments about both Summits from participants and presenters. Preparations for the Summits began months ago and PSAYDN would like to thank our Southeastern and Southwestern Planning Committees. Without their time and expertise, creating such quality Summits would not have been possible.

Southeastern Regional Summit - Philadelphia

On September 14, 2010, 165 participants gathered for a dynamic panel discussion and 12 workshops focusing on Creating Positive Collaborations – Community Partnerships to Keep Children and Youth Safe, Inspire Learning and Help Support Families.

Anne Marie Ambrose, Commissioner of Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services and Philadelphia’s Deputy Mayor for Health and Opportunity, Donald Schwarz welcomed and challenged the participants. Bill Bartle, Youth Policy Director of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children gave a “State of the Child” address for Southeastern regions based on Kids Count Data.

PSAYDN Director Kacy Conley moderated the opening panel on “Collaborations: The Good the Bad and the Ugly.” Panelists spoke of why they collaborated, what started their partnerships, building trust in collaboration and successes from a youth’s perspective. The panel included Stacy Holland, Executive Director, Philadelphia Youth Network; Denise Wing, Deputy Chief, Office of Academic Support; Janet Riley Ford, Program Director, Chester Youth Collaborative; Jamie McKnight, Director, Teens 4 Good; and Amber Wiggs, Youth Participant, Teens 4 Good.

Interactive workshops shared broad expertise and best practices in collaborating in sessions such as “Workin’ 3-5: Successful Workforce Collaborations”, “Building Capacity through Collaboration: Genesis, Benefits and Impact,” “Developing Sensible and Achievable Outcomes for Afterschool Programs”, “Collaborations to Keep Kids Safe: Experiences from S.P.O.T. (Supervised Programs Organized for Teens)” and more.

Philadelphia Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, speaking on behalf of Dan Onorato for Governor, had passionate remarks about the importance of afterschool, sharing that she would not be where she is today without the programs of her childhood. State Representative Kenyatta Johnson spoke about his involvement with the AmeriCorps National School and Community Corps, working with students in the Philadelphia public school system with the AmeriCorps City Year Program, and his Peace Not Guns Inc., a violence prevention program that addresses the senseless acts of violence that are taking the lives of many young adults. Kacy Conley concluded the summit with a Call to Action asking attendees to engage their stakeholders and their local, state and federal officials to share news of their individual program successes and needs.

Resources (PDF format)

Southwestern Regional Summit - Pittsburgh

On September 27, 2010, the Southwestern Regional Summit drew 134 participants who had a particular interest in the theme Out-of-School Time: The K-12 Connection of Out-of-School Time to College, Career and Workforce Development.

The opening panel highlighted current and needed efforts to develop and strengthen connections between the out-of-school time, education and workforce sectors. The panel included moderator Paul David Spradley, Director of Multicultural Student Services at Robert Morris University, and panelists Stefani Pashman, Chief Executive Officer, Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board of Pittsburgh; Linda Hippert, Executive Director, Allegheny Intermediate Unit; Terri Henderson, Director of Education and Workforce Development, Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania; Darren Spielman, Vice President of Workforce Development, Philadelphia Youth Network, Inc.; and Tanitra Bradberry, youth participant from Schenley High School in Pittsburgh.

Bill Bartle, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, and Kacy Conley, PSAYDN Director, shared the latest data and policy updates on afterschool.

Workshops addressed integrating college, career education and workforce development. For grades K-5, the workshop highlighted elementary career standards and the new Pennsylvania Department of Education Standards Aligned Systems. For grades 6-8, participants learned about Carnegie Mellon and TechGYRLS® work with robotics to introduce STEM careers, and for grades 9-12, the focus was how community based organizations cultivated buy-in from schools and employers. Among others, participants also learned of new tools to measure quality in their programs in “Let’s Talk About Quality: A Self-Assessment with an APOST Grant Opportunity,” “Essential Elements of Youth Development.”

The Summit closed with keynote speaker Darrell “Coach D” Andrews, a nationally recognized education consultant, speaker, trainer and author known by many as “America’s Passion Coach.” Coach D energized the Pittsburgh crowd with memorable experiences and inspiring takeaways to connect with youth, such as his HYPE (Helping Youth Pursue Excellence) Program’s RID Factor (Relationships, Identity and Dreams – the three essentials that must be nurtured in young people) and the understanding that “kids are not committed to programs, but to people.”

Resources (PDF format)