Pennsylvania is one of 50 statewide afterschool networks funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Since its inception in 2004, PSAYDN has played a unique role in bridging the capacity needs and programming perspectives that exist within the out-of-school time (OST) sector.
PSAYDN serves nearly 3,000 members from the Center for Schools and Communities in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. The Center is the statewide training and technical assistance division of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit.
In addition to the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, founding funders of PSAYDN include the Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Labor and Industry. Through the years, PSAYDN’s funding has included a host of private and public funders including The Grable Foundation, Heinz Endowments, William Penn Foundation, The Overdeck Family Foundation, STEM Next and National Science Foundation.
To this end, PSAYDN’s partners range from Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers’ providers to the Workforce Development Board Youth Council to various school-age child care technical assistance organizations.
For more background on the statewide networks, visit 50 State Afterschool Network.
The mission of the Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network is to promote sustainable, high quality OST youth development programs through advocacy and capacity building to enhance the welfare of Pennsylvania’s children, youth and families.
PSAYDN’s vision is that all children and youth deserve access to high quality OST programs that promote positive youth development and support the successful transition to adulthood.
Afterschool time programs re-imagine how, where and when our young people learn. Youth spend only 20% of their waking hours in school. How they invest the other 80% of their time is a game-changer. Studies show affluent youth experience 6,000 more hours of enrichment and learning compared to their low-income peers by 8th grade. High quality afterschool learning hours can turn this inequity around.
Keeping kids safe. In Pennsylvania, 26% of children, including kindergarteners, are unsupervised in the afternoons. OST programs keep young people safe during the highest crime time hours of 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays. Those in afterschool programs are less likely to use drugs, become teen parents, or be victims or perpetrators of crime.
Inspires learning. Afterschool and summer programs can add 1080 hours of learning to the year. That adds up to 144 additional school days. Those in OST programs have better grades, attendance, behaviors and college/career attainment.
Support for working families. Parents are better workers when their children are engaged in quality programs. Working parents miss an average of eight days a year due to a lack of afterschool care for their children.
OST programs take place in all types of venues. Programs can occur before school, after school, on holidays, weekends and during the summer. OST programs offer learning and enrichment activities from academic pursuits to physic and social development.
