Middle School Learning Center

OMAHA AFTERSCHOOL INITIATIVE

Published November 2007
Bela Shaw
National League of Cities
The City of Omaha, Nebraska is making significant progress in improving access to afterschool programs for the city’s most disadvantaged youth. Mayor Mike Fahey has made expanding afterschool programs a priority by creating the Greater Omaha After School Alliance (GOASA).

Led by the Office of the Mayor, GOASA is a multi-year initiative to align the efforts of school, afterschool and community programs, as well as other essential youth services, to ensure that Omaha’s youth receive the support they need during out-of-school time hours.

This month, the city announced a Middle School Learning Center initiative (MSCLI) focused on improving educational opportunities and increasing attendance at local afterschool programs.

Funded by a $2 million earmark from the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to support the creation of GOASA and another $1 million donation from The Sherwood Foundation, chaired by Susan A. Buffett, the initiative will serve between 400 and 500 Omaha Public School students at four middle schools.

Each of the four sites will receive $15,000 to purchase student incentives such as iPods, saving accounts, gift cards or field trips. Students will earn incentive points for program attendance, raising their grades and other conditions of the programs. Currently, afterschool programs in the city experience a drop in attendance after fifth grade and the sponsors of the initiative hope the incentives will draw students back into programs.

To help implement MSCLI, the city is partnering with the school district, Campfire USA, the Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA to provide new programs in previously underserved neighborhoods. The initiative is being considered a pilot program that city officials hope will attract additional funding and grow to meet the needs of all Omaha children and youth.

GOASA plans to expand its efforts to help afterschool providers meet community needs through MSCLI.

Working with the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Center for Organizational Research and Evaluation, GOASA conducted a needs assessment that provided baseline data for the initiative. Their comprehensive After School Provider Inventory surveyed more than 300 parents to understand their level of satisfaction with current afterschool programs offered, and mapped the city to identify four neighborhoods with the greatest afterschool programming needs. Assessment findings indicated a need for afterschool programs targeted towards older youth with a balance of academic, athletic and cultural activities.

The city is also partnering with the Nebraska Statewide Community Learning Center Network, one of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation’s 37 statewide afterschool networks, to share best practices with other cities in Nebraska and impact a statewide policy agenda for afterschool.

Details: For more information on the Greater Omaha After School Alliance, visit www.omahaafterschool.org. To learn more about NLC’s afterschool initiatives, visit www.nlc.org/iyef or contact Bela Shah at (202) 626-3057 or shah@nlc.org.

	Photo Gallery OMAHA AFTERSCHOOL INITIATIVE Omaha Launches New Afterschool Initiative for Middle School Youth Published November 2007 Bela Shaw National League of Cities The City of Omaha, Nebraska is making significant progress in improving access to afterschool programs for the city’s most disadvantaged youth. Mayor Mike Fahey has made expanding afterschool programs a priority by creating the Greater Omaha After School Alliance (GOASA). Led by the Office of the Mayor, GOASA is a multi-year initiative to align the efforts of school, afterschool and community programs, as well as other essential youth services, to ensure that Omaha’s youth receive the support they need during out-of-school time hours. This month, the city announced a Middle School Learning Center initiative (MSCLI) focused on improving educational opportunities and increasing attendance at local afterschool programs. Funded by a $2 million earmark from the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to support the creation of GOASA and another $1 million donation from The Sherwood Foundation, chaired by Susan A. Buffett, the initiative will serve between 400 and 500 Omaha Public School students at four middle schools. Each of the four sites will receive $15,000 to purchase student incentives such as iPods, saving accounts, gift cards or field trips. Students will earn incentive points for program attendance, raising their grades and other conditions of the programs. Currently, afterschool programs in the city experience a drop in attendance after fifth grade and the sponsors of the initiative hope the incentives will draw students back into programs. To help implement MSCLI, the city is partnering with the school district, Campfire USA, the Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA to provide new programs in previously underserved neighborhoods. The initiative is being considered a pilot program that city officials hope will attract additional funding and grow to meet the needs of all Omaha children and youth. GOASA plans to expand its efforts to help afterschool providers meet community needs through MSCLI. Working with the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Center for Organizational Research and Evaluation, GOASA conducted a needs assessment that provided baseline data for the initiative. Their comprehensive After School Provider Inventory surveyed more than 300 parents to understand their level of satisfaction with current afterschool programs offered, and mapped the city to identify four neighborhoods with the greatest afterschool programming needs. Assessment findings indicated a need for afterschool programs targeted towards older youth with a balance of academic, athletic and cultural activities. The city is also partnering with the Nebraska Statewide Community Learning Center Network, one of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation’s 37 statewide afterschool networks, to share best practices with other cities in Nebraska and impact a statewide policy agenda for afterschool. Details: For more information on the Greater Omaha After School Alliance, visit www.omahaafterschool.org. To learn more about NLC’s afterschool initiatives, visit www.nlc.org/iyef or contact Bela Shah at (202) 626-3057 or shah@nlc.org.