Vision: All children will have the opportunity to reach their full potential
Mission: To ensure access to quality out of school time programs that equip Washington County children and youth for success
To achieve our mission we will:
- Expand awareness of the need for and value of OST programs
- Serve as coordinator and liaison to improve communication between OST programs and schools, districts, parents, PTA groups, and the general public
- Serve as a centralized hub sharing information, learning opportunities, and resources among OST providers
We're excited and invite you to join us as we build a better, brighter future for our community.
Reach out to learn how you can help.
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Access & Equity Afterschool & Summer Learning Report
OregonASK just released its
State of Access and Equity of Afterschool in Oregon report. This report reflects the results that Washington County Kids found in their
"Imperative to Act" report about Washington County out of school time.
Research shows that afterschool programs help students gain critical academic and leadership skills and address opportunity gaps. To ensure equitable educational opportunity to ALL students, we must do our part to provide expanded learning opportunities that are accessible and equitable for those most often facing educational challenges.
Unfortunately, the State of Access and Equity of Afterschool in Oregon report found that students from underserved communities are least likely to participate in afterschool because of accessibility, cost, and cultural barriers. And yet, youth from underserved communities also demonstrate the most benefits from afterschool programs. The very youth that face the biggest barriers to accessing afterschool stand to gain the most from it.
We hope you are able to take some time to explore more about this report and the supporting data maps that demonstrate clear gaps in access across Oregon.
Afterschool in Oregon - https://arcg.is/1X0qf00
Afterschool in your Senate District - https://arcg.is/0e9nCW
Afterschool in your House District - https://arcg.is/0X48Hi
Afterschool in Portland Metro - https://arcg.is/1KTyzL0
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Design Thinking for Improved Communication for Kids
Design thinking or human-centered design can make a big difference in helping program leaders and families work together for desired outcomes for kids. Two schools were helped by The Teachers Guild, a project of worldwide design and consulting firm IDEO, worked with them to strengthen communication and trust among families and program leaders. They held listening sessions that helped them improve their programs:
“Relationships are what drive change—not new practices,” says Molly McMahon, director of the Teachers Guild. “Design thinking can be seen as a one-off process for solving discrete problems, but it can foster real transformation when embraced as a mindset. What it requires is a community that believes in each other and trusts each other.” That’s one of the lessons that the Teachers Guild has learned from its collaboration with P.S. 41, which—with a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York—was meant to encourage educators and parents across the country to co-create programs that improve their schools and learning opportunities for students. Teams were asked to respond to the online challenge question: “How might we strengthen communication and trust between families to better support students’ success?”
Based on student and parent feedback, their program was transformed. In another intervention, the Guild sponsored a community circle to discuss equity that was very successful. You can access the full article here: Schools Drive Positive Change Through Parent-Teacher Relationships
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