Accomplishments:
- MASN has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Missouri School Age Community Coalition (MOSAC2), Missouri’s National AfterSchool Association affiliate, to share staff and coordinate professional development systems building efforts. This joint position is housed at MASN.
- MASN has changed its 501(c)(3) status and governance structure from a board of directors to a steering committee resulting in a revitalization of committee participation.
- MASN has partnered with several other professional development organizations to add, integrate and/or revise quality documents and resources.
- MASN hosted a statewide summit on the Afterschool Meal Program.
- MASN collaborated with local community partners to host four regional STEM summits and led STEM train-the-trainer institutes that produced 25 STEM trainers working with 57 programs statewide.
- MASN hosted the second Midwest Afterschool Science Academy—MASA 2.0. MASA 3.0 is March 19-21, 2012 in Kansas City, MO.
Current Projects and Initiatives:
- The MASN quality committee is working with key state partners to promote the awareness and use of the new professional development infrastructure and the Coordinating Board for Early Childhood (CBEC) to coordinate future systems components such as a career ladder, informal coursework and additional credentials.
- MASN is working with the University of Missouri to develop an afterschool awareness campaign.
- MASN’s Project LIFTOFF initiative has a dual focus of educating stakeholders on the meaningful ways in which afterschool learning experiences in STEM can compliment formal education and to coordinate resources for the development of a statewide system to support STEM learning in out-of-school time.
- The MASN funding and sustainability committee is compiling an online Resource Development Toolkit for afterschool programs.
- MASN administers the Missouri Afterschool Resource Center (MOARC) and staff’s the state’s afterschool data system (Kids Care Center).
- In March 2010, MASN was awarded a three-year grant through the Noyce Foundation to elevate efforts in building state systems for informal science education.
- MASN is partnering with the Program in Education, Afterschool & Resiliency (PEAR) and Educational Testing Service as they develop the Dimensions of Success, an observational tool for evaluating the quality of STEM implementation in the context of positive youth development.