Accomplishments:
- WYAA developed a three-year strategic plan.
- WYAA produced the Third Annual WYAA State Conference on Afterschool Programs.
- WYAA produced the annual Lights On Afterschool national celebration with special guests that included Governor Duane Freudenthal and Judge Nancy Freudenthal.
- The WYAA website was developed and acts as a clearinghouse for critical research and events, and includes a map of afterschool programs broken down by county and contact information.
- WYAA designed and developed a comprehensive listserv that disseminates information, current research and events sponsored by WYAA and its partners.
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WYAA published an executive summary of the compilation of data received from spring 2011 surveys entitled, The State of Afterschool Programming in Wyoming: An Assessment of Needs and Perceptions.
- This executive summary is part of a multi-level research project currently underway.
Current Projects and Initiatives:
- WYAA is planning the Fourth Annual WYAA State Conference in conjunction with the Wyoming Department of Education, 21st Century Community Learning Center and ServeWyoming.
- WYAA continues to provide information and facilitate trainings to school districts on how to use a variety of funding streams to blend services, reduce duplication and expand funds to increase quality programs.
- WYAA is expanding strategies that strengthen articulation between services, resources and agencies to promote information sharing and collection.
- WYAA is expanding and creating the use of databases that identify afterschool programs throughout the state.
- WYAA is conducting a multi-level research project designed to inform professional development strategies and policy recommendations by:
- Surveying program providers as to the capacity of school-based and community-based afterschool systems.
- Assessing their effectiveness across Wyoming.
- Conducting a State of the State of Afterschool survey for all other stakeholders within the state.
This data will be collected and analyzed resulting in a white paper or policy brief. The project also involves developing a system of in-state Quality Advisors (QA coaches) to help implement the use of the Ariel Performance Analysis System (APAS) in afterschool programs. Concurrently, 25 Wyoming pilot program sites are being trained to utilize the APAS self-assessment tool with the help of the QA coaches.