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Pr i m e T i m e g n i t a r b cele years ol Programs terscho f A y t li a u Q f o Pa l m B e a c h C o u n t y Prime Time A Decade of Quality Afterschool

Our First Ten Years our first logos In just one short decade Prime Time Palm Beach County has grown from a concept conceived by a group of concerned local stakeholders into a multimillion dollar nonprofit organization with national reach Of course Prime Time would not exist without the dedication of community leaders the commitment of afterschool programs and staff the flexibility and collaboration of trusted partners and the support of generous funders Prime Time has built a community wide infrastructure that supports afterschool programs and their staff to be the best that they can be With this strong infrastructure and a sound foundation Prime Time will continue to grow for decades to come I believe that Prime Time is the heart of afterschool programming in Palm Beach County and that every child parent afterschool professional and enhancement provider benefits from Prime Time s tireless dedication to quality The resources and staff development provided to afterschool programs and enhancement programs have no equal Gloria Allin After School Reads Manager Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County Prime Time Is Born In the mid 1990s key stakeholders recognized that the Palm Beach County afterschool field needed to organize strengthen and improve so that it could better serve its families As a result the Out ofSchool Consortium was formed in 1996 Initial partners and funders included the Children s Services Council of Palm Beach County CSC the School District of Palm Beach County the Palm Beach County Department of Parks and Recreation the US Department of Education The Mary and Robert Pew Public Education Fund and The John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation 1

The Consortium s initial purpose was to share resources and enhance afterschool and summer programs which served elementary and middle school children and youth The group worked to compile the first comprehensive list of afterschool providers and programs in Palm Beach County Soon after the Consortium created a Coordinating Council to investigate critical issues and devise a plan for creating the first non governmental afterschool intermediary in Florida Prime Time Palm Beach County More than ten years ago I had the opportunity to meet with other community leaders to discuss ways to help Palm Beach County afterschool programs improve the quality of their services through the creation of an organization specifically dedicated to that purpose this was the beginning of Prime Time Prime Time has met and even exceeded our expectations through its work including coordinating afterschool networking activities helping programs assess and improve their service quality and enriching program curriculum by increasing the availability of sports art computer and other skill development activities Perhaps most importantly Prime Time has helped afterschool staff see themselves as professionals creating a continuum of educational and training opportunities that helps them strengthen their skills Moving forward afterschool programs will be challenged to continually demonstrate their service impact even as resources decline Having a community resource such as Prime Time will be critical in helping afterschool programs meet those challenges Our First Steps 2000 2003 Soon Prime Time was up and running and focused on building relationships with afterschool providers Prime Time began holding monthly provider networking meetings and managing professional development scholarships for afterschool staff Officially incorporated in 2000 the agency created bylaws and formed its first board of directors Prime Time s first executive director was hired and went right to work assembling stakeholders to discuss quality standards for afterschool and professional development needs of practitioners The agency also began to look at how best to manage cultural recreational academic and life skills activities as enhancements to afterschool curricula Tana Ebbole Chief Executive Officer Children s Services Council Palm Beach County Since its inception Prime Time has gathered information about children and youth policies and new research on afterschool programming In 2003 Hires first executive director Prime Time incorporates 2000 2 2001

Prime Time hosted its first Lights On Afterschool advocacy event in conjunction with the national Afterschool Alliance s awareness initiative Later that year Prime Time published A Needs and Resource Assessment of School Age Care in Palm Beach County Drawing from existing data from state and county agencies plus a survey conducted for Prime Time by the Florida Education and Research Laboratory this report gave an overview of the status of out ofschool programming in the county Also at this point Prime Time had begun to work with Palm Beach Community College now Palm Beach State College to expand educational offerings for afterschool professionals It offered career guidance and scholarships to afterschool practitioners and published Afterschool Professional Development in Palm Beach County A Guide to Requirements Options In addition Prime Time created a variety of curricula to enhance afterschool programs and a lending library which contained supplies and equipment that afterschool practitioners could borrow to use at their sites What separates Prime Time from the rest is its continued effort to keep the lines of communication open to be supportive of its partners and to stay true to the mission of building quality in a program It has been a pleasure to work with them Elaine Mancini The Early Years 2004 2007 Prime Time began to develop its strategic priorities outreach quality improvement professional development and curricular enhancements Important milestones included developing program quality standards establishing a program quality assessment Manager of Afterschool Assessments Family Central Inc Develops first strategic plan mission statement and vision for the organization 2002 Holds first annual Lights On Afterschool event 2003 3

process piloting a quality improvement system creating program supports and introducing new training workshops and curricula This was a pivotal time for Prime Time as the Children s Services Council of Palm Beach County shifted its afterschool enhancement programs to the agency substantially increasing its budget and responsibility with an additional 2 million grant Prime Time s Community Partnerships department was thus created to manage eight new subcontracts with local enhancement providers and to function as the community outreach arm of the organization The Community Partnerships department also assumed responsibility for Prime Time s advocacy efforts and expanded the Lights On Afterschool celebration of afterschool programming to include local legislators and key stakeholders in the event During this period over 5 000 signatures were collected in support of the Afterschool for All national petition According to U S Census Bureau estimates as many as 15 million kids have no place to go after school QIS Improvement Model versus Rating Program Prime Time understood early on that a voluntary Quality Improvement System QIS could be a risky venture After much research Prime Time learned that a rating program not strongly tied to improvement had the potential to be perceived as a punitive system Therefore Prime Time has been careful over the years to monitor and evaluate the impact and perception of its QIS initiative Today the sticker signifying that an afterschool program participates in Prime Time s QIS is truly seen as a badge of honor in Palm Beach County Local afterschool practitioners recognize that Prime Time is here to help them to make their programs better for the children they serve not to penalize them for any imperfections Prime Time helped establish the Palm Beach County Quality Standards for Afterschool guidelines to help afterschool practitioners create safe and inclusive environments and to deliver quality experiences to participating children and youth In developing these standards Prime Time collected input from more than 1 800 parents using afterschool services about 200 staff and managers providing afterschool services and a number of funders helping to pay for afterschool programs Selects High Scope Educational Research Foundation to develop the Palm Beach County Program Quality Assessment PBC PQA tool 2004 4 Selects Advancing Youth Development curriculum to offer locally 2005

As an advocate of transforming education to help create informed and engaged communities Knight Foundation is proud to be an early investor in the growth and expansion of Prime Time The multi year funding has allowed the agency to better serve middle school age youth and create a nationally recognized system of supports that has advanced the field of afterschool Trabian Shorters Vice President for Communities Program John S and James L Knight Foundation According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention the hours between 3 6 p m on school days are the prime time during which kids are most likely to commit or become victims of violent crime be involved in accidents and experiment with sex drugs or alcohol Creates Palm Beach County Quality Standards for Afterschool To give programs a way to compare their performance to the quality standards Prime Time collaborated with the High Scope Educational Research Foundation to develop an assessment tool the Palm Beach County Program Quality Assessment PBC PQA The PBC PQA focuses on performance in key domains safety support interaction youth engagement youth centered policies and procedures high expectations for youth and staff organizational management and family The PBC PQA is a valid and reliable tool and is used both by program staff for self assessment as well as by trained external assessors Prime Time collaborated with the School District of Palm Beach County s Department of Afterschool to engage 30 of its programs to participate in a two year Youth Program Quality Intervention YPQI study designed to explore how quality can be improved in afterschool Administered by the David Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality in four states the findings indicated that the YPQI had significant positive impact on the management practices of site supervisors direct staff and youth in afterschool programs As a result of the study many more school based afterschool programs entered the QIS It also fortified an already strong relationship between Prime Time and the School District Prime Time was awarded a five year 4 2 million grant from the John S and James L Knight Foundation to further develop the Quality Improvement System and better serve middle school Pilots the Quality Improvement System QIS 2006 2007 5

youth in 2004 In January 2006 Prime Time piloted the QIS which included 38 diverse afterschool programs serving more than 4 000 children and youth The evaluation showed that afterschool programs can and will significantly improve when they identify and then focus on specific practices identified as an improvement opportunity during assessment The research also showed that how staff work with youth may be as important as what they do with them As a result of its successful pilot Prime Time launched QIS as a fully functioning system in fall 2007 with 65 sites In order to ensure its own internal quality Prime Time contracted with Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago to conduct process evaluation on Prime Time s QIS and the organization s intermediary functions Prime Time truly represents the evolution of Palm Beach County s afterschool community from individual ideas passion and commitment to a mature established intermediary that supports a full range of quality initiatives across a wide spectrum of programs Prime Time emerged from the needs expressed by the Palm Beach County Out of School Consortium members and as such is a true grassroots effort We were fortunate to have the support and commitment of funders and significant nonprofit and educational agencies to make the Consortium s dreams a reality Today Prime Time is a part of the educational and youth development fabric in Palm Beach County thanks to the dedication of all the stakeholders Judy Nee Also during this time Prime Time received several annual grants from The Picower Foundation to support QIS and extend services to more schoolbased programs as well as to implement new professional development supports In partnership with Palm Beach Community College now Palm Beach State College Prime Time began to offer a wide variety of educational training and academic advising services to afterschool practitioners New workshops were designed to link training with the quality standards and the quality assessment tool In addition new professional development curricula Advancing Youth Development AYD and Bringing Yourself to Work BYTW were introduced to the local afterschool community These curricula were chosen because they are evidence based and cuttingJoins the Collaborative for Building AfterSchool Systems Board Member National AfterSchool Association and Former Executive Director Prime Time Palm Beach County A highly qualified coordinator or program director is key to setting the tone for a program that promotes youth engagement staff engagement and the quality of activities and homework Evaluations Backgrounder A Summary of Formal Evaluations of the Academic Impact of Afterschool Programs Afterschool Alliance 2008 Receives substantial grant support bringing Prime Time s budget to 5 million Facilitates development of core competencies for afterschool in Palm Beach County 2008 6

What The Research Says Afterschool programs help youth develop into positive contributing members of society As a matter of fact Afterschool programs have been referred to as the new neighborhood Positive effects extend to families employers and communities Research indicates that investments in afterschool programs for youth are likely to have benefits that far outweigh the cost Miller B Critical Hours Afterschool Programs and Educational Success Nellie Mae Education Foundation 2003 Additionally Adolescents who spend time in communities that are rich in developmental opportunities for them experience less risk and show evidence of higher rates of positive development A diversity of program opportunities in each community is more likely to support broad adolescent development and attract the interest of and meet the needs of a greater number of youth Eccles Jacquelynne and Gootman Jennifer A Committee on CommunityLevel Programs for Youth National Research Council and Institute of Medicine Board on Children Youth and Families Division of Behavioral and Social Science and Education Community Programs to Promote Youth Development National Academy Press 2003 2009 edge Prime Time and its partners were instrumental in advocating that the State of Florida select AYD as a component of the required 40 hour training for afterschool staff To ensure that practitioners had access to professional development opportunities Prime Time also implemented a scholarship program for afterschool practitioners to attend college courses In 2007 Prime Time was invited to join the Collaborative for Building After School Systems CBASS a national partnership of intermediaries from cities that include New York Baltimore the District of Columbia Chicago Boston and Providence Also that year Prime Time received the award of excellence from the Florida Afterschool Association Our Formative Years 2008 2010 As Prime Time continued its work with community partners Prime Time began to increase its afterschool professional development offerings Specifically core competencies were identified in order to define what practitioners need to know and do in order to provide quality afterschool programming The core competencies identify eight core knowledge areas and outline a continuum from preliminary to advanced skills Prime Time also worked closely with Palm Beach State College to develop both credit and non credit Finalizes non credit and credit pathways for afterschool practitioners 2010 7

pathways for professional development to meet the needs of a diverse population As a result afterschool practitioners can now earn the Palm Beach County Afterschool Educator Certificate a noncredit certificate the Youth Development College Credit Certificate 30 credit hours an Associate in Science degree in Human Services with a Youth Development Concentration 65 credit hours and a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Supervision and Management with a Youth Development Concentration To ensure that afterschool staff could participate in training and professional development opportunities Prime Time also increased funding available for scholarships through the T E A C H scholarship pilot program and began to offer incentive awards through the WAGE for Afterschool program both administered by The Children s Forum a Prime Time partner located in Tallahassee to recognize staff for professional development commitment encourage staff retention and support continued professional development efforts As more and more afterschool practitioners took advantage of professional development offerings Prime Time noted that many afterschool professionals needed a little extra guidance to put their knowledge into practice In 2010 Prime Time initiated one on one coaching to individual practitioners to help them use what they have learned through their trainings in their afterschool programs 8

Prime Time has been in the forefront of developing and delivering quality training and a professional development system for afterschool practitioners in Palm Beach County which has been recognized on a state and national level Prime Time has been and continues to be a driving force and advocate for ensuring quality afterschool programs have well trained professional staff who deliver enriching and engaging programs to the children and youth Bottom line Prime Time is a champion for the cause of afterschool Sheila E Scott Lubin Manager Palm Beach State College At least 33 of Palm Beach County s K 12 youth are responsible for taking care of themselves after school These children spend an average of 8 hours per week unsupervised after school Palm Beach County After 3pm AMERICA AFTER 3PM 2010 Additionally Prime Time recognized the importance of expanding the reach of QIS With more than 100 programs engaged in QIS the agency developed online independent coursework for afterschool providers who are interested in the elements of quality afterschool programs and who want to learn more about the Palm Beach County Quality Standards for Afterschool As the organization continued to grow and expand its scope of services Prime Time saw an opportunity to re examine its strategic plan This led to a renewed vision and mission for the agency both of which were formally approved and adopted by the board of directors in 2010 Still refining its role as an afterschool intermediary in 2010 Prime Time changed the name of its Community Partnerships Department to Community Engagement Supports to better reflect its expanded role in advocacy community involvement and stakeholder convening By the end of 2010 the program s 15 enhancement providers served more than 31 000 youth and nearly 2 500 adults The Community Engagement Supports team also launched its premier issue of the weekly Friday Forecast Prime Time s weekly email blast and the Afterschool Advocate its monthly e newsletter In keeping with the times Prime Time has developed an online presence through its website and social media networks including Facebook and Twitter Furthermore Community Engagement Supports has re invigorated the Afterschool Consortium and formed an Advisory Council of practitioners which helps with planning 9

The Future of Prime Time 2011 and Beyond Prime Time has big plans for the future Prime Time has grown from a small local start up with five staff members to a multi million dollar organization with national impact and 22 full time employees in just 10 short years In the next decade Prime Time will continue to be an advocate for quality afterschool programming and to support the educational and professional growth of the afterschool practitioner The organization s systems are ideal for replication and Prime Time will explore opportunities to share what it has learned broadly Prime Time intends to be around as long as there is a need for quality afterschool programming for the youth of Palm Beach County and beyond 10 As the community s largest provider of afterschool programs the School District of Palm Beach County is a proud partner in the county s efforts to improve the quality of afterschool opportunities for children Prime Time s quality work is internally aligned administratively and programmatically ensuring consistency across various afterschool enhancement activities After ten years of focused effort the future for afterschool programs is bright and that is due in large part to our partner efforts with Prime Time JoAnne C Beckner Director of the Department of Afterschool Programming School District of Palm Beach County and Board Member Prime Time Palm Beach County

Congratulations to Prime Time Palm Beach County on the occasion of its 10th anniversary Its team is proof that really good things come from really good people Prime Time along with the William T Grant Foundation and the Michigan Department of Education has been a formative partner for the David P Weikart Center providing critical early opportunities to develop and then evaluate our core work the Youth Program Quality Intervention The Prime Time quality improvement system has set the bar for other QIS models for school age and adolescent youth around the United States and now in Canada too Indeed the model that the Weikart Center developed in partnership with Prime Time is currently used in more than 38 states and 66 systems serving several hundred thousand children and youth However these are just numbers The real power of our partnership with Prime Time over the past decade is a clear vision for child and youth development established in the early countywide performance standards and reflected in every element of Prime Time s mature work This commitment to the needs of children and youth to put their hands on real tasks to experience arts and cultures to have deeper supports around academic learning than the school day can provide is a given when working with Prime Time Weikart Center staff learn every time we work together This commitment to the experience of children is only equaled in Prime Time s commitment to empower educators and care givers to do their best work to learn and to have opportunities to work in organizations that provide real feedback designed to teach and improve We at the Weikart Center express our thanks for Prime Time s friendship and commitment to excellence over the past decade Charles Smith Ph D Executive Director David P Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality Approximately 37 of all Palm Beach County children not currently in afterschool would be likely to participate if an afterschool program were available in the community regardless of their current care arrangement Palm Beach County After 3pm AMERICA AFTER 3PM Survey 2010 11

Acknowledgements Prime Time would not be able to serve afterschool programs in Palm Beach County without the generous support of our funders This financial support has made it possible to develop a continuum of services to ensure more children and youth are exposed to high quality afterschool experiences We are particularly grateful for the continued support of our primary funder the Children s Services Council of Palm Beach County In addition we gratefully acknowledge the following funders for their contributions over the past decade Bank Atlantic Bank of America Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties Florida Afterschool Network John S and James L Knight Foundation Lost Tree Village Charitable Foundation MacArthur Foundation Pew Public Education Fund Quantum Foundation Sun Sentinel Children s Fund The Blue Foundation For A Healthy Florida The Picower Foundation U S Department of Education United Way of Palm Beach County Prime Time is also grateful for the many community organizations public and private agencies schools administrators afterschool professionals board members advisors community members and other stakeholders who have supported Prime Time over the last decade To everyone in the greater Prime Time family a heartfelt thank you for helping us to make afterschool better for the children of Palm Beach County 12

2300 High Ridge Road Boynton Beach FL 33426 561 732 8066 ph 561 732 8094 fax www primetimepbc org