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Connecting
Connecting

School and Afterschool
15 Ways to Improve Partnerships
® W
elcome

to Connecting School and Afterschool: 15 Ways to Improve
Partnerships, sponsored by United Way of Massachusetts Bay and the
Nellie Mae Education Foundation. These cards are the result of an initiative
where eight greater Boston-based afterschool programs examined how
children positively beneted from strong partnerships between their schools
and afterschools. Each card outlines an activity with subsequent step-by-step
action plans including helpful tips along the way for afterschool program
directors. We hope you nd the resources on these cards helpful!
Connecting schools with afterschool programs
better serves children and families by:

Improving school staff to afterschool staff partnerships

Increasing curricular alignment

Formalizing positive, results-based relationships between
each institutions management teams
If you have any questions about this initiative, please contact:
Lisa Pickard
617-624-8124
lpickard@uwmb.org Table of Contents
1
Introduction
2
Table of Contents
3 Effective Partnership Tips
4 How to Use this Tool
5 Activity 1: Make Principal Connections
6 Activity 2: Formalize Agreements
7 Activity 3: Getting Connected
8 Activity 4: Support School Events
9 Activity 5: Communicating Program Information
10 Activity 6: Establish a Presence in the School
11
Activity 7: Invite School Day Staff to Get to Know You
12 Activity 8: Formalize Communication
13 Activity 9: Share Your News
14 Activity 10: Visit Student Classrooms
15 Activity 11: Develop Learning Support Activities
16 Activity 12: Produce Student Portfolios
17
Activity 13: Engage Families
18 Activity 14: Support Professional Development
19 Activity 15: Develop an Afterschool Curriculum
20 Maintaining the Partnership
21 Helpful Resources
22 Acknowledgements Effective Partnership Tips
Choose your school wisely
Start with a school where a large percentage of
your young people attend.
Take one step at a time
Set realistic goals, celebrate accomplishments
along the way, and adjust your goals as needed.
Estimate your available resources
Begin partnerships with a clear expectation
of the necessary nancial and staff commitments.
Plan your message
Be clear and powerful. Explain how collaboration ts the
schools vision or improvement plan.
Promote your program
Identify opportunities to communicate your programs
value to the school and its staff. Take the opportunity to strut your stuff.
Face time pays off
Meet individually with as many school day teachers as you
can. Be proactive. Walk the halls and greet the staff, hang out in the teachers room.
Be organized and facilitate meetings effectively
Set realistic meeting outcomes.
Use facilitation management skills. Make sure school day staff walk away feeling
valued.
You never know who can help
Build intentional relationships with staff
throughout the school including those within custodial, cafeteria, administrative,
health and guidance departments.
Write it down
Make sure you document and record progress to pass on to
future staff leaders.
Ask parents to sign a release form
You can only share student information
with permission. How to Use This Tool

These activities should
not be considered sequential.

Identify 1-2 schools where your efforts will have the biggest impact on youth.

Start small. Aim to accomplish one activity at a time.

Think about which activities your program is most prepared to engage in rst.

Discuss with program staff which goals seem most attainable. Map out an implementation plan for the chosen activity.

Be patient. It takes time to build trust, the cornerstone of successful partnerships. Make Principal Connections
Step 1
Introduce yourself to the school
principal associated with your
afterschool program. Find a good
time to sit down and converse with
the school principal about building
a strong partnership between the
school and afterschool program.
Follow Up
After each meeting with the
principal, type a memorandum
outlining the agenda items
discussed and future plans for
improving the partnerships
between the school and after-
school.
Arrange a specic bi-weekly or
monthly meeting time with the
principal to keep communication
active.
Step 2
Create a brief report that informs
the principal of the benets of
your afterschool program as well
as those issues which you are
working to improve. Work together
to collectively set action steps that
improve the relationship between
the afterschool and school.
Goal

To build a strong foundation for
afterschool-to-school partnership
and establish regular communication
with the principal.
Helpful Hint

Think of creative ways to use multiple strategies
to engage your principal. For suggestions, please
visit www.beyondthebell.org/PrincipalGuide.pdf
1
activity Formalize Agreements
Step 1
Think strategically about how this
partnership can be a win-win for both
your program and the school. What are
realistic expectations and outcomes
given available staff and nancial
resources? Engage the principal in the
development of a team from the school
and the afterschool program that will
work closely together to address the
roles and responsibilities included in
the memo of understanding (M.O.U.)
Follow Up
Revisit the M.O.U. regularly with
the principal (schedule meeting
dates in the M.O.U.) in order to
re-evaluate and make necessary
mid-year changes.
Clearly document any challenges
that arise in addition to successes
at future meetings.
Step 2
Make sure the language in the M.O.U.
is clearly understood and signed by
all parties, including the principal
and afterschool program director.
A comprehensive M.O.U. will include:
a description of outcomes to be
achieved; a timeline with meeting
dates; the specic roles and
responsibilities of key people; time
and nancial resources needed; and
all information related to sharing
resources, space, and material.
Goal

To create a mutually agreed upon
document that clearly explains the
working relationship between the
school and the afterschool program.
Helpful Hint

Be open and honest about your needs,
expectations, and concerns from the start.
2
activity Getting Connected
Step 1
Investigate the variety of boards,
committees, leadership teams,
and meetings that are organized
through the school. Suggest
becoming a member of such
committees when talking to the
principal. Highlight how serving
on the committee could support
afterschool program effectiveness
and outcomes.
Follow Up
Compile and distribute a
directory of the committee
members along with the skills
and talents that they bring to the
table to staff from your program.
Create an on-line community
chat room or e-mail group for
afterschool and school day staff.
Step 2
Come to meetings prepared to
report your progress on afterschool
program agenda items. Share
your ideas on how the afterschool
program and the school can work
to enhance coordination and col-
laboration.
Goal

To increase program visibility, help the
afterschool program become an integral
part of the school community, and to
demonstrate commitment.
Helpful Hint

Before joining a committee or
leadership team be sure that you
are able to fulll expectations for
attendance and contribution.
3
activity Support School Events
Step 1
Talk to the school principal about
the upcoming school events in
which afterschool program staff
could participate, attend, or
support. School open-houses,
art shows, book fairs, and
assembly events are good
places to meet and greet with
teachers, school administrators,
and families.
Follow Up
A thank-you e-mail or note
of appreciation in a teachers
mailbox is a benecial gesture.
Take advantage of opportunities
to reinforce your contributions
to the school community.
Share attendance of these
events among all afterschool
staff.
Step 2
Make an effort to introduce
yourself and converse with
the teachers of your students.
Emphasize to them that
afterschool program s