Name: Plenary 3: What We Need to Know and What’s Next
Start: 2025-04-15T09:00:00-0600
End: 2025-04-15T11:00:00-0600

Tuesday April 15, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am MDT

Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Updates on research and policy; Discussion on what’s possible in the coming year.

Research Panel:
Michael Lemon, Director, Kansas Enrichment Network
Sandra Simpkins, Ph.D., Director, Center for Afterschool and Summer Excellence, University of California, Irvine School of Education
Ashlee Sjogren, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, Department of Leadership, Foundations and Policy, University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development
Deepa S. Vasudevan, Ed.D., Researcher | Youth, Family, & Community Development, American Institute for Research

Policy Panel:
Jodi Grant, Executive Director, Afterschool Alliance
Lauren Maddox, Senior Policy Advisor, Holland+ Knight
Patrick Stanton, Executive Director, Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership

Access the session slides HERE.

Speakers

Deepa S. Vasudevan, Ed.D.

Researcher | Youth, Family, & Community Development, American Institute for Research

Dr. Deepa S. Vasudevan is a researcher at the American Institutes for Research in the youth, family, and community development program area. Through sociocultural inquiry, Deepa explores the working lives of community-based youth workers, youth experiences in out-of-school time programming... Read More →

Jodi Grant

Executive Director, Afterschool Alliance

Since 2005, Jodi Grant has been Executive Director of the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality, affordable afterschool programs. As Executive Director, she oversees federal... Read More →

Michael Lemon

Director, Kansas Enrichment Network

Lauren Maddox

Senior Policy Advisor, Holland & Knight

The Honorable Lauren Maddox was an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education during the Bush Administration. She also served on Capitol Hill for nearly a decade in senior roles, including for the Speaker of the House and the Chairman of the House Republican Conference... Read More →

Sandra Simpkins, Ph.D.

Professor, School of Education, University of California, Irvine

Sandra Simpkins, Ph.D. in psychology, is a professor in the School of Education. She received the William T. Grant Young Scholars Award and National Science Foundation CAREER Award to study how families, friendships, and social position factors (such as, ethnicity and culture) shape... Read More →

Ashlee Lester Sjogren

Research Assistant Professor, University of Virginia

Ashlee Sjogren is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Leadership, Foundations and Policy at the UVA School of Education and Human Development. She is also a faculty affiliate of Youth-Nex, The UVA Center to Promote Effective Youth Development. Her research interests... Read More →

Patrick Stanton

Mass Afterschool Partnership

Patrick Stanton is Executive Director of the Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership. Patrick has spent the last 11 years, his entire professional career, dedicated to advocating and fighting for afterschool and summer programs that benefit the youth that need it the most. Before joining... Read More →

Tuesday April 15, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am MDT
Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Plenary

2025 50 State Afterschool Network Leaders Meeting