2025 50 State Afterschool Network Leaders Meeting: Full Schedule

4:00pm MDT

Welcome Plenary: Connections and Partnerships

Sunday April 13, 2025 4:00pm - 5:30pm MDT

Cultural Welcome: The people of the Tamaya will do a traditional welcome and share about the land and history of their ancestors.

Sunday April 13, 2025 4:00pm - 5:30pm MDT
Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Plenary

9:00am MDT

Plenary 2: Meeting the Moment: The Power of Thriving Design in Chaotic Times

Monday April 14, 2025 9:00am - 10:15am MDT

Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Educator, psychologist, researcher, and coach, Dr. Kia Darling-Hammond, will focus on thriving and human development.

Speakers

Dr. Kia Darling-Hammond

CEO, Wise Chipmunk LLC

Dr. Kia Darling-Hammond (she/they) is a phycologist, researcher, educator, and coach, as well as creator of the Bridge to Thriving Framework©, co-author of TheCivil Rights Road to Deeper Learning: Five Essentials for Equity, and co-editor of T*Is for Thriving: Blueprints for Affirming... Read More →

Monday April 14, 2025 9:00am - 10:15am MDT
Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Plenary

10:45am MDT

Policy: Policy Updates for OST Advancement with the STEM Next Fellows

Monday April 14, 2025 10:45am - 12:15pm MDT

Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

STEM Next deploys Fellows in high-impact placements with Federal agencies to advance STEM and OST learning by establishing channels of communication between local communities and the federal government and disseminating funding opportunities to networks and programs. Join this session for the latest policy updates.

Access resources from this session HERE.

Speakers

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 →

Holly Miller

Research Fellow, IES

Dr. Holly Miller serves as the Advisor for Afterschool and Summer Learning in the Institute of Education Sciences at the US Department of Education.Dr. Miller is passionate about research-based educational policy that supports students and teachers achieving their full potential in... Read More →

Tasha Owens-Green

STEM Next Fellow, STEM Next

Tasha Owens-Green, M.Ed. & MFT STEM NEXT School-Aged and Early Care Fellow Tasha Owens-Green serves as the School-Aged and Early Care Fellow in the Office of Human Services Policy at the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Tasha Owens-Green is dedicated... Read More →

Philip Steigman

STEM Next Out-of-School Time and Early Education Policy Fellow, STEM Next/HHS ASPE

Philip Steigman is an Out-of-School Time and Early Education Policy Fellow at the office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the US Department of Health and Human Services. Philip’s primary interest is translating emerging research into practices that... Read More →

Sheronda Witter

Out-of-School Time Advisor, US Department of Education

Dr. Sheronda Witter serves as the Out-of-School Time Advisor in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. In this capacity, Dr. Witter helps to drive and coordinate the Department’s Engage Every Student Initiative, which is a bold call to action to provide... Read More →

Monday April 14, 2025 10:45am - 12:15pm MDT
Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Sharing Sessions, Policy

1:30pm MDT

Policy: Developing Policy Strategies: State Policy Approaches to Advancing Afterschool and Summer

Monday April 14, 2025 1:30pm - 3:00pm MDT

Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

How are state afterschool networks supporting local afterschool and summer programs through the policy process? Hear from six networks about how they are using particular policy strategies to increase access to quality afterschool and summer programs in their states including through engaging youth in the policymaking process; developing and executing policy agendas and frameworks; and partnering with state agencies and allied organizations. Sharing and discussion will allow all states to lift up successes and challenges to their state policy work.

Speakers

Erik Peterson

SVP of Policy, Afterschool Alliance

Erik joined the Afterschool Alliance in July 2009 and coordinates and advances the Afterschool Alliance’s policy efforts at the federal level by helping develop policy goals and implementing strategies that advance access to quality afterschool programs for all. Erik works to build... Read More →

Monday April 14, 2025 1:30pm - 3:00pm MDT
Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Sharing Sessions, Policy

3:30pm MDT

Featured Session: Possibility Creating Meeting

Monday April 14, 2025 3:30pm - 5:00pm MDT

Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Speakers

Tony Smith

CEO, Whyspeople

Monday April 14, 2025 3:30pm - 5:00pm MDT
Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Featured Session

9:00am MDT

Plenary 3: What We Need to Know and What’s Next

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

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

11:10am MDT

Policy: Advancing Afterschool in Challenging Policy Landscapes

Tuesday April 15, 2025 11:10am - 12:40pm MDT

Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Afterschool networks looking to advance afterschool policy in their states face a myriad of potential challenges to that important work. Relying on strong bipartisan support for afterschool and key allies, a number of state networks have overcome challenging political climates and divisive rhetoric to make policy gains that help more young people access quality afterschool and summer opportunities. This session will include state sharing, state policy experts, and plenty of time for discussion.

Speakers

Emma Giamberdino

Policy and Communications Manager, ACT Now Illinois

Jahaziel Hiriart

Director, Oklahoma Partnership for Expanded Learning

Jen Rinehart

Sr VP, Strategy & Programs, Afterschool Alliance

Tuesday April 15, 2025 11:10am - 12:40pm MDT
Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Sharing Sessions, Policy

1:40pm MDT

Featured Session: Growing Revenue: What it takes from peers who have done it

Tuesday April 15, 2025 1:40pm - 2:55pm MDT

Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

What does it take to succeed at growing revenue from . . . .foundations, government agencies, corporations, fee-for-service or other streams? Come learn from your peers who have successfully grown revenue streams. This panel discussion will explore where Networks are having success, what they needed to be successful, how they went about it, and what strategies worked and which didn’t. The engaging and interactive discussion aims to answer your questions about revenue streams, providing ideas for where you might focus moving forward.

Speakers

Steve Zimmerman

Principal, Spectrum Nonprofit Services

Steve Zimmerman is the Principal of Spectrum Nonprofit Services where he provides training and consulting focused on the areas of strategy and finance for nonprofit organizations throughout the country. He is the co-author of two books, The Sustainability Mindset and Nonprofit Sustainability... Read More →

Tuesday April 15, 2025 1:40pm - 2:55pm MDT
Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Featured Session

3:30pm MDT

Closing Plenary: Collaboration

Tuesday April 15, 2025 3:30pm - 4:00pm MDT

Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Join together to honor what we’ve learned and commit to what comes next!

Tuesday April 15, 2025 3:30pm - 4:00pm MDT
Tamaya Ballroom EFGH

Plenary