Empowering Alaska’s Afterschool Landscape: Reflections from an Afterschool Fellow
As an Advancing Afterschool Fellow with the Alaska Afterschool Network, a program of Alaska Children’s Trust, my journey has been one of advocacy, collaboration, and learning. I’ve had the opportunity to wear multiple hats within the Network, from supporting advocacy efforts to engaging communities and expanding access to quality afterschool programming.
Lauren working on sending Child Abuse Prevention Month material boxes out to afterschool programs across the state.
While working at the Afterschool Network, I learned how we can all work together to prevent child abuse and neglect via primary prevention efforts. Primary prevention addresses root causes and underlying factors to stop child abuse and neglect before it occurs, ensuring families and communities have the resources, supports, and skills to thrive.
During my time as an Alaska Fellow, I learned about how afterschool is one of those primary prevention methods; afterschool programs provide a safe space for kids and youth, supportive adults and mentors for children to talk to, and a wealth of positive childhood experiences that set kids up for success. A significant part of my role as an Alaska Fellow involved supporting a needs assessment with providers in the Anchorage municipality. Through the assessment, we’ve gained valuable insights into challenges and opportunities within Alaska’s out-of-school time landscape. We’ve learned where afterschool providers can support more families in Anchorage due to fewer childcare options, how providers can support the Alaska Reads Act in their programming, and ways programs can continue to tap into the high school workforce.
In addition to bringing program providers together, a key part to the Alaska Afterschool Network’s mission is the empowerment of Alaska’s out-of-school time workforce. I helped support the implementation of credential pathways to equip professionals with the tools they need to shape young minds effectively. I also participated in the Child and Youth Care Credential training.
My work as a Fellow also supported initiatives such as Lights On Afterschool (an effort to keep the lights on for these important out-of-school time programs), Afterschool Professionals Week (a week celebrating the supportive adults who afterschool and highlighting 5 Afterschool Superheroes from across the state), and Summer Learning Week (a week coming up soon – in July – that highlights how important continual learning is to prevent learning loss and ensure student success). In addition, I participated in trainings such as the Icelandic Prevention Model to prevent youth from using substances, attended conferences such as the Economic Impact on Early Care & Learning, and learned how to review grants and use tools to assist with writing the Afterschool Network’s weekly newsletter.
Working within the community was my favorite part of my experience, from connecting families with resources and supports at Mush for Kids in Fairbanks to talking with kids about positive childhood experiences and identifying safe adults at the Fairview Rec Center for the Child Abuse Prevention Month Go Blue Day event to helping children learn about the boarding school system at ACT’s and the Alaska Native Cultural Charter Schools’ Orange Shirt Day event, working directly with Alaskans has been incredibly rewarding and a great learning opportunity for me!
As my 9-month fellowship comes to an end, I reflect with gratitude on the opportunities and experiences I gained during my time at the Alaska Afterschool Network and the team of Alaska Children’s Trust.