The vision of the Utah Afterschool Network (UAN) is for every child in Utah to have access to high-quality afterschool programs. Committed to examine how afterschool programs can best support youth academic and social success, a Quality Committee, comprised of diverse stakeholders from UAN, the Department of Workforce Services, Utah State Office of Education, Salt Lake County, and providers from schools, government, community-based and regulated programs, has worked diligently over the past four years to develop common statewide quality standards and a uniform assessment tool. This collaborative process has generated broad-based ownership, support and commitment to continuous program improvement throughout Utah.  It has also laid the initial groundwork for establishing a rigorous statewide impact evaluation.

Considerable progress has been made in the ongoing development and statewide usage of the Utah Afterschool Program Quality Assessment and Improvement Tool (Quality Tool) in all types of afterschool/community school settings.  At this time, afterschool programs funded through the Utah State Office of Education, Division of Workforce Services, Office of Work and Family Life and select programs funded through Salt Lake County are required to implement the Quality Tool as part of their evaluation plan and continuous improvement efforts. The Quality Committee meets regularly to analyze data feedback results and Mentor recommendations while considering new research, knowledge and practice to make ongoing revisions to the Quality Tool assessment process. Feedback and recommendations are also utilized to identify needs-based training, technical assistance and resources to support continuous program improvement across the state.

For more information please contact Brandy Huntington at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Utah Afterschool Network has spearheaded a united effort among key education leaders, state agencies, higher education, and community organizations to support a comprehensive statewide system of professional development by fostering multiple pathways for training and technical assistance.  Components include:  1) a self assessment and improvement process; 2) responsive technical assistance and support; 3) practitioner training and endorsement program; 4) on-line training and resources; 5) demonstration sites and 6) Leadership Academy with the long-term goal of incorporating an afterschool/community school strand into existing principal and teacher credentialing infrastructures.

In February, 2010, a statewide Professional Development Committee comprised of representatives from Utah State Office of Education, Department of Workforce Services, Office of Work and Family Life, Westminster College, Utah Education Policy Center, Salt Lake County Government, United Way of Salt Lake, community based-organization leaders and other key stakeholders was established.  Its purpose is to promote multi-layered, cross-sector professional development approaches anchored by Leadership Academies, while simultaneously addressing core preparation and training needs of practitioners.

The Steering Committee has focused its initial efforts on Leadership Academy, the cornerstone of the Professional Development System, in an effort to build capacity of leaders at all levels and foster the coordination of statewide infrastructures in support of high quality afterschool/community school programs. Initial efforts included: 1) developing an expanded definition of youth success; 2) agreeing upon a conceptual Framework for Youth Success to inform the professional development plan; and 3) developing and implementing a year-long Leadership Academy pilot with six school/community partnership teams. 

Geared for integrated teams of principals, teachers, site coordinators, community partners, district/organization leaders and state decision makers, the Leadership Academy pilot included: 1) three day-long workshops featuring national researchers and experts; 2) quarterly institutes, which provided training in partnerships, data collection and best-practice approaches; and 3) follow-up opportunities for ongoing communication, technical assistance and cross-team sharing.  Content incorporated research-based concepts and was shaped to address individual team’s goals, needs, and strengths.  

These professional development efforts have resulted in significant progress toward larger, more blended school-afterschool, statewide systems approaches to professional development at all levels. Over time, the result of co-educating school and district administrators, afterschool/community school leaders and youth development and prevention professionals about the value and benefits of an integrated and expanded learning day will be transformative for the state at the highest levels. The ongoing involvement of key decision makers and leaders in follow-up discussions and future Leadership Academy events will build capacity, promote advocacy and sustainability and impact future legislative policy development.

For more information please contact Brandy Huntington at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Research shows that afterschool programs improve public safety, support working families, combat youth obesity, promote civic responsibility, and improve academic achievement and financial literacy. Through the Municipal Partnerships for Success in Afterschool Initiative, the Utah Afterschool Network:

• Supports municipal leaders in building bridges and collaborative partnerships between parents, schools, and community members committed to combined leadership and resources
• Provides information and resources regarding models and best practices for afterschool program development
• Assists interested cities and towns and other collaborative groups to identify necessary steps to developing a citywide system of afterschool programs
• Celebrates the good work of Utah municipal leaders for their commitment to quality afterschool programming

For more information please contact Bobbie Ikegami at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Research has long shown that quality afterschool programs can improve school-day attendance. The sense of belonging, the connection to caring adults, and the academic enrichment that afterschool programs provide can make youth more likely to attend school. Often, though, improved attendance is a by-product of quality programs, rather than a stated goal.  

For the past year, Attendance Works has been partnering with the Utah, Maryland, and Pennsylvania afterschool networks to leverage the power of afterschool programming by identifying how afterschool programs can promote a culture of attendance and partner with schools to address the needs of chronically absent students. The Utah Afterschool Network, in partnership with the Utah State Office of Education, the Department of Workforce Services Office of Work and Family Life, United Way, and Voices for Utah Children, is working to collect data on current practices regarding afterschool and school day attendance policies, as well as promote an awareness on the need for afterschool program providers, school administrators and teachers, parents, and community members to focus on school day attendance.

With the cooperation of strategic test sites across the state, the Utah Afterschool Network and its partners plan to collect specific afterschool program data to demonstrate how quality programs can reduce chronic absenteeism among Utah’s youth.

For more information please contact Anneli Segura at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The purpose of the summit is to engage program funders in a conversation about the potential opportunities for cross-sector collaboration of resources to more efficiently and effectively serve Utah's youth. Participants will engage in interactive discussions Utah's continuum of services and identify current funding priorities. Guided by an expert facilitator, Victoria Wegener, participants will discuss areas of commonality and future opportunities to coordinate and align efforts.

For more information please contact Anneli Segura at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it