Center for Collaborative Solution’s Developing Exemplary Practice Guide for Afterschool Programs

This guide, funded by the Network for a Healthy California (USDA Food Stamp Nutrition Education) and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, is designed to help afterschool program leaders and their partners join in the fight against the obesity epidemic facing our children and youth today in a systematic and effective way.

Afterschool programs represent an environment that can make a difference to children across the state—because state afterschool funding in California focuses on low income schools where at least 50 percent of the students are eligible for free and reduced lunches, and because afterschool programs have more flexibility than found in the regular school day, they provide excellent opportunities for addressing the most at-risk children.

This guide explains six exemplary practices and contains indicator rubrics that can be used by programs to assess how they are doing in each of the six practice areas and to help them focus their attention on the areas they want to improve. The indicators will also help programs measure their improvement over time. The practices include:

* establishing the vision;

* integrating nutrition and physical activity with youth development principles;

* providing exciting and meaningful learning experiences that integrate nutrition and physical activity into core activities;

* working closely with the community, families and the school as full partners;

* improving food security; and

* developing diversified funding to sustain a quality program over time.

Guide available at: http://www.ccscenter.org/?mvcTask=article&pageId=7eb4f8593359619ebeaf9f2f88d18bfa

David M. Young, Professor
Rural Health Resource Specialist
Extension Service
Montana State University
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 406-994-5552
Fax: 406-994-1756