CLEAR
| City Leaders Engaged in After-school Reform (CLEAR) – In July 2005, Denver was selected as one of 12 cities in the nation by the National League of Cities Institute for Children, Youth, and Families for Phase I of the City Leaders Engaged in Afterschool Reform technical assistance grant. The focus of Phase I was to assess the City’s readiness to develop a city-wide infrastructure for supporting after-school programs. In March 2006, Denver was selected as one of 8 cities for Phase II of the project, focused on implementation.
The CLEAR Initiative has brought together stakeholders in the community to brainstorm a common vision for after-school programs and short-term and long-term goals for better coordinating services (vision map). In an effort to form a common base of knowledge about the needs, capacity and resources available, Denver has conducted an After-school Provider Survey and gathered detailed demographic information on Denver's children and youth by neighborhood.
Over 700 after-school sites responded to the survey. Program information is available on Denver's GIS system in a searchable database denvermaps. Additionally, focus groups with providers, school principals, parents and youth were held to share input on the needs of the community and how to better coordinate services. This information is summarized in the report: A Snapshot of Afterschool in Denver 2006. Denver leaders will be using this information to develop an action plan to build a city-wide infrastructure to:
• Better support after-school programs
• Help promote collaboration among agencies
• Provide information on available services in the community
• Help develop effective planning and policy issues important to the after-school arena
|
|