We provide technical assistance (TA) to afterschool programs across the state. All TA provided through the Center aims at meeting one or more of the following goals:

• Support to new afterschool directors in their leadership role.
• General, on-going, support for directors aimed at program improvement and growth.
• Support to directors in developing evaluation and sustainability plans to guide their program.

Three specific areas of technical assistance are available through the Center. Each area is available at no cost to specifically targeted programs, but can be accessed by non-designated programs as a fee for service. The forms of technical assistance available through the Center and outlined on this PDF are:

1. New Directors’ Support
All newly funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21C) projects, and those with a change in director, are eligible to access support through ISS-AP (the Individualized System of Support for Afterschool Programs). ISS-AP support for new directors combines group workshops with other new directors with one-on-one support through the ISS-AP coach. ISS-AP support is limited to one year and focuses on program start-up and planning, best practices in afterschool, and support in developing administrative structures to support program quality.  There is no fee for 21C programs participating in the New Directors’ ISS-AP strand.

2. Evaluation and Sustainability Planning Support
21C programs seeking to create or revise their evaluation and/or sustainability plans may access technical assistance through the Center. Evaluation planning support focuses on: creating effective plans with reasonable and achievable target rates, aligning indicators to the statewide evaluation plan, and assistance in data collection, analysis, and presentation. The focus of sustainability planning is on: identifying missing sustainability strategies, projecting out revenue for both short and long-term planning, and developing broader sustainability frameworks such as marketing strategies and communication planning. Evaluation and sustainability planning TA is time-limited and typically spans no more than three months with approximately 7 – 10 hours of support provided. There is no cost for 21C programs to receive evaluation or sustainability planning support.

3. Mentors for Quality
Licensed school-age programs in Vermont are eligible to receive technical assistance through Mentors for Quality. School age programs currently receiving funding through the Child Development Division (CDD) are automatically contacted to receive a mentor, but Mentors for Quality is open to all licensed school-age programs with an interest. Trained mentors work with directors to establish goals for the mentoring relationship, provide feedback after a site visit to the program, and measure progress during the mentoring process. Mentors for Quality typically provides support for up to one year. There is no cost for licensed school-age programs to participate in Mentors for Quality. Contact: Karen Scott at karenscott2564@gmail.com.