Providence After School Alliance

The AfterZones were created through an extended community planning process, informed by insights and ideas from many community partners. 

The Early Stages

Building upon the original planning process that led to the launch of PASA in 2004, PASA convened a working group of two-dozen stakeholders to help define and shape the neighborhood delivery system of after-school programming for middle school youth. The group defined key elements for the system, and identified barriers and strategies to create a citywide network. The PASA Steering Committee, a precursor to the Board of Directors, approved the resulting plan.

The AfterZone initiative was unveiled at a forum in May 2005. Representatives from five Providence areas, later to become formalized governance bodies called Coordinating Councils, learned about the proposed design of the AfterZones and discussed how their neighborhoods could create a “neighborhood campus” linked with nearby middle schools. The five groups completed applications outlining their readiness to become an AfterZone, incorporating input from non-profit organizations, middle schools, libraries, recreation centers, other community groups and families.

Throughout mid-2005, it became clear that two neighborhoods were further along in their planning and were ready to plan, develop, and implement the first two AfterZones.  Members of the newly formed Coordinating Councils worked together to further define the AfterZone model, create memorandums of understanding and operational guidelines for PASA and key partners, strategize about how best to build and launch their AfterZones, and hire coordinating staff. After leading a four-week pilot project in fall 2005, the first two AfterZones in Olneyville and the West End/Upper South Providence launched in January 2006.

The enthusiasm of these teams led to the formation of other AfterZone Coordinating Councils – using the template created by the first two groups – and they began their pilot programs on the East Side in spring 2006 and in the North End and South Side that fall. Since then, the AfterZones have grown to work with seven anchor schools and have been consolidated to three citywide AfterZones: Olneyville, North End/East Side, and West End/South Side. 

Refining the Model

Meeting biannually since late 2006, a group of committed Coordinating Council members has helped refine policies and strategies and shape key decisions, including the development of the current AfterZone calendar, the AfterZone program grant process, and the launch of a four-week summer AfterZone.

In the spring of 2007, PASA began to explore a “site management agency” model that would allow a community-based organization to assume the day-to-day operation of the AfterZones in participating middle schools. PASA now has four successful partnerships funded with 21st Century CLC funds through the Rhode Island Department of Education:

• John Hope Settlement House/Bridgham Middle School
• Providence Housing Authority/Perry Middle School
• West End Community Center/Gilbert Stuart Middle School
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence/Roger Williams Middle School

PASA continues to work closely with the AfterZone Coordinating Councils and each of the AfterZone Site Management Agencies to create standardized practices, protocols and procedures while allowing the unique culture and flavor of each of the partnerships to emerge and flourish.