By Katie Logisz
June 23, 2003

Conference President Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino moderated a workshop entitled "Mayors Leading the Way on After-School Workshop" on June 9 at the 71st Annual Conference of Mayors. The U.S. Conference of Mayors has worked with the Mott Foundation for the last year on the Mayors' After-School Leadership Project. At this interactive workshop, mayors examined several key elements of successful After-School programs, including financing, quality, and links to learning and success. Mayor Menino's introduction stressed the importance of After-School programs. He said, "So much responsibility is already placed upon teachers in the classroom." After-School programs are pivotal in expanding learning and development beyond the classroom. The workshop included three objectives: Mayor's leadership, links to learning, and youth perspectives.

Maxine Quinta, Director of Student Programs in the Mayor's Office for Education and Children in Denver, highlighted an initiative called Club Denver. This initiative partnered the city with Denver public schools, creating After-School activities and clubs for middle school students throughout the city. Club Denver involves schools, non-profits, and for-profit companies. Clubs cover eight themes across a variety of interests ranging from aviation and art to business and technology. Each club is sponsored by an appropriate affiliate, and staffed by Denver public school teachers. All partners partake in curriculum design and evaluation. According to Quinta, Club Denver has been well-received, involving over 1300 students in 108 clubs around the city. The clubs are voluntary programs, and Quinta said that "national research suggests that attendance positively impacts graduation rates". Club Denver engages students and encourages involvement in schools, the clubs, and the community. The next aim is to gather research detecting the effects of such involvement on actual school work.

Denver engages students and encourages involvement in schools, the clubs, and the community. The next aim is to gather research detecting the effects of such involvement on actual school work.

Shirley Farnsworth, Director of Community Education for Denver Public Schools, gave the mayors a presentation on the importance of After-School programs in contributing to the educational success and the development of the whole child. Farnsworth's presentation mounted upon the idea introduced by Mayor Menino. Menino said, "Three hours of extra homework is not learning." After-School programming should be educational, but programs should incorporate learning into fun. Farnsworth noted the focal points of After-School programs as learning leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, and creativity. Farnsworth cited public/private partnerships as pivotal in the continuing success of such programs. After-School programming "can't be a flavor of the week with state and federal funding," she said. Farnsworth and Quinta both joined in a discussion of how cities can help to facilitate long-term funding for such programs, easing the procurement of funds.

The final presenters included teenagers who are products of Denver's After-School efforts. Jose Piza, Coordinator of the Rishel Beacon Neighborhood Center in Denver, brought two high school students to the meeting to provide testimonials. Piza reiterated the holistic approach of After-School programs in fully fostering development in children. Marco Martinez spent four years participating at the Center and has been an employee of the Center for the past two. He said that his involvement in the After-School program kept him off the streets. He learned to "talk things out instead of resorting to violence", said Martinez. Elaina Herrera, 15, has also graduated to a program worker. She values her experience in Denver After-School programs, and says that such programs, "give children the attention that they need". Both agreed that the best advice to adults creating After-School programs is to "make learning fun and incorporate lots of personal attention". Marco and Elaina's testimony reflected both Quinta and Farnsworth's emphasis on After-School initiatives' ability to foster growth and development for the whole child.