The Cambridge Agenda for Children Out-of-School Time (AFCOST) serves as a citywide intermediary, fostering connections among OST providers (both community-based nonprofits and city-run programs), schools, families, and city leadership. Its Co-Executive Directors, Khari Milner (with Cambridge Public Schools) and Susan Richards (with Cambridge's Department of Human Service Programs), are integral members of the leadership teams within Cambridge's two largest child and youth-serving departments. AFCOST staff collaborate closely with CPS as well as with DHSP and a wide range of community-based nonprofit programs. Annually, AFCOST offers professional development to over 450 staff from 70 OST programs and partners, who collectively serve more than 3,000 Cambridge children and youth.
Agenda for Children OST Mission and Beliefs
For more than two decades, Agenda for Children OST has been a cornerstone of Cambridge's youth-serving community. AFCOST convenes, catalyzes, and supports efforts to increase equity, access, and innovation, ensuring high-quality OST experiences for all children, youth, and families. As an official member of Every Hour Counts, a national network of intermediaries, Agenda for Children OST drives systems change within Cambridge's OST ecosystem. AFCOST also provide direct support to children, families, frontline OST youth workers, and OST programs.
Some of the ways Agenda for Children OST partners with CPS in support of students and families:
- Facilitates data sharing and analysis of CPS and OST-affiliated student data.
- Connects high priority children and families with opportunities and provides
enrollment and financial support to enable them to participate in OST programs.
- Facilitates OST - School Partnerships to support shared young people.
- Convenes Elementary and Middle School-OST Networks for program staff serving youth at different developmental ages and stages, and coordinated by ESON Coordinator Greg Green and MSN Coordinator Vanessa Fisher.
- Helps OST programs partner with CPS and all CPS schools to support youth through transitions.
OST Expansion Project
The City of Cambridge, in partnership with Cambridge Public Schools (CPS), has released the Cambridge Out-of-School Time (OST) Expansion Study Report. OST programs offer constructive and enriching activities that support children’s development outside of school hours, including after school, during school vacation weeks and during summer breaks. The purpose of the study, led by the Cambridge Agenda for Children Out-of-School Time and supported by the consultants WithInsight and Resonance Data Collective, was to better understand the unmet need in Cambridge by fully examining the demand for afterschool seats and the current capacity needed to meet that demand.
In addition to the Full Report and accompanying Summary Report being available to the public, excerpts about the Need for OST Expansion, the Critical Role OST plays in Child Development and slides summarizing each OST Expansion Study Recommendation have been translated into:
Amharic (አማርኛ), Haitian Creole (Kreyòl), and Spanish (español).
Key Recommendations to Support OST Expansion Include:
- Build systems partnerships to better coordinate across CPS and OST systems to center the wellbeing of children, youth, and families.
- Ensure equity in enrollment, guided by the principle of targeted universalism (aiming to benefit all while prioritizing the needs of marginalized groups).
- Improve space sharing between CPS schools and OST programs.
- Support increased access to OST programs for students with special needs.
- Build and maintain a strong OST workforce.
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