Out-of-School Time Bimonthly Funder Meetup: Preparing for the Fiscal Cliff

October 3, 2:00-3:30 pm ET

Join the EdFunders Out-of-School Time Impact Group for an ongoing conversation with Grantmakers for Education members who fund or are interested in funding the out-of-school time sector. Each video call will provide opportunities for learning and collaboration.

Register once for the ongoing series and join as your schedule allows. Registration is open to Grantmakers for Education member funders.

Calls are scheduled from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET on the first Tuesday every other month.

Preparing for the Fiscal Cliff: Sustaining State-Level Infrastructure for Afterschool & Summer Learning

EdFunders members are invited to join the Out-of-School Time (OST) Impact Group to hear from leaders at state education agencies and state afterschool networks on how they’re addressing the pending federal funding cliff (post-ESSER/ARP funding) and working to sustain the infrastructure they’ve built to support summer and afterschool programs. Participants will get a bird’s eye view of how states have created systems to support OST programs since the pandemic, what’s at risk should that infrastructure not be prioritized and sustained, and learn about bright spots from states that are continuing to prioritize summer and afterschool programs. We’ll have time for participants to connect with one another, share what’s happening in their state/community, and explore how funders can partner with state agencies to sustain OST and summer youth programs in the long-term. 

Recommended resources:

Leaders and Champions: The Role of Funders in Strategic Public Financing

Funding Out-of-School Time Programs–Now and in the Future

About the Speakers

Moderator: Sharon Crockett-Alexander
Communities Foundation of Texas / Director
Additional Days School Year, Texas Impact Network

Sharon directs the Texas Impact Network’s portfolio of strategic initiatives to increase instructional time for students across the state to mitigate student learning loss from COVID-19 and summer slide. ADSY provides school districts funding to add up to 30 days of learning time and helps schools with extra coaching and support.

Prior to joining TIN, Sharon has 20 years of experience in education as a teacher and administrator, most recently as the principal of Edna Rowe Elementary School in Dallas ISD where she spearheaded the design of an ADSY Full Year Redesign calendar, adding 30 days of instruction for all students attending the school in 2020-22.

Sharon holds a bachelor’s in management from Jackson State University, a bachelor’s in elementary education from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and a master’s in educational administration from the University of North Texas.

Paula Adams
Executive Director
Hawai’i Afterschool Alliance

Paula Adams serves as the Executive Director and is a founding member of the Hawaii Afterschool Alliance (part of the 50 Statewide Afterschool Networks, an initiative of the C.S. Mott Foundation). She has been working in mental health, public health, and education since she finished her graduate education. She has been part of non-profits in different roles and belongs to diverse advocacy groups. She is a White-Riley-Peterson Fellow and the Hawaii Afterschool Ambassador. She received a Master of Science degree from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. In her spare time, she likes to hike, swim, and spend time with family and friends.

Casey Agena
Summer Learning, Office of Curriculum and Instructional Design
Hawai’i Department of Education

Casey Agena is an Education Consultant based in Honolulu, HI and has varied experience in education technology, sales and contracts. He is currently the program manager for ESSER funded summer learning programs through the Hawaii Department of Education. He is a graduate of Purdue University (BA), Boston College (M Ed.) and University of Southern California (Ed. D). When he’s not working, he can be found playing with his three children, surfing, or watching the Boston Red Sox.

Brian Doran
Director of Expanded Learning Models
Texas Education Agency

Brian Doran is the Director of Expanded Learning Models at the Texas Education Agency, a division focused on accelerating learning through additional time and use of high quality curriculum and instruction. The Expanded Learning Models team manages a portfolio of grant programs that emphasize research-based programming through afterschool, summer, year-round, and blended learning models, including those from state funding sources and from federal programs such as 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Brian began his career as a teacher in Miami, Florida and in rural Japan before moving to school and district operations in Texas. Brian earned a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from The Broad Center.

Brenda McLaughlin
Co-Lead, Summer and Afterschool Community of Practice
National Comprehensive Center

Brenda has worked at the intersection of education and youth development research, policy and practice for 20 years, translating key learnings to positively influence the well-being of youth and their families, and strengthen organizations and systems. Her insight and expertise have led state education agencies, school districts, nonprofits, philanthropies and communities to expand their capacity and better serve young people.

As The Learning Agenda’s Founding Partner and Senior Advisor, Brenda offers strategic guidance and coaching, plans and facilitates learning communities and events, engages in research projects, and develops tools and resources to build the capacity of the field. She is currently leading capacity-building efforts for 21st CCLC programs across the State of Arizona, co-leading the Strategic Use of Summer and Afterschool Set-Asides Community of Practice for the National Comprehensive Center at Westat, and she previously led capacity-building efforts for districts engaged in The Wallace Foundation’s National Summer Learning Project.

Brenda founded The Learning Agenda in 2011, and rejoined the team in 2022 after serving as Chief Impact Officer at BellXcel and launching The Sperling Center for Research and Innovation – a division of BellXcel focused on elevating the quality and impact of summer and afterschool programs nationally. She also served as vice president at the National Summer Learning Association from 2004 – 2011, leading research, evaluation, and strategic initiatives.

Brenda holds a MA in Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University, and a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of Pittsburgh.