Power, Marketing and Networking.
Through the Southwestern Pennsylvania Aferschool Resource Collaboration (SPARC) database, as a community of individuals and organizations, we can quickly share information, collaborate more easily, and have access to the crucial facts we need to make the best possible decisions on how to invest our resources and deliver services.
Why Participate? Because Your Information is Important!
The data you provide about your afterschool program is crucial for programs in our region to thrive and meet the needs of the community.
• Ensure that families in need of afterschool services can find out about the wonderful programs that will help children flourish.
• Help schools make the most of community resources that can support their efforts.
• Foster collaboration amongst afterschool providers.
• Inform funders so they make wise investments in afterschool.
• Provide good information to advocates as they work to support the work of the afterschool profession.
Here are just a few ways afterschool program data is important for afterschool providers:
• Ensure that families in need of afterschool services can find out about your afterschool programs and support your recruiting and marketing strategies for enrolling participants.
• Connect to schools to create collaborations that not only support academic goals, but the holistic needs of children.
• Develop partnerships with other afterschool providers to enhance programming and enrich opportunities for program participants.
• Be visible to funders so they know about your programs and the services you provide in the community.
• Promote the advancement of the afterschool profession as a valued career.
Here are just a few ways afterschool program data is important for the community in need:
• Help working parents find a safe and productive environment for their children beyond the school day so they can be successful at their jobs without worry over the well being of their children.
• Unsupervised time can lead to academic and behavioral problems instead of having children and youth involved in engaging activities with their peers and caring adults.
• Prevent juvenile crime, teen pregnancy, smoking, drug and alcohol use by ensuring children and youth are engaged in positive afterschool activities.
• Provide opportunities for extended learning and experiential education to complement a student’s academic success.
• Help prepare youth for success in higher education and the workforce.
Here are just a few ways afterschool program data is important in supporting educational success:
• Schools and families need to know what programs are available during the out of school time hours to complement the structured school day learning. Even if a program is not primarily focused on tutoring, homework help, or academic support, afterschool programs provide a wealth of learning opportunities!
• Afterschool programs provide extended learning and experiential education to complement a student’s academic success. Beyond core curriculum and standards, there is a broad spectrum of engaging learning that awaits students after school.
• Instructional minutes are limited in a very tightly scheduled school day. Most time, and most learning, happens when children are not actually within a school building or classroom.
• Afterschool programs help prepare youth for success in higher education and the workforce.
In their own words, here are some of the reasons that afterschool program data is important to funders:
• Enrollment and attendance data is an important measure of the extent to which the provider is meeting the needs of the targeted community and meeting funding expectations.
• Data that identifies the funding sources that support an afterschool program is very important to a funder. Having more than one funding source for an afterschool program is a positive statement about the importance of the program to various constituents.
• Measuring and reporting outcome measures are very important to a funder. By doing so, it demonstrates to a funder the commitment of the program to achieve desired results through data collection and measurement activities.
• With cutbacks in funding for human services programs it is imperative that afterschool programs are diligent about data collection and reporting in order to validate the significance of their program to their funders.
• Funders hope to engage more youth in high-quality programs, but we know that it can be hard for children and families to find the right program. The program locator on AfterschoolPGH.org is an important way to get that information into their hands.
• The SPARC data also helps funders assess the need in communities, especially when reviewing proposals. Applicants often suggest that there is a need for their programs in the community. A funder can easily check the availability in programs by location through AfterschoolPGH.org.
• Funders support the work of schools, and we know that school staff use AfterschoolPGH.org to provide information on community resources to its students and families.
The data you provide about your afterschool program helps make the case for the importance of afterschool and contribute to advocacy.
• Hard data is essential to support advocacy efforts and provide evidence to validate the intangible or anecdotal points that communicate how afterschool programs are a vital necessity.
• Without good information about afterschool programs, it is difficult to prove how afterschool is a priority.
Get Started
To enter information for a new program, complete the SPARC Data Collection Form. Please do your best to fill out the form in its entirety before submission. Some questions may not pertain to your particular program so they may be left blank. If you need any assistance, Contact 3rc.
Update Your Information
Updating your agency or program information regularly is very important. For small updates, we have just the thing: the Light Bulb Tool. With the Suggested Changes – Light Bulb Tool, you can send your change requests directly to us. The Light Bulb Tool is located in the upper right-hand corner of each program and agency page. You can also contact us regarding information updates at support@afterschoolpgh.org.
