This grant will support the United Ways of Texas to start up and coordinate a new statewide afterschool network in Texas. The network will work to create an afterschool system and as a new network, will work to increase high-quality afterschool opportunities in the state. The network will bring together youth-serving organizations, state agencies, and other key stakeholders, and will complete a statewide mapping study of afterschool services and needs. To ensure that new models and best practices are incorporated nationally, the network will share lessons learned and products with the other statewide afterschool networks.

This grant will support the University of Maine at Farmington to coordinate the Maine statewide afterschool network. In addition to continuing the network's core work to advance afterschool programs in Maine, the network will complete a multiyear project to establish a system of credit attainment for school-linked afterschool opportunities. The network seeks to create a model for standards-based, school-linked, afterschool programs that provide youth with personalized learning opportunities and credit toward graduation in afterschool settings. To ensure that new models and best practices are incorporated nationally, the network will share lessons learned and products with the other statewide afterschool networks.

This grant will support the Oregon Association for the Education of Young Children to coordinate the Oregon statewide afterschool network. In addition to continuing the network's core work to advance afterschool programs in Oregon, the network will develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to better incorporate the needs of parents into afterschool policy and programming. In addition, the network will conduct a needs assessment of the afterschool workforce. This work will also inform a new state expanded learning opportunities task force expected to be established in 2012. The network seeks to help afterschool providers and policymakers better utilize data to drive decisionmaking and to build the case for afterschool. To ensure that new models and best practices are incorporated nationally, the network will share lessons learned and products with other statewide afterschool networks.

This grant will support the Southeastern Regional Education Service Center, Inc. to coordinate the New Hampshire statewide afterschool network. In addition to continuing the network's core work to advance afterschool programs in New Hampshire, the network will complete a multiyear project to: (1) strengthen the governance structure for the network; and (2) create a coordinated system of professional development opportunities for afterschool providers. In addition, the network will complete a comprehensive evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. To ensure that new models and best practices are incorporated nationally, the network will share lessons learned and products with the other statewide afterschool networks.

This grant will support the Voices for Illinois Children to coordinate the Illinois statewide afterschool network. In addition to continuing the network's core work to advance afterschool programs in Illinois, the network will complete a multiyear project to support and coordinate a new statewide youth development council. The statewide council is mandated by new legislation in Illinois, the Afterschool Youth Development Act, focused on coordinating and strengthening the state's afterschool and youth development services. Through serving as the key facilitator of the council, the network seeks to expand youth development systems in Illinois. To ensure that new models and best practices are incorporated nationally, the network will share lessons learned and products with the other statewide afterschool networks.

This grant will support the University of California - Davis to coordinate the California statewide afterschool network. In addition to continuing the network's core work to advance afterschool programs in California, the network will complete a multiyear project to develop and implement a statewide delivery system of high-quality science, technology, engineering, and math experiences during out-of-school time, including the establishment of innovation centers. Through this project, the network seeks to significantly raise the science and math test scores of California students. The network will also share lessons learned and products with other statewide afterschool networks to ensure that new models and best practices are incorporated nationally.

This grant to the State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction will support the development of the Wisconsin Statewide Afterschool Network to connect key decisionmakers and resources to establish a statewide structure that fosters policies supporting high quality afterschool programs. Goals of the network include: 1) creating a sustainable structure of partnerships focused on supporting afterschool programs; 2) supporting the development and growth of policies that will secure the resources needed to support afterschool programs; and 3) supporting statewide systems to ensure afterschool programs are of high quality. This grantee is part of the fourth cohort of Mott-funded statewide afterschool networks.

This grant to the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy supports the development of the Oklahoma Statewide Afterschool Network to ensure that quality afterschool programs are a state priority by engaging public- and private-sector support and resources. Goals of the network include: 1) creating a sustainable structure of partnerships that will promote the need for high quality afterschool programs for children and youth; 2) raising the level of public and private sector support for school/community partnerships that sustain quality afterschool programs; 3) advocating for state policies that provide the resources necessary to expand and sustain afterschool programs; and 4) identifying and sharing information regarding funding, resources, research, best-practice strategies, and program models to ensure afterschool programs are of high quality. This grantee is part of the fourth cohort of Mott-funded statewide afterschool networks.

This grant will continue to support the University of Kansas Center for Research to strengthen the Kansas Statewide Afterschool Network and build afterschool partnerships throughout the state. This grantee is part of the first cohort of Mott-funded statewide afterschool networks. This renewal is an innovation grant which continues to provide core support to the network, while also encouraging new ideas designed to build or enhance positive systemic changes that further policies and practices for school-based/school-linked afterschool programs. In addition to continuing its work in building the field of afterschool in Kansas, the network will also: 1) develop a community self-assessment and planning sustainability model; 2) develop a community-driven communications plan to educate citizens; and 3) develop afterschool curricula in math, science, and writing. Each network receiving an innovations grant is expected to share lessons learned and products with the national network of statewide afterschool networks.

The Collaborative Communications Group supports the development of a national network and learning community of statewide afterschool networks. This grant increase will support the growing national network of statewide afterschool networks by convening meetings and audio-conference calls, developing a website and listserv, and documenting learnings. Currently, the Foundation is providing partial support to nine statewide networks, with an additional twenty statewide afterschool networks expected to join the national network. This project will foster cooperation and collaboration in states across the country, and create opportunities for sharing strategies for developing successful statewide afterschool policies.

This grant will provide funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers 2011 Summer Institute, held in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education. The 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative supports nearly 2 million children and youth in over 10,000 school-community afterschool programs across the country. The purpose of the annual summer institute is to provide state 21st Century Community Learning Centers administrators with technical assistance and strategies to improve the quality of school-community afterschool programs.

This grant increase will allow the Afterschool Alliance to implement three complementary initiatives that will build additional support for afterschool programs at the federal, state, and local levels. The initiatives are: (1) strengthening state and local afterschool initiatives by increasing the Afterschool Ambassadors program in key states or districts; (2) conducting in-depth focus group research regarding popular perceptions of and participation in afterschool programs to develop effective messaging; and (3) coordinating an AmeriCorps VISTA effort to build the capacity of the statewide afterschool networks.

This grant will support the College of Charleston Foundation in continued development of the Afterschool and Community Learning Network. The Afterschool and Community Learning Network will continue to serve and complement existing groups working in support of afterschool programs by raising and exploring emerging policy issues and future opportunities for afterschool, such as increasing family connections to student learning and introducing afterschool into discussions regarding adequate and equitable education. Activities include providing technical assistance and advice to statewide afterschool networks, education groups, and youth development-based organizations.

This grant will support the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University to assist communities in the implementation of the recommendations from the 2007 "A New Day for Learning" report. This grant will provide technical assistance in selected communities to advance school and community redesign efforts that embody "A New Day for Learning" elements, which include expanding the definition of student success, using research-based knowledge about how students learn best, fostering collaboration across all sectors, integrating various learning approaches and places, and providing new opportunities for leadership and professional development. To accomplish these objectives, the project will support site-based efforts by helping teams set priorities, identify learning and developmental needs, and design common or site-tailored products to address those learning needs.