With support from the Walter S. Johnson Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation and the Region VII Office, the Central Valley Afterschool Foundation developed a comprehensive High School ASSETs (After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens) Learning Community for Region VII site coordinators.

Under the direction of Kim Boyer, the Learning Community offered technical assistance to 37 high school afterschool programs in the form of workshops, program assistance, site visits, assessments, monthly training, communications, knowledge sharing, and grants management information.

The 21^st CCLC ASSETS Learning Community was designed to support new and current ASSETs grantees in developing quality afterschool programs and to build relationships between ASSETs grantees for the purpose of ongoing peer support and learning.

Themes and goals of the Learning Community focused on research findings from WestEd’s Final Evaluation of the High School ASSETs Program (January 2007) with references to the seven dimensions of the Categorical Program Monitoring (CPM). WestEd’s evaluation indicated common elements needed in order to develop afterschool program for high school students.

1. Youth involvement in the design, development, promotion, operation and evaluation of the activities.
2. Staff who are qualified to help students with academics and have enthusiasm for working with youth.
3. A strong link to the students’ regular academic day and structural supports for students’ developmental needs.

Learning Community participants engaged in peer learning and networking through:

• Sharing of promising and innovative practices across sites during workshops, email, phone, and through message board communication on the CVAF website.
• Development of site mentoring partnerships or “buddy sites” with new and experienced ASSETs grantees for program support.

Logan Robertson of Cutler-Orosi High School shares her thoughts: “Participating in the first ASSETs Learning Community was instrumental in helping shape our program. We increased our knowledge, developed relationships with other programs and experts in the field, and had the constant support of CVAF staff and consultants. CVAF helped us build a strong foundation for what today is a very successful afterschool program!”

The solid infrastructure developed by CVAF provides the opportunity for the Region VII Lead Office to take the High School ASSETs Learning Community to the next level. It was a privilege to work with a stellar ASSETS community and we look forward to future collaborative projects. For more information, contact Kim Boyer at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it