Lilly Endowment Supporting Afterschool Network
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana Afterschool Network has received a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support science, technology, engineering and math education efforts. The funds will help hundreds of youth workers receive afterschool and summer training through an online program. December 16, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Indiana Afterschool Network (IAN) will expand efforts to strengthen the quality and quantity of out-of-school time programs statewide, thanks to a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. With this grant IAN will help out-of-school time programs meet the highest levels of quality and reach more K-12 youth, especially in urban, rural and under-resourced communities.
Lilly Endowment's funding, to be used over a two-year period, will create the Indiana Academy on Out of School Learning, a professional online training program for afterschool and summer program providers in Indiana. This grant gives 500 youth workers discounted access to the online training.
The John H. Boner Center in Indianapolis is among the many youth programs to benefit from IAN's resources. “We are especially excited about the new online training system that will take our professional development and program impact to a whole new level,” said Brittany Kronmiller, director of Children and Youth Services at the Boner Center.
In addition, the funding will enable IAN – together with its broad base of partners across the state – to boost STEM learning initiatives (science, technology, engineering, math), afterschool standards and online assessments. In addition, the new grant will help IAN support youth workers who are striving to attain college and graduate degrees.
“We are very grateful for Lilly Endowment's generous support,” said Debbie Zipes, president of IAN. “This level of investment is transformative for Indiana and enables us to greatly accelerate the reach and impact of out-of-school time learning.”
Ligia Matousek, an IAN supporter and executive with Dow AgroSciences, believes that afterschool experiences can become a game changer for Indiana. “Students spend only 30 percent of their waking hours in school, and how they invest the other 70 percent changes lives,” she said. “Students with real-world, hands-on learning experiences build workforce and college skills and get an important leg up for the future.”
Also, out-of-school time programs keep kids safe during the highest crime time hours of 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays and provide key support for working families who want to know their children are in good hands beyond school hours.
About Indiana Afterschool Network
IAN was launched in 2001 with support from key national, state and local partners, including the Lilly Endowment, Indiana Department of Education, and the C.S. Mott Foundation. IAN, with the Indiana Department of Education, also holds a yearly Summit on Out of School Time learning. The conference attracts more than 700 educators and youth workers. The 2015 Summit is April 13-14 at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937. The Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.
Source: Indiana Afterschool Network