The Out of School Time Resource Center (OSTRC) at the University of Pennsylvania: An Interview with Angel Hogan

Posted by on October 19, 2011

The OSTRC was founded in 2003 to address the challenges faced by OST providers and practioners by identifying, providing access to, coordinating, conducting research on, and evaluating OST professional development in the Philadelphia area.

The Out-of-School Time Resource Center promotes youth achievement through staff support and professional development. With a focus on out-of-school time (OST) programs, we:

· Identify and coordinate resources. We produce a Newsletter and two Resource Directories; maintain a website, a helpline, an online Professional Development Calendar, and a Document Library; and host regular Peer Networking Meetings. In addition, we foster inter-program communication and integrate resources from other professions.

· Conduct research and evaluation. We conduct literature reviews and empirical research to identify promising practices in professional development. We also use surveys, focus groups, interviews, and observations to measure professional development outcomes.

· Recommend changes in practice and policy.  Through brokering, consulting, research, and publications, we inform and advocate for high-quality professional development on a local, regional, and national level.

(http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/ostrc/index.html)

Contact Information:

Angel Hogan: Communications Coordinator

215-573-9724 angelh@sp2.upenn.edu, ostrc@sp2.upenn.edu

Q: How did the OSTRC get started?

A: Staff support and professional development have been consistently associated with increased student achievement in out-of-school time programming. However, the region is hindered by forced attention to other priorities (professional development is no organization’s primary objective), time constraints, minimal access to resources, and limited expertise. On a national level, effective OST professional development is hampered by serving workers with diverse backgrounds and needs, by the high cost of training, and by reconciling staff development with high rates of staff turnover.
The OSTRC was created by Nancy Peter , M.Ed, in October 2003 to address these challenges by identifying, providing access to, coordinating, conducting research on, and evaluating OST professional development in the Philadelphia area. Through the generous support of the William Penn Foundation and additional funders, our scope and services have extended beyond the immediate geographic area to include state and national colleagues, consumers, and affiliates.
In essence, our tag line sums it up: “OSTRC- Supporting staff who support children and youth.” Our team is small but mighty, and we take great pride in our work!

Q: How did you come to work at the OSTRC?

A: Like the youth that OST programs serve, many people in the OST field have diverse backgrounds and interests. My academic background is in English. I am local writer and teaching artist that has long worked with OST programs, most often as a volunteer. I joined The Out-of-School Time Resource Center team in July 2010, but have worked for Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) for four years.   When I heard about the OSTRC I was immediately interested, since I have been a champion for positive youth activity and non-traditional learning opportunities.  As the OSTRC Communications Coordinator, some of my responsibilities include: supporting OST staff through outreach, creating and publishing our monthly Newsletter, maintaining our website (including the Document Library – which contains an ever-increasing catalogue of timely OST-related articles), and general marketing of the Center as well as our various events.

Q: How you involve college partnerships?

A: One of our goals over the last year has been to connect and create partnerships with other schools and research centers here at Penn. We also have an ongoing connection with PCPR –Philadelphia College Prep Round Table – a network of professionals from non-profit and campus-based college prep programs, university admissions and financial aid offices, and the School District of Philadelphia.  We attend monthly roundtable discussions and share / pass on resources when ever possible.

Q: What are the main Goals in building a network for OST workers:

A: One of our primary goals is to identify and coordinate resources. We produce a Newsletter and two Resource Directories; maintain a website, a helpline, an online Professional Development Calendar, and a Document Library; and host regular Peer Networking Meetings. In addition, we foster inter-program communication and integrate resources from other professions. Our monthly Peer Networking Meetings, in particular, provide OST staff with an opportunity to share resources, develop new professional relationships, and use these experiences to enhance their programs. We strongly urge anyone who works with youth to attend our PNMs! We hope that our resources and networking attempts decrease isolation and increase knowledge sharing.