Request for Qualifications for Specialized Out-of-School Time Programming – Jan 8

Posted by City of Philadelphia Office of Children and Families on December 17, 2024

On behalf of the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Children and Families and Department of Human Services (City of Philadelphia or City), Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) has released and open, competitive Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to provide developmentally appropriate and fun afterschool programs through the OST Network’s Specialized Strategy for children and youth in grades kindergarten through 8 in school buildings as part of the City of Philadelphia’s Extended Day/Extended Year Initiative.  The OST Network’s Specialized Strategy is designed to bring expertise in a specific content area that engages youth in the specialty of the organization through programming that operates 2-3 days per week for up to 6 hours per week.  Applicant organizations that are selected as qualified through this RFQ will be eligible to contract for program services during the current and next school years.

PHMC invites high-performing youth-serving non-profit and for-profit organizations operating in the City of Philadelphia (City) to apply for qualification through this competitive process. Information and the RFQ can be found here.

OST programming is for youth enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade delivered by community-based organizations and is part of the City of Philadelphia’s continuum of prevention programs and activities designed to contribute to the overall well-being and safety of youth through access to services that promote their healthy, physical, social, educational, and emotional development. Programming is designed for all youth, particularly those who need to be diverted from or have current or previous involvement in the child welfare system.

The City of Philadelphia’s Mayor’s Office of Education and Office of Children and Families, and School District have jointly launched the Extended Day/Extended Year pilot in 25 schools for the 2024-25 school year. The initiative, a priority of Mayor Cherelle Parker, was established to support working families in need of school-based programs that better fit their hours, create safe spaces for students to spend before and after school, offer new enrichment opportunities to students who are the most underserved, and provide students exposure to experiences, career options, sports and other activities to help them identify interests and enhance their connections to school.

This RFQ specifically seeks organizations with a mission that incorporates or focuses on one or more of the following content areas :

• Arts and culture – examples of this content area include but are not limited to: performing and theatre arts, visual arts, fine arts, music, dance, graphic design, film, digital media, podcasts and video, architecture and urban design, humanities, literature, arts and culture education, historic preservation, museum curation, culinary arts (nutrition and cooking), crafts, and folk arts.
• STEAM/STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) – examples of this content area include but are not limited to: Legos, robotics, coding and game design, maker spaces, art-science collaborations, and science projects.
• Sports and recreation – examples of this content area include but are not limited to: basketball, soccer, baseball, tennis, cheerleading, horseback riding, jump rope, swimming, hiking, yoga, and biking.
• Other specialized areas – examples of this content area include but are not limited to: youth leadership, mentoring, agriculture and gardening, debate, chess, exposure beyond Philadelphia, world languages, manga/anime, and journalism.

Proposals due: January 8, 2025