User interface of Chattanooga 2.0’s new Hamilton County Out-of-School Time Program Locator
Chattanooga 2.0’s Out-of-School Time Alliance announces the launch of a new free online tool designed to help Hamilton County Schools educators and families connect students with local afterschool programs. The Hamilton County Out-of-School Time Program Locator features nearly 400 programs and can be used to find opportunities that are good fits for students. It also highlights areas in Hamilton County where more programs are needed. Users can filter programs by zip code, focus, age, cost and other factors.
Officials said, "Research shows that out-of-school time programs play an important role in the development and well-being of school-age children and provide safe environments, support working parents, and improve academic outcomes.
Without these programs, parents often scramble to find care for children after school lets out and their workday ends. Unfortunately, there are not enough programs to meet the demand. According to a survey commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance, 24.7 million children in the United States would be enrolled in an afterschool program if one were available to them.
"Chattanooga 2.0 led the development of the Program Locator to address several key challenges in the local sector:
• Identifying Programs: Educators and families can now more easily find programs that support students’ needs or strengths, rather than relying on word-of-mouth and lengthy internet research.
• Revealing Gaps: Community leaders can identify gaps in programming across Hamilton County so that providers and other organizations can work to create new afterschool opportunities where they are missing.
• Comprehensive Catalogue: There was no centralized and searchable catalogue of out-of-school time offerings in Hamilton County before the new program locator. Once complete, this tool will provide a comprehensive resource for all stakeholders."
Haile Nottage, Big Futures manager at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga and co-chair of the Out-of-School Time Alliance said, “The Program Locator was developed to align with the Out-of-School Time Alliance’s mission of increasing participation in out-of-school time programs. By providing an online, centralized library of programs, we can increase knowledge of and access to these programs and elevate their impact on students, families, and the community at large.”
Dr. Justin Robertson, superintendent of Hamilton County Schools, said, “Many times an educator’s ability to teach is dependent on what happens when students aren’t in school. I am excited about this tool and encourage our families to take advantage of this resource. We know students are more successful when they feel connected and engaged. This tool allows our district and families to utilize partner provided programming to ensure Every Student Belongs and has opportunities that support their personal interests. Already, our educators are using the Program Locator to connect students with the right programs to support their academic and personal growth to ensure every student has the opportunity to thrive.”
This program locator is one of several initiatives led by Chattanooga 2.0 in partnership with members of its Out-of-School Time Alliance, a diverse group of direct service providers and informal educators in Hamilton County. Out-of-school time providers that are interested in adding their programs to the Program Locator should reach out to Brandon Hubbard-Heitz, director of Literacy & Student Strategy at Chattanooga 2.0 to get started (brandon@chatt2.org).
To access the Hamilton County Out-of-School Time Program Locator, visit chatt2.org/ost/ost-locator/.
To learn more about Chattanooga 2.0’s Out-of-School Time Alliance and its members, and how you can become a member of the network, visit chatt2.org/ost.