S 4 EP 3: Creating Successful Partnerships between Schools and After-School Programs feat. Utah Afterschool Network

Ever wonder how your child's after-school program aligns with their school day? What should you, as a parent, look out for when enrolling your child in a program? Join us as we tackle these questions and more with our esteemed guests from the Utah Afterschool Network - Ben, Lisa, and Lauren. They shed light on the importance of school day alignment and the all-important five pillars that sustain it. Discover how a robust collaboration between school and after-school programming can lead to a comprehensive and gratifying student experience.Guest(s) BioBen TrentelmanBen has been serving youth and communities in various capacities since 2002, and entered the afterschool field in 2006 where he has run afterschool programs all along the Wasatch Front for three different organizations and operated eight afterschool programs, impacting thousands of youth along the Wasatch Front. Ben joined UAN as the Director of Operations where he led efforts to expand and develop a comprehensive statewide continuous quality improvement system and has worked to develop numerous tools and resources. Ben has provided training and workshops on quality improvement, data collection, leadership, parent engagement, and more both throughout the state and nationally. Ben is also a national consultant on data collection and continuous quality improvement. Ben has been serving as the Executive Director at the Utah Afterschool Network since 2021 where he supports the continued growth and expansion of afterschool programming throughout the state. Lauren LevorsenLauren is the School Alignment and Data Specialist at the Utah Afterschool Network. She has a B.S. in Marriage & Family Studies from BYU-Idaho and an M.Ed. in Educational Psychology from the University of Georgia. She happened upon afterschool programming by accident during her college years and fell in love with it on her first day as a summer program youth facilitator. Lauren has participated in multiple roles as an afterschool professional over the last 10 years: youth librarian, direct service staff member, and program coordinator, all before stepping into her role at UAN. In her spare time, Lauren can be found reading with her 5-year-old, taking a walk/hike, reading something from Brene Brown, or rewatching old Netflix favorites. She also loves spending time outdoors with her family and requires (at least) one Diet Coke break per day.Lisa Wisham, M.Ed.Lisa is a Senior Research & Evaluation Associate and School & District Improvement Specialist at the Utah Education Policy Center (UEPC). As a member of the Bridgeworks School Improvement Team, she co-designs and co-facilitates professional learning opportunities for school leaders, supports school leadership teams through individual and team coaching opportunities, and guides school leadership teams through the school improvement planning process. Lisa also works with the UEPC evaluation team as they use student and program data to help afterschool program staff make thoughtful decisions and intentional adjustments based on their data.  Prior to joining the UEPC, Lisa was an Education Specialist at the Utah State Board of Education for nine years, where she managed the 21st Century Community Learning Centers federal grant, as well as the Intergenerational Poverty Interventions and Partnerships for Student Success state grants. She is the current Board Chair of the Utah Afterschool Network.  Connect With Us Website: www.schoolafterhours.netNewsletter:  Afterschool CultureFacebook - @schoolafterhoursInstagram - @schoolafterhoursLinkedIn - school-after-hours-podcast