LOAS Initiative
| Lights on After School Initiative (LOAS) – In 2003, with the support of the Mayor and Superintendent, the LOAS partnership was formed between the Mayor’s Office for Education and Children, Denver Public Schools Foundation and Mile High United Way to leverage resources to sustain and expand quality school-based after-school programs. The partnership’s vision is to provide strength-based after-school programs at every DPS elementary and middle school. LOAS seeks to make efficient use of resources, promote high quality, and better train after-school staff.
Funding is allocated through a competitive grant process open to all DPS elementary and middle schools. All LOAS funded programs must meet minimum quality standards that focus on positive youth development principles with developmentally age-appropriate activities that consistently move towards cultural competence, are aligned with day-school strategies/curriculum, and have a low staff to student ratio. On-going staff development and technical assistance has been infused in the program through a partnership with Assets for Colorado Youth. Trainings are available free to all after-school providers in Denver. Programs must exhibit a high degree of coordination with the school and involvement of community partners. LOAS funded programs must report number of students served, number of program hours, and student academic and developmental outcomes.
A three-year longitudinal evaluation of DPS school-based after-school programs reveals with statistically significant results that multi-year participation in diverse after-school programs has a positive impact on student achievement and school attendance.
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