Morning Workshops

9:30am - 10:30am

Building Blocks for Advocacy

Allies for Children

Develop your understanding of how to be an effective advocate for OST. This workshop will discuss the fundamentals of advocacy and the current happenings in Harrisburg and DC. Discuss how you can develop a compelling message and build relationships (and keep them going!) with policymakers, and leave with effective strategies for engaging with them and others in the importance of OST.'

Presenter: Jamie Baxter, Executive Director of Allies for Children

OST On the Move: Partnerships for Mobile Programming

Nature on Wheels, Allegheny Land Trust | Here4U, Amachi Pittsburgh | Winnie’s Wagon, Homeless Children’s Education Fund (HCEF)

Get inspired to find new ways to meet youth where they are! Hear from a panel of OST providers about the development of mobile programs and the role partnerships play in their execution. Panelists will share first-hand experiences that identify key resources, community partnerships, and unique collaborations that support the programs that offer quality programming and opportunities for connection. Attendees will also gain insight into the value of mobile programs and how this model can remove barriers and build trust through community-based engagement.

Panelists: Julie Travaglini, Senior Director of Education & Curriculum, Allegheny Land Trust

Joan Baucum-Robinson, Chief of Staff, Amachi Pittsburgh

Sara Hammell, Outreach Coordinator, Amachi Pittsburgh

Ryan-Louis McNeil, Outreach Coordinator, Amachi Pittsburgh

Brian Knight, Director of Community Engagement, HCEF

Kait Nykwest, Senior Director of Programs, HCEF

Moderator: Damon Bethea, Manager of Building Success in School and Life, UWSPA

Meeting PA Academic Standards Through OST Partnerships

Consortium for Public Education

Explore the changes in state policy that make it possible for youth, K-12, to meet Academic Standards through programming offered by out-of-school time (OST) providers. These new opportunities for partnerships between public schools and OST providers allow for innovative learning opportunities for students to achieve academic success. Gain understanding of how your programming meets Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards and how to support public school partnerships.

Presenter: Jackie Foor, Executive Director of Consortium for Public Education

Into the Blue Door: Partnerships in Action

Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania

Learn practical, concrete tips and tricks for engaging community and corporate partners. The workshop will cover specific career pathway frameworks for youth that were built in conjunction with leading organizations, companies, and institutions in the region, as well as a how-to guide on deepening your corporate relationships for sustained organizational support. Attendees will learn how to develop career pathway programmatic experiences that are informed by and built with regional leaders, how to identify and engage corporate donors in your community, and how volunteerism impacts youth development.

Presenters: Marquise Wheeler, Director of Program Impact & Partnership at BGCWPA

Cassidy Atteberry-Leahy, Director of Donor Stewardship & Engagement at BGCWPA

Amber Deemer, Director, Community Engagement, Clearview FCU

Mid-Morning Workshops

10:40am - 11:40am

Expanding OST Investment in Pennsylvania

The Learning Agenda

Join this conversation to learn more and share perspectives about how Pennsylvania can support out-of-school time (OST) programs to keep young people safe, support youth skill-building, and to support working families. With federal funding at risk and local funding often insufficient, understanding the state’s opportunity for investment is a key element to advocating for OST programs. Lend your voice and share what more Pennsylvania can do to support quality Out-of-School Time (OST) programs, what's needed to strengthen OST advocacy across the state, and how the field can mobilize to increase access for all young people.

Presenters: Brenda McLaughlin, Founding Partner of The Learning Agenda

Jared Scheck, Strategic Initiatives Manager at The Learning Agenda

Mapping Collaborative Solutions in OST

Heritage Community Initiatives

Explore how strategic, cross-sector partnerships can expand OST impact and organizational sustainability. Through a hands-on Partnership Mapping & Value Exchange activity designed to help identify your organization’s strengths, learn about real-world case studies that illustrate how combining services and working across silos has strengthened programming, opened up new revenue streams, and advanced shared goals with partners across 80+ eastern Allegheny County neighborhoods. Attendees will be challenged to think beyond traditional silos and will gain actionable steps toward building or strengthening a partnership within their own OST ecosystem.

Presenters: Jodi Davenport, Senior VP of Education at Heritage Community Initiatives

Molly Allwein, VP of Transportation Services at Heritage Community Initiatives

Laura Kelley, Senior VP of Business Development at Heritage Community Initiatives

The Funder Relationship: Using Partnership to Bridge the Gap for Allegheny County Youth

The Grable Foundation | The McElhattan Foundation

This session uses story, dialogue, and hands-on design to explore how funders and grantees can work together to strengthen a countywide learning ecosystem. Participants will see how OST leaders in Allegheny County are developing a mapping tool that shows program availability, capacity, and links to child wellbeing, highlighting neighborhoods with limited opportunities. The tool will be publicly available to inform providers, funders, policymakers, and advocates. Attendees will then collaborate in teams to design action plans that use partnerships to expand equitable access to out-of-school time programs.

Presenters: Gina Evans, Senior Program Director for Education at the McElhattan Foundation

James Doyle, Program Officer at the Grable Foundation

Tylor Hart, Deputy Director of Allegheny County Department of Children Initiatives (DCI)

School and Community Partnerships for Empowering Summer Learning

Allegheny County Department of Children Initiatives (DCI)

Featuring participants from Allegheny County's School-Community Summer Program Partnerships pilot program, this panel will explore the transformative power of partnerships between schools, summer programs, municipalities, and organizations. This session will delve into the strategies, benefits, and obstacles of collaborating to create enriching summer learning experiences for young people. Attendees will identify actionable strategies to enhance their own summer programming and address any potential roadblocks.

Panelists: Lily Domico, OST Coordinator at Allegheny County DCI

Jim Guffey, Executive Director of South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM)

Nina Barbuto, Executive Director of Assemble

Marissa Vogel, Director of Operation & Fundraising at Open Up

Moderator: DaMarra King, Birth to Five Manager at Allegheny County DCI

Afternoon Workshops

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Beyond the Usual Suspects: Expanding Your Partnership Horizons

Dashstrom

Reimagine what’s possible beyond your current partnerships by examining the essential ingredients of effective collaboration and expanding your view of who potential partners can be. Through guided group exercises and practical tools, attendees will assess the core traits of a successful partnership, brainstorm unexpected sectors or organizations to collaborate with, and develop a concrete, personalized strategy for pursuing new relationships.

Presenter: Cristina M. Ramirez, Co-Founder & Head Coach of Dashstrom

Partnering with Purpose to Better Serve Youth

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

You’re invited to imagine the ideal partnership and participate in a shared, guided process to explore the qualities of optimal collaboration between host sites and enrichment providers. Hear (and share) stories of the impact partnerships can have on youth, reflect on strengths and challenges of current partnerships for your organization, and learn how to build upon existing partnerships to improve the quality of programs. Together, participants in this session will craft a set of best practices to scaffold quality host site-enrichment provider partnerships.

Presenters: James A. Brown, Director of Education at the Frick Environmental Center & the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

Ivy Ryan, Naturalist Educator at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

Nyjah Cephas, Naturalist Educator at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

Leveraging Collective Resources and Purchasing

The Education Partnership

Gain insight into the value of collaboration for resource procurement in OST and the resources available in the Pittsburgh area. By examining case studies and best practices, attendees will receive practical knowledge on how to access these resources and effectively leverage them to meet their organization's supply needs, enhance efficiency, and reduce costs through the lens of collaboration.

Presenters: Kaceme Djelloui, Operations Director at The Education Partnership

Josh Whiteside, Executive Director at The Education Partnership

Neal Donovan, K-8 Program Manager at Homeless Children's Education Fund

Uplifting Youth Mental Health & Co-Creating Wellness Tools

Jewish Family & Community Services Pittsburgh – UpStreet | Open Up | WQED

Amplify your programming with partnerships that allow for continued support for youth mental health. Hear strategies from local organizations Open Up and WQED who partnered to co-create educational tools focused on mindfulness and movement. Hear from UpStreet about how teens and their support network can access services in a way that ‘fits’ for them and how you can connect with UpStreet to elevate mental wellness for youth. This jointly led session exemplifies how aligned missions and complementary expertise can fill programmatic gaps and expand reach. Participants will be encouraged to identify their own unique offerings and identify opportunities for collaboration.

Presenters: Shelby Williams, Adolescent & Young Adult Psychotherapist at JFCS

Alliyah Kimbrough, Adolescent & Young Adult Psychotherapist at JFCS

Anna Marshall, Education Lead at Open Up

Rachel Sew, Education Asset Manager at WQED

2025 APOST Conference Workshop Descriptions