The Out-of-School Time Resource Center (OSTRC) is part of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. The OSTRC promotes out-of-school time (OST) student achievement by enhancing staff support and professional development. To that end, it:
- Identifies and coordinates professional development resources and opportunities. The OSTRC maintains a Listserv, a website, several Resource Directories, and an e-mail/telephone helpline. In addition, the OSTRC spearheads efforts to synchronize area trainings, foster inter-program communication, and integrate resources from other professions.
- Conducts research on, provides technical assistance for, and evaluates professional development. The OSTRC uses empirical research and promising practices to improve professional development implementation. The OSTRC also combines quantitative and qualitative instruments to measure the impact of professional development efforts.
- Recommends changes in professional development practice and policy. By providing access to diverse resources, enhancing these offerings, and evaluating changes in staff and student achievement, the OSTRC influences investments in staff support and professional development.
|
 Ms. Peter attended the University of Massachusetts where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Ecology, Behavior, and Husbandry and her Master of Education degree in Instructional Leadership. She is also a certified elementary teacher, secondary science teacher, and instructor in Pennsylvania Pathways’ Trainer Quality Assurance System (TQAS). Ms. Peter is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education Degree, from the University of Pennsylvania, in "Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum."
From her origin in the field of science and environmental education, Nancy Peter worked as the School Programs Coordinator for Amherst’s Hitchcock Center for the Environment, as Director of Education at Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences, and as Curriculum Manger for the Fairmount Park Commission. Her interest in at-risk youth and experience with multiple afterschool programs led to her position as Senior Policy Specialist for Youth and Afterschool in Philadelphia’s Office of Children’s Policy. Prior to joining the CRYSP staff, Ms. Peter worked in Philadelphia’s Best Practices Institute as their After-School Project Manager.
Nancy Peter was raised and lives in the West Mount Airy section of Philadelphia. Her interests and pastimes include horseback riding, bike riding, hiking, gardening, and frolicking – preferably with her husband, Kevin, and their son, Ben. Among other family projects, Nancy and Kevin Peter coordinate a group of neighborhood families who explore, consider, and often ultimately choose a Philadelphia public school for their children’s education (visit http://knowinghenry.blogspot.com).
|
 Lisa Colby is the Senior Research Coordinator of the Out-of-School Time
Resource Center (OSTRC) at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social
Policy and Practice. She holds a Masters of Social Work from the University of
Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Texas Christian
University in Fort Worth, Texas. Her primary focus at the OSTRC is the
coordination of a mixed method study evaluating the professional development of
out of school time workers.
Prior to joining the OSTRC, Lisa worked as a consultant at the Best Practices
Institute where she supported and managed the ongoing implementation of
performance based contracting for foster care at the Philadelphia Department of
Human Services. Lisa enhanced her research skills while working in the Policy
and Research Department of the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts
and at the Center for Research on Youth and Social Policy. Her research
interests include best practices in child welfare, reforming systems and the
impact of professional development on child outcomes.
Lisa lives in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia with her husband, dog and
two cats. Her interests include running in the Wissahickon with the family
dog, reading and crocheting with her “stitching” club.
|
 Katie Derickson graduated from Haverford College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology. A summer internship at the Village of Arts & Humanities in North Philadelphia provided her first experience with the Philadelphia OST community.
Prior to working at the OSTRC, Katie completed a year as a Philly Fellow. Her fellowship placement was at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, where she served as the Communications Associate.
As the OSTRC Communications Coordinator , Katie looks forward to using her academic research background and nonprofit experience to approach real-world challenges. Her research interests include organizational culture and social networking.
Katie lives in Society Hill but travels far and wide to play Ultimate Frisbee. Her other interests include crafts, travel, art, and the great outdoors.
|
 Adrienne Gayle Whaley is a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education, currently working towards her Masters degree in Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum. Having earned her Bachelors degree in African American Studies at Harvard University, Adrienne hopes to combine her love of history and belief in social justice with her interest in teaching to work with children of all ages, but particularly adolescents. Adrienne has taught in a Philadelphia Freedom School, mentored and tutored students in both Boston and Philadelphia, and spent a year working with high school programs in the Education Department of the Museum of Modern Art.
Raised in Germantown and Mt. Airy, Adrienne currently lives in West Philadelphia, where she is fascinated by the architecture and history of the homes and churches. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking (and eating!), reading travelogues and mystery novels, hiking in Fairmount Park, and singing - quite loudly - even when she's not in the shower.
|
 Jennifer Buher-Kane is a Consultant for the Out-of-School Time Resource Center
at the Center for Research on Youth and Social Policy. She received her
Bachelor of Arts degree from Messiah College, majoring in Sociology with two
minors in Biology and Chemistry, and is currently pursuing her doctorate degree
in Sociology and Demography at Penn State.
Her research interests include biodemography, adolescent fertility intentions
and behavior, access to healthcare services, and social inequality. Prior to
her work with the OSTRC, Jennifer worked with at-risk youth of all ages in various
capacities including pregnancy prevention, health education, juvenile justice
and program administration.
|
|
The
OSTRC is advised and guided by two teams of professionals. They are:
Vicki Ellis
City Liaison Coordinator, Office of Non-School Hours Services
School District of Philadelphia
Vicki Ellis works for the School District of Philadelphia in the Deputy Chief Academic Office. She serves as a liaison between the School District and afterschool program agencies, seeking to strengthen working relationships between schools and out-of-school time activities. She is also the President of Bainbridge House, a community organization that supports its neighborhood school through one-on-one mentoring for students and through the development of a unique cultural arts program.
Previously, Ms. Ellis worked on the District's initiatives to establish more mentoring and intergenerational programs for youth, as well as faith/community partnerships. She also worked as the Educational Coordinator at Youth Services, Inc., and was the first social worker on the HIV/AIDS multidisciplinary team at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Vicki Ellis received her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania.
David Fair
Vice President, Community Impact
United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
David Fair is Vice-President for Community Impact at United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania. In that role, he is responsible for direct oversight of United Way’s Community Impact Fund, which supports a wide variety of health and human services. Mr. Fair also oversees the United Way’s public policy advocacy activities, and represents the United Way on many boards and committees throughout the region.
Prior to coming to United Way, David Fair was Director of the Division of Community-Based Prevention Services of the Philadelphia Department of Human Services. Previously, Mr. Fair served as the director of the School-Linked Behavioral Health Project, as Assistant Director for Child Policy for the City of Philadelphia's Division of Social Services, as Director of the Philadelphia AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, and in many roles serving homeless adults and people with AIDS. He has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Leigh Hopkins
Vice President for Education Initiatives
Public/Private Ventures
Leigh Hopkins is the National Network Director for the National Center on Time and Learning, an organization dedicated to expanding learning time to improve student achievement and enable a well-rounded education for all children. Leigh leads the Center’s technical assistance and public policy strategies to support state and district-wide initiatives to redesign and expand the school day.
Throughout her career, Leigh Hopkins has been committed to ensuring that all children have access to a quality education. She has been a teacher, a youth program director, and was most recently Vice President for Education at Public/Private Ventures.
Dr. Cheryl Oakman
Associate Director, Center for Youth Development
United Way of of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Dr. Cheryl Oakman is the Director of the Center for Youth Development (CYD), an initiative of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania that she helped to establish in 1998. CYD advances the Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach, mentoring, and other research-based exemplary practices. It also strengthens the capacity of neighborhoods and communities to support PYD and the coordination of quality youth development opportunities.
Dr. Oakman has over 28 years of professional experience in the youth services field. She is a licensed clinical social worker and a certified employability life skills educator. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Welfare from the Pennsylvania State University; a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Temple University; a Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College in Social Work and Social Research, with an emphasis on policy formation and program development, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Executive Leadership from Bryn Mawr College.
Thomas Sheaffer
Deputy Director for Financial Policy, Social Services Division
Managing Director's Office, City of Philadelphia
Tom Sheaffer has worked for the City of Philadelphia since 1976, most recently in the Managing Director's Office. As the Deputy Director for Financial Policy in the Social Services Division, he has been involved with the finances of all social service departments and has direct oversight of the Children's Budget and several facets of the Children's Investment Strategy. He holds a B.S. in Business & Administration fro Drexel University and a Masters in Urban & Regional Planning from the Pennsylvania State University (Harrisburg). Tom and his wife Linda's two sons are graduates of the Philadelphia public school system.
Kelly Woodland
Program Officer, Children, Youth & Families Division
William Penn Foundation
Kelly Woodland is a Program Officer for Children, Youth and Families (CYF) at the William Penn Foundation. CYF funds work in Greater Philadelphia to promote a better early care and education system, more effective and equitable public education policies, and the coordination of quality development opportunities for older youth. Prior to joining the William Penn Foundation, Mr. Woodland held multiple prominent positions in the Philadelphia region, and has had extensive direct-service and administrative experience with youth programs and community-based organizations.
Patricia M. Barnicle
Education Consultant
Patricia M. Barnicle is an Education Consultant who focuses on training and staff development for afterschool programs, service learning partnerships, and museum education initiatives. Currently, she is a consultant with the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory’s National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning and is their representative in the Northeast and East regions of the country. Pat has served as the East Regional Associate for the National Center for Community Education and has been involved in planning and implementing training for 21st Century Learning Center Grantees since 1999. Prior to her work with NCCE, Ms. Barnicle directed a training program for service learning practitioners at the Lincoln Filene Center at Tufts University in Medford, MA. Her work has always focused on developing strong school/community partnerships to support young people engaged in the learning process.
Jennifer Buher-Kane
Consultant, Out-of-School Time Resource Center
Jennifer Buher-Kane is a Consultant for the Out-of-School Time Resource Center. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Messiah College, majoring in Sociology with two minors in Biology and Chemistry, and is currently pursuing her doctorate degree in Sociology and Demography at Penn State.
Her research interests include biodemography, adolescent fertility intentions and behavior, access to healthcare services, and social inequality. Prior to her work with the OSTRC, Jennifer worked with at-risk youth of all ages in various capacities including pregnancy prevention, health education, juvenile justice, and program administration.
Harvey Chism
Vice President of Educational Initiatives
Philadelphia Youth Network
Harvey Chism is the Vice President of Educational Initiatives at the Philadelphia Youth Network. He supports the design and implementation of multiple pathways to graduation programs for out-of-school youth and struggling students. In collaboration with community and city partners, he promotes systemic dropout prevention and recovery efforts; supports a local practitioner network; and engages diverse levels of leadership in the creation of responsive policy and practice.
Before his work with the Philadelphia Youth Network, Mr. Chism's professional experience included work with the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of Education for Employment. He also taught high school social studies for several years. Mr. Chism is a graduate of Swarthmore College and the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.
Dr. Martin Friedman
Executive Director
EducationWorks
Dr. Martin Friedman is the founder and Executive Director of the National School and Community Corps (NSCC), an AmeriCorps program; and EducationWorks, a nonprofit organization he established to house the NSCC and develop new programs. Earlier, he served with the New Jersey Department of Higher Education as Director of the Offices of Teacher Education, College-School Collaboration, Inter-Agency Programs, and Executive Director of the Office of Community Service and Special Programs. Dr. Friedman has a B. A. from Antioch College (Ohio) and a Ph.D. from Cornell University.
Wendy Russell
Senior Research Associate
RMC Research
Wendy Russell, Senior Research Associate at RMC Research, is an experienced project manager, trainer and program evaluator. She is currently a member of Delaware’s Education Support System (DESS), working with three Delaware school districts to build their capacity to support schools identified for improvement. She is doing similar work for the Indiana Department of Education. Her involvement with Baltimore City Public Schools entails training school improvement facilitators on school improvement and schoolwide planning technical assistance delivery. She continues to serve as a program evaluator for two Maryland 21st CCLC programs in Anne Arundel and Howard Counties.
Ms. Russell received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and secondary teaching certification from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her master’s degree in Education is from The American University, Washington, D.C.
Vicki Stein
Professional Development Specialist
Vicki Stein holds a M. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, with a Specialization in Creative Arts in Learning, from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has worked at Francis Institute, Metropolitan Community College - Penn Valley since 2000 as a Professional Development Specialist providing training and technical assistance to afterschool programs. In addition, she teaches courses to prepare students for the Missouri Youth Development Credential.
Mrs. Stein has presented workshops for state and national afterschool conferences. She is an Endorser for National Afterschool Association Accreditation and a national trainer for Afterschool KidzLit and Afterschool KidzMath.
Nicole Yohalem
Program Director
Forum for Youth Investment
Nicole Yohalem is a program director at the Forum for Youth Investment, where she leads the organization’s efforts to promote youth and civic engagement as well as systems reform in communities across the country. Prior to joining the Forum in 2000, Ms. Yohalem served a youth development specialist at Michigan State University where she developed, implemented, and evaluated community-based youth programs and provided training and technical assistance to programs within the Cooperative Extension Service. She also served as extension educator with Michigan State University, worked in the adolescent division of the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, and served as a consultant to the World Bank on education reform in the Latin American and Caribbean region. She received her Master of Education degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in its multidisciplinary Risk and Prevention program.
|
|
