Cambridge Agenda for Children OST Receives $100,000 Grant to Pilot Registered Apprenticeship Program for Out-of-School Time Educators

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AFCOST was one of 8 programs selected by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to launch a NEW Registered Apprenticeship Program for Cambridge OST Educators!

This 18-month (July 2026 - December 2027), full-time apprenticeship will create a paid, supported pathway for a cohort of 25 frontline staff to grow their skills and advance their careers in the OST field. This is an investment in the OST workforce and the OST providers who support young people and their families every day.   Click here to read the entire press release.

Thank you for joining us at the
​3rd Annual School-Community Partnerships Gathering

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On December 17, 2025, more than 130 K-12 Cambridge OST providers, CPS Family Liaisons and faculty, DHSP staff, community outreach workers, nonprofit organizations and many other partnering providers,  gathered at The Foundry for the 3rd Annual School-Community Partnership Gathering.

Hosted by the Agenda for Children Out-of-School Time’s Elementary and Middle School-OST Networks, DHSP's Reaching All Youth Network and the CPS Family Engagement Team, this annual event brings together Cambridge providers to strengthen our networks in support of Cambridge children, youth and families. Read the full event recap here.

Thank you for a wonderful 2025 OST Symposium!
Share your feedback here.

NEW! 2025-26 Cambridge After School Opportunities Guide

For the School Year 2025-26, after school programs for both Elementary (K-5) and Middle Schoolers (6-8) will be available at various locations throughout Cambridge, including school campuses, youth centers, community centers, local non-profits, businesses, and more.

​This guide has been created to bring together all of these opportunities in one place!​  

To view the 2025-26 After School Opportunities Guide in another language, select your preferred language here: 
​English | Haitian Creole | Amharic | Spanish | Portuguese | Arabic | Bengali | French | Simplified Chinese

NEW!  OST Expansion Study Report

We are full with great appreciation and high expectations and excited to share the OST Expansion Study Report (Full Report) and accompanying Summary Report. 
 
For almost 25 years, the Cambridge Agenda for Children OST has been committed to equitable access to OST programs for Cambridge families and supporting OST leaders and educators to deliver high quality programming. We will continue to provide leadership in the next phase of the OST Expansion work and hope that you will join us in leadership in the months and years ahead as we implement these important recommendations and our ideal future state. 
 
Our collective efforts will allow us to eventually provide every young person and family in Cambridge with the OST opportunities they both need and deserve. Email Susan Richards or Khari Milner with questions.
 
Thank you,
Khari and Susan

Read more about the Need for OST Expansion and the Critical Role OST plays in Child Development and review slides summarizing each OST Expansion Study Recommendation in Amharic (አማርኛ), Haitian Creole (Kreyòl),  and Spanish (español). ​

NEW! Report on the Impact of OST Staff Engagement in Professional Opportunities

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The Cambridge Agenda for Children Out-of-School Time (AFCOST) is pleased to share our most recent Impact Evaluation Report. 
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We hope that this report will spark deeper investment in professional growth opportunities for the dedicated staff who care for and nurture the wellbeing of our children and young people. The findings from this impact evaluation demonstrate that investing in professional growth and engagement opportunities for the Cambridge Out-of-School Time (OST) workforce has a profound and lasting impact on both staff and the youth they serve.

The data reveals that OST staff who engage deeply in AFCOST's professional development opportunities experience: increased knowledge, enhanced skills, stronger community connections, and improved confidence in their roles.
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These benefits not only foster the professional growth of staff but also translate into high quality learning experiences for children and youth, contributing to a more vibrant, supportive, and effective OST ecosystem.
We deeply appreciate the OST staff who provided insightful feedback and shared their time, insights and perspectives through feedback forms, surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Link to Full Report.  Link to Executive Summary.

Thanks to the OST and Summer Camp  providers who joined us at Rollin & Summer Resources!!

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The event, which took place on Saturday, March 1, 1-4pm, at the King Open/CSUS Community Complex, marked the fourth year AFCOST has coordinated this collaborative event along with DHSP, CPS, Family and Community Engagement Teams, the Village and many other community organizations and programs.  Read more about this year's event here!

​Rollin & Summer Resources was envisioned and catalyzed through the efforts of various CPS parents and caregivers, many of color, who spearheaded it when many family-facing events, including the city's Summer Camp Night, had been cancelled during COVID years. They wanted to carry on the tradition of Summer Camp Night being open to all Cambridge families while centering the needs of those who face the most barriers to having their needs met.  Their motivation for explicitly naming and supporting high priority families was based in part on the fact that some folks traditionally don't benefit or get their needs met when community events are structured and paced as first come, first served.  They added roller skating, a DJ, delicious food offerings and child-centered spaces to attract a wide range of families. ​Thanks for helping make this a successful event!

Is Your Program a Safe Space?

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Is your program a safe space for gender nonconforming and transgender youth?
Click here to read the latest AFCOST blog post written by Beck Govoni, Afterschool Director @CambridgeYCMA.  Learn more about how you can ensure that all youth feel safe and have fun in out-of-school time programs.

Do you have some wisdom to share that would be helpful to share with your out-of-school time professional colleagues?  Write about what you are learning and email it to AFCOST so we can publish and share with the Cambridge OST Community, and beyond.  
Here are some tips to get  you started.  We want to hear from you.

Watch our newest Story of Family Partnership
Parent Voices: Committing to Racial Equity

Watch "Caste in the Classroom, Education for Second-Class" 

If you will join tomorrow's OST Clubhouse conversation, you can join us or watch on your own.
Check out the study guide and feedback questionnaire
  1. Study Guide
  2. Feedback Questionnaire

Write a blog post for the OST Community

Check out our blog and write to tell us more about how you are staying connected and supporting co-workers and families during this time.  Here are some tips for writing a blog post.

​Keeping it Real in Family Partnership: A Facilitator’s Guide 

​This facilitator’s guide is intended to provide instruction and inspiration for how members of the Cambridge OST community might use the Family Partnership Stories produced by the Agenda for Children to enrich staff development efforts. This guide provides: a brief summary of each story, story-specific reflection questions, and ideas for interactive activities that can help deepen participants’ engagement with the material. 

Find Common Ground

​​Nelhai Mallebay-Vacqueur, a teacher in the King Open Extended Day program, shares an account of her journey working to build bridges of cultural understanding with the families of the children in her program.

Show Them that They Matter

 In our latest story, OST Practitioner Ayesha Wilson shares her journey learning about the diverse cultures of her students' families.

Showing us What they Know

 An OST parent shares her thoughts on what makes a family event engaging and fun for parents.

Keeping it Real

 OST Leader & father Joseph Corbie tells us about the importance of keeping it real with families.

The Path to College Success

Our latest blog post explores how parents and CSI work together to support College Success for students.

Youth Voices on Relationships & Self-Discovery

​In this video story, youth enrolled at the Gately Youth Center in Cambridge reflect on the importance of their relationships with staff.

Engaging Middle School Youth in Out-of-School-Time Opportunities

Why are some middle school youth still missing out on OST opportunities? What can we do to help?

Connecting Books and (Reluctant) Readers

Librarian Emily Meyer highlights tips and resources to help young people find books they'll enjoy reading this summer. 

Building a Welcoming Culture

Families and staff of the Cambridge Community Center share the importance of their monthly family nights.

The Power of the Outdoors

Explore the benefits of outdoor education for your program and your own health & well-being.

Building Dialogue

Vanessa Fisher, director of the Frisoli Youth Center, tells us how she engages families by building dialogue and relationships.

4  games to get kids excited about mindfulness

Read how a youth worker changed her whole approach to mindfulness in her program by using games.

Quality, Equity & Innovation

Uniting the out-of-school time community of Cambridge through peer learning & professional development.

Cambridge Agenda for Children out-of-school time

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