ESON and MSN: November Meeting Recap

What is a second home and what does it mean for our young people? This question was the focus of our November Network Meeting hosted by the Cambridge Community Center (Thanks, Latifah!).

​We started by asking everyone what they think makes an after school space safe or unsafe for young people. Here are some of the responses:

Safe	Unsafe
Dietary consideration	Being on your phone while with kids
Lots of staff around	Truth or dare
Knowing young people by name	Staff turnover
Talking about strengths, goals, and values	Walking around while eating
Connecting with parents	Letting students cross street alone
Daily staff and student check-ins	Using cellphones with no instructor
Asking, "You okay?"	Social media ​​
Energize positive behaviors	Play wrestling

We then encouraged folks to get up and moving by asking them to position themselves on a physical safety spectrum based on their comfort level regarding certain topics, including AI and dodgeball. After a lively discussion, we asked: what are the key elements of a safe after school environment in your program?

A few key themes came up:

Celebration 

• Having a beginning, middle, and end allows you to build towards something 
• There is a satisfaction in completion
• Even quick celebrations can prevent burnout

Cleanliness & Organization

• Being able to find things in your space shows that you care about those in that space
• Being mindful of the space you’re in, be respectful and keep it clean
• Treat this space like your home

Names

• Knowing every kid’s name
• Only using nicknames that kids approve of

Trust & Openness 

• Sharing your background and history to inspire others and encourage them to strive for their goals
• Having one adult in your program that kids can speak with and trust
• Being transparent
• Meet them where they are so they can trust you

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Participants then visualized their version of a safe after school space by creating dioramas:

Other participants had the opportunity to create sample support plans that promote a welcoming environment.

Thank you to our network members for joining us! We hope this meeting inspired ideas on how to create safe environments for young people and how to implement these key elements in your after school programs.