About Us

Mission
To improve access to high quality out-of-school learning opportunities for all Arizona children and youth through professional development, advocacy, and community capacity building.

Background & History
The Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence, formerly the Arizona School-Age Coalition, was founded in 1990 by afterschool professionals from Tempe, Phoenix and Tucson in order to improve the quality of care in afterschool programs and to support the budding school-age care profession.

Since 1990 the Center has grown to be recognized as the professional organization for individuals working in the afterschool field, the focal point for quality initiatives regarding out-of-school time services and the only statewide organization providing professional development opportunities for administrators and direct service staff in the afterschool arena.

In 1997, it became the state affiliate of the National AfterSchool Association, the professional association and program accreditation organization for out-of-school time. Since 1999 the Center has evolved to include all afterschool stakeholders and expanded its purpose to include training, networking, professional development, advocacy, research, and leadership.

Services
Membership: Currently afterschool professionals – including directors and administrators, front line staff, researchers, funders, and policy makers – from all regions of Arizona – are members of the Center. Membership is structured through an agreement with the National AfterSchool Association. Members received discounts on training and conferences, newsletters and publications, and public policy representation in Washington D.C. Members are also partners.

Partnerships: Individuals, programs, organizations, and agencies are working together with the Center to promote and advance quality afterschool programming in Arizona. Through formal Partnership Agreements, Center partners work together to design and advocate for sustainable systems, increased funding, and improved quality of afterschool programs in local communities, at the state legislature, and in Washington, D.C.

Program Improvement and Accreditation: The Center partners with a variety of organizations and professionals in the field to provide training and accreditation assistance to members, including scholarships for the accreditation endorser visit.

Annual Conference: The Center’s annual conference brings together afterschool professionals from around the state for a day of learning, networking, and recognition.

Community Capacity Building: Throughout the state, the Center supports the development of regional coalitions to bring local afterschool stakeholders together for training and advocacy based on the needs of their community with technical assistance and grants.

Afterschool Resource Centers Project: Afterschool Resource Centers for school-age program staff, administrators, parents, and the interested public are located in nine regional public libraries: Yuma, Prescott, Casa Grande, Flagstaff, Tuba City, Tucson/Pima County, Mohave County, Yavapai County, and Phoenix/Maricopa County. The Resource Centers contain over one hundred resources including books, videos, and material covering the full range of information and training needs for afterschool programs - from start-up to funding and staff training, effective discipline and child and youth development, to engaging curriculum and continuous quality improvement.

Statewide Afterschool Network: The Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence is the recipient of a three-year innovations grant from the C.S. Mott Foundation to create a sustainable structure of statewide, regional, and local partnerships, particularly school-community partnerships, focused on supporting policy development to sustain new and existing afterschool programs and to ensure program quality. The Center is one of a network or more than 30 statewide afterschool networks.