AASA Establishing District-Community Partnerships

AASA is a key partner in Engage Every Student, a bold new call to action to provide high-quality out-of-school time learning opportunities for every child who wants to participate.

Discover the importance of internal partnership building by leveraging local support and building close relationships with funders. Hear how key players have created a sustainable ecosystem for out-of-school-time programs. Learn how to assess quality partnerships, foster a community learning environment and create an afterschool network.

Moderator

Bryan Joffe, director, Children's Programs, AASA
Bryan works with K-12 system leaders on efforts focused on equity and underrepresented populations’ access, opportunity and success. He has spent sixteen years in the education sector, first at the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education and for the last 13 years at AASA. For AASA, he leads the organization’s career-connected learning, afterschool partnership and opportunity youth efforts.

Presenters

Rodney Watson, executive director, Region 4 Education Service Center (Houston, Texas)
Rodney leads a team who supports 47 traditional school districts, 40 charter schools, 165,000 educators and staff, and more than 1.2 million students in the seven-county Greater Houston Area. Previously, Watson served as superintendent of schools for Spring Independent School District (Spring ISD), a district of more than 33,000 students. Some of his accomplishments in the district included leading advancements in early-childhood and special education, improving student data management, increasing opportunities and choice schools for students, implementing innovative new-teacher development and postsecondary preparedness programs, and overseeing the completion of a $330 million bond referendum. 


Judy Nee, chief executive officer, AlphaBEST
With more than 20 years of experience in the after-school field, Judy has served as President and CEO of the National AfterSchool Association, and she has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Leaders in After School. As she leads one of the nation’s largest after school organizations, AlphaBEST Education, Judy and a team of over 2,000 deliver the highest quality, most innovative and engaging programs available to schools and students. A partner with almost 80 school districts, Judy believes that the strongest indicator of success is the relationship with the school and district. For that reason, AlphaBEST is the current sponsor of AASA’s Learning 2025 initiative.


Shane Vander Kooi, president & CEO, Green Mouse Academy
Shane has more than 25 years entrepreneurial experience specializing in education technology, youth STEM enrichment programming content development and franchising. He is the founder and former Director of Innovation for a K-8 public charter school, a former VP of Franchising and Business Development for Launchlife International, an international education group based in Canada, a former consultant and regional operating partner to FIRST (a global competitive youth robotics program), the Founder and President of gma Studios (partnered with AlphaBEST Education, one of the largest private afterschool providers in the country), and now the Founder and CEO of HADO USA, leading the development plan for an exciting active augmented reality esports program. He is passionate about using technology in creative ways, helping young people through discovery to acquire the skills they need to succeed.