{"id":863,"date":"2021-09-21T13:28:57","date_gmt":"2021-09-21T13:28:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/riley\/?post_type=furman-update&p=863"},"modified":"2021-09-21T14:24:10","modified_gmt":"2021-09-21T14:24:10","slug":"riley-institute-announces-2021-22-afterschool-policy-fellows","status":"publish","type":"furman-update","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/riley\/news\/riley-institute-announces-2021-22-afterschool-policy-fellows\/","title":{"rendered":"News Release: Riley Institute Announces 2021-22 Afterschool Policy Fellows"},"content":{"rendered":"

FOR INFORMATION:
\n<\/strong>Katie Quine
\nMarketing and Communications Manager
\nThe Riley Institute at Furman University
\n864.294.3368; katie.quine@furman.edu<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:<\/p>\n

RILEY INSTITUTE AT FURMAN ANNOUNCES<\/strong>\u00a02021-22 <\/strong>AFTERSCHOOL POLICY FELLOWS<\/strong><\/p>\n

The White-Riley-Peterson Policy Fellowship creates opportunities for a growing network of leaders to harness their collective expertise to expand and improve out-of-school time programming. <\/em><\/p>\n

GREENVILLE, S.C.\u2014 As significant monies become available through the American Rescue Plan to support academic recovery, education leaders face a welcome challenge: determining how to best leverage funding to grow and strengthen evidence-based afterschool and expanded learning programs that improve student outcomes in school and life. At this critical juncture, the White-Riley-Peterson (WRP) Policy Fellowship<\/a>, a program of Furman University\u2019s Riley Institute, is equipping 19 newly-selected leaders in the field of afterschool and expanded learning with a real-world understanding of policymaking.<\/p>\n

In its tenth year, 156 leaders from all 50 states have taken part in the WRP Fellowship, funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The newest class of WRP Fellows will participate in a hybrid program combining virtual and in-person classes for the span of 10 months. While afterschool is a time-tested approach proven to promote the social, emotional, and academic development of children, ensuring the accessibility of out-of-school time programs takes on a new urgency during the pandemic, said former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, for whom the Riley Institute is named.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we work to address learning loss as a result of COVID-19, afterschool and summer learning programs are critical partners toward gaining equity in education for all students.\u00a0I am\u00a0so proud to welcome 19 more policy\u00a0leaders\u00a0to this outstanding program,\u201d Riley said.<\/p>\n

Through the American Rescue Plan, up to $30 billion will be available nationally for out-of-school time programs over the next three years. This is a significant increase from the $1.25 billion awarded annually by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding stream, the only federal line item dedicated exclusively to supporting out-of-school time programs.<\/p>\n

Over the course of a year,\u00a0WRP Fellows\u00a0study\u00a0an intensive policy curriculum,\u00a0learn from\u00a0policy experts, and\u00a0benefit from\u00a0national networking opportunities made possible by the Afterschool Alliance, a national advocacy organization, as well as the 50 State Afterschool Network supported by the Mott Foundation. By putting new policy skills to use, WRP Fellows develop and implement afterschool-related policy projects in their home states that ultimately support expanded learning opportunities for children across the country.<\/p>\n

Projects completed by WRP Fellows\u00a0have calculated the return on investment of afterschool funding, mapped afterschool programs across states, improved afterschool quality standards, and forged partnerships with state departments of education working to address learning loss related to COVID-19.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfterschool and summer programs are indeed having \u2018a moment\u2019 as we all recognize how much support students need in the wake of a pandemic. Our bright and creative policy fellows will work to support students beyond the school day in ways that will help them achieve lifelong success,\u201d said Cathy Stevens,\u00a0director of the White-Riley-Peterson Policy Fellowship.<\/p>\n

The 2021-22\u00a0White-Riley-Peterson\u00a0Policy Fellows are:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n