Agenda for Children

Mission
The mission of the Agenda for Children is to convene, catalyze and support the youth serving community in Cambridge for the shared purpose of increasing equity, access and innovation and sustaining the highest quality out of school time opportunities and experiences for all children, youth, and families.

Beliefs

  1. Agenda for ChildrenAll young people have the desire and capacity to succeed and contribute to their communities if provided with access to appropriate resources and supports.
  2. Young people and families are better served when the systems and institutions that support them are aligned and connected.
  3. For all young people to succeed barriers to equity and access need to be directly addressed.
  4. Opportunities and experiences for youth are enhanced when people across different levels of power and perspectives learn together, design together, and build mutually beneficial partnerships.
  5. All people have the capacity for change and growth. When adults who work with youth are provided with opportunities for continuous learning, clear expectations and accountability there is a positive impact on opportunities and experiences for youth.
  6. Cultural competence and respect for diversity are essential to our work and success.
  7. Our work is guided by data, research and best practices, all of which are necessary to raise awareness about how success is possible for all young people and to advance the growth of the OST field.
  8. Lasting change requires attention to systems while grounding our work in the developmental needs and experiences of youth and children.

More Information
A Call for Strategic Collaboration (2007) -- Between The Cambridge Out-of-School Time (OST) Community & The Cambridge Public Schools - Developed by The Cambridge Agenda For Children

Shared Youth, Shared Strategies - Report (2009) -- What City Agencies, Schools and Community Partners Can Do Together to Improve Cambridge Middle School Youth Participation in Quality Out-of-School Time Programs - A Strategic Plan of the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Middle School Youth

Shared Youth, Shared Strategies - 2 pager (2009) -- Summary/Overview of the SYSS Report on Strategies to Support Cambridge Middle School Youth

The Innovation Agenda PowerPoint (2011) -- A Design for Excellence in the Cambridge Public Schools

Innovation Agenda Appendix B-OST Programming (2011) -- A breakdown of the importance of CPS schools and out-of-school time programs coordinating their resources and strengths to meet the diverse needs of Cambridge students and youth throughout the whole day and year -- and the essential role of school-OST partnerships in achieving the goals and vision of the IA.

IA Implementation Plan (2011) -- An document laying out the IA Theory of Change, Strategic Objectives, Stakeholders, Communication Plan and the use of Design Teams to develop recommended approaches to achieving these objectives

IAOST Design Team Strategic Focus & Action Areas (2012) -- An overview of strategic focus areas and recommended action steps, developed by the Innovation Agenda OST Design Team, to ensure broad participation of Cambridge middle grade youth in quality OST experiences that foster both their present and future learning and life success

IA Design Team Strategic Area Status Updates (2013) -- Fall 2013 Updates on CPS support, efforts, engagement and progress to support the recommended focus areas and action steps of the IA OST Design Team

MSN Resource Guide (Summer 2014) -- This Resource Guide contains many opportunities available to ALL Cambridge 6th – 8th graders, and is compiled and published by the Cambridge Agenda for Children’s Middle School Network (MSN)

Contact Information
Khari Milner
, Co-Director
617.349.6553

Susan Richards, Co-Director
617.349.4099

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