Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce issued the following announcement on March 11.
Norwalk Launches New Out of School Time Program Locator for Families
New community resource supports families in finding a program that meets the needs of their children
NORWALK, CONN. — Norwalk ACTS designed an Out of School Time Program Locator as a resource for families to find local out-of-school time programs that meet the needs of their children.
“We designed the program locator to ensure that all Norwalk young people are connected to year-round, meaningful out-of-school experiences” said Norwalk ACTS CEO Jennifer Barahona. “We hope this resource helps make it easier to connect families to program providers.”
The Out of School Time Program Locator features after School and summer programs that exist in Norwalk. Families can search for programs and filter by age, price, type, time, and days. Each Program has its own profile page with additional program and contact information. It is accessible by both desktop and mobile, and it is available in Spanish and Haitian-Creole.
“We want the program locator to be as simple and easy to use as possible, so we held multiple design feedback sessions with parents and community providers” said Norwalk ACTS Data Analyst Ray Leslie. “The feedback shared, coming directly from community members, was invaluable to the design process.”
“It can be so overwhelming for parents to learn about programs available for their children. I always searched for programs on my own or asked other parents for ideas because there was never one complete list or place to look to. The Out of School Time Program Locator is going to be a game-changer for parents” said Doreen Anderson, a Norwalk Parent and Norwalk ACTS Community Advocate.
“The after school and summer programs in Norwalk are top-notch and allow for critical childhood development that children need out of the classroom. I look forward to the City’s partnership with Norwalk ACTS and connecting families with the opportunity to experience the excellent out-of-school programs Norwalk has to offer” said Mayor Harry Rilling.
“Norwalk is fortunate to have many wonderful opportunities to support children outside of school hours. We are happy this coordinated resource is available to all families in Norwalk” said Superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools Dr. Alexandra Estrella.
Over 40 programs are currently featured in the Out of School Time Program Locator. Program providers who are not featured on the program locator portal have the option to submit their program information—program information will be added and updated on a continuous basis. Communications about the Out of School Time Program Locator will circulate to families seasonally during key program registration periods.
About Norwalk ACTS
Norwalk ACTS is a non-profit, cross-sector, cradle to career partnership of over 200 civic leaders, educators, organizations, and individuals who want Norwalk to be a connected and equitable community where every child and young person thrives academically, physically, and socially-emotionally from cradle to career.
About the Norwalk ACTS Out of School Time Initiative
Approximately 86% of a child’s time between birth and 18 is spent out of school, mainly at home. The goal of the Out of School Time (OST) Initiative is to develop and sustain a system that ensures our city’s children and youth are provided with high-quality, affordable learning opportunities that meet academic, social-emotional, and health & wellness needs.
Original source can be found here.
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