Starting a Spanish language after school program for Boston

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Over the last several years, after school programs have increased in popularity. A major reason for this is a shift in demographics of the country. Where, an increasing number of children in public and private schools are: coming from backgrounds that may require them to learn English as a second language. Then, when you combine this with the increased amounts of working single parents and both parents working, increases the chances that children will spend more time alone. It is at this time that the odds increase, that a child will become involved in activities, which can get them into trouble. In the cases of Spanish speaking children, the chances for them to become involved with the wrong crowd are even greater. Where, they have to wrestle with cultural and language differences, in order to be able to understand how to live in their new environment. In response to these challenges, an after school program will be implemented. It will reach out these children, while providing them with a place they can go, to learn and understand their new country, in a supportive environment. This kind of program would respond, to a vital need with in the various communities around Boston, by addressing a growing segment of the population that is being neglected. Where, many programs will reach out to at risk youths, but do not address the unique needs that Spanish speaking children require. This is important, because ignoring this large segment of the population, is not helping to improve the lives of these children. Where, they are forced to speak Spanish in the home and in English in school. Evidence of this, can be seen with the large number of people speaking Spanish worldwide, which is 329 million. (Erichsen, 2009) This is significant, because it shows how a large segment of the population will speak Spanish as their first language. Ignoring this fact and the unique cultural traditions of the Latinos, are allowing many children to slip through the cracks. As a result, an after school program will be implemented that will address these needs. To fully understand how to build a viable after schools program requires: conducting a literature review, analyzing competitors, the costs and the strategy that will be used to market the program. Together, these different elements will provide the greatest insights, as to how to effectively build and implement a successful Spanish language after school program.

Literature Review

2008 -- 2009 Guide to Boston's Before and After School Programs. (2008). Retrieved June 30, 2010 from Bostnet website: http://www.bostnet.org/matriarch/documents/BOSTnetAfterSchoolGuide2008.2009.pdf

In this piece of literature, researchers have identified a number of different after school programs throughout various Boston neighborhoods. Where, the guide will identify the program by neighborhood and the focus of the organization. This is significant, because it can be used to establish who are: the different competitors throughout the region and what kinds of programs that they are offering. ("2008 -- 2009 Guide to Boston's Before and After School Programs," 2008)

Ziegler, E. (2009). Afterschool Programs in America. Retrieved June 30, 2010 from NSBA website: http://www.nsba.org/MainMenu/ResourceCenter/EDLO/WhatIsExtendedDay/Afterschool-Programs-in-America.aspx

In this article, the author discusses: the history, growth and politics surrounding after school programs in America. Where, there is focus on the how these programs can vary from state to state. These issues are involved with: establishing these programs, how politics will play a role in their creation and the continuation of after school programs. This is significant, because it can provide a basic background, in staring and implementing a Spanish language based after school program. (Ziegler, 2009)

Hayes, C. (2004). Investment in City Wide Out of School Time Programs. Retrieved June 30, 2010 from PPV website: http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/300_publication.pdf

In this article, the author examines after school programs in six different cities to include: Boston, Denver, Chicago, Charlotte and New York City. At which point, they identify specific geographic factors, surrounding after school programs. To include everything from: governing bodies to market research. This is significant, because it can provide specific factors that are relevant for all Boston after school programs. (Hayes, 2004)

Halpern, R. (2000). Financing After School Programs. Retrieved June 30, 2010 from Finance Project.org website: http://www.financeproject.org/Publications/financing_afterschool_programs.htm

In this article, the author discusses the specific and general costs that will be faced, with starting as well as running an afterschool program. At which point, it talks how a program can obtain funding through: various government grants and parent fees. This is significant, because this article provides a number of ideas, as to how to possibly fund the implementation of such a facility and the total costs. (Halpern, 2004)

The Costs

The initial start up costs for implementing an after school program would be: $250,000. The location for the facility could be donated by: contacting the city, distressed property owners or possibly seeing if a non-profit organization can be of assistance. Once the program has been implemented, the annual costs would be about $4,000 per child, every year. To help mitigate some of the various costs, organizers could seek grants from: the federal, state and local governments. Some of the different funding options that the after school program would qualify for would include: 21st Century Learning Centers, the Child Care / Development Fund and Improving Academic Performance grants just to name a few. There is also the option of contacting various foundations that can provide additional funding to include: the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Wallace Readers Digest Funds. At which point, any additional costs can be recovered, by charging parents a small fee of no more than $10.00 per month. (Halpern, 2000) What all of this shows, is that the upfront costs for creating the program can be reduced through using a combination of seeking private and public funding.

Strategy Used to Market the Program

To market the after school program, a strategy of going to those schools located in the inner city and those areas where Spanish speaking students live, will help to increase initial amounts of exposure. This would involve the staff conducting some kind of assembly for these students, letting them see what the program has to offer and how it can benefit them. You would then promote the program to the Spanish speak parents, by advertising it in Spanish speaking newspapers and then on Spanish language radio programs. This will provide an initial amount of exposure, in the first one to two years. Once the program has become established, you can then form partnerships with other programs, in an effort to create awareness. Over the short- and long-term, this would target the specific audience, while at the same time helping the program to grow through strategic partnerships.

Clearly, Boston has a need for the implementation of an after school program, geared towards those students who speak Spanish as their first language. Where, there are other organizations that will reach out to specific ethnic groups, yet none are geared towards Latinos. The total start up costs for implementing such a program would be: $250,000. The costs for maintaining the program is: $4,000.00 per child. To market the program: the staff will visit schools, where there are high numbers of Spanish speaking students, reach out to parents by advertising in Spanish language newspapers / radio and to form strategic partnerships. The way funding will be obtained is through a combination of: public grants, private funding and parent fees. When you put all of these different elements together, this shows how implementing this kind of an after school program will address a need in the community, without costing a fortune to implement and maintain. Over the course of time, this will help ensure that a viable after school program is available to the growing number of Latino students.