City of Omaha's After School Extended Learning Initiative

The OJJDP FY 09 Earmarks Programs further the Department's mission by providing grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, to organizations identified in the Explanatory Statement Regarding H.R. 1105 (Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009), 155 Cong. Rec. H1653 (daily ed. Feb. 23, 2009) (statement by Rep. Obey, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the House).

The City Of Omaha's After School Extended Learning Initiative is a partnership between two existing programs that serve the youth of Omaha and deter entry into the Juvenile Justice System. Funds will be used to sustain the positions of After School Initiatives Director and Grant Assistant, sustain operation of one of the six middle school learning center initiative sites, and continue to provide on-going professional development opportunities for after school providers. The Omaha After School/Out-of-School program seeks to address the risk factors surrounding education, leisure/recreation and peer relations for youth. The project seeks to strengthen the Midlands Mentoring Partnership by hiring an Executive Director and recruiting mentors for 3,000 disadvantaged youth between the years 2010-2012.

The goals of the project are as follows: 1) Sustain partnerships created to enhance youth after school/out-of-school programs and activities and continue to facilitate dialogue, assess needs, and encourage program planning and evaluation between the provider agencies; and 2) Reduce the proportion of Omaha youth entering the juvenile justice system. Improve student learning, school attendance, and school performance. NCA/NCF