This year – 2024 – marks the tenth and tin anniversary for the Tennessee Afterschool Network! United Ways of Tennessee is proud to serve as the fiscal and staffing agent for this statewide collaborative of more than 1,800 members who come together to increase access and improve the quality of out-of-school time programs (afterschool, before school, and summer, from pre-k through 12th grade). We collaborate as a multi-sector and unified voice for sustainable investments in safe, healthy and nurturing experiences for children and youth that set them up for academic and eventual career success.
TAN provides its membership with a forum for advocacy and public policy, as well as comprehensive training and tools across a wide array of subjects. To advance the quality of programming and enrichments for students, we also periodically revise the Voluntary Afterschool Standards for Tennessee and the Tennessee School Age Developmental Standards, utilized by several of our child and youth serving state agencies and the childcare and afterschool program field at-large.
During the pandemic, TAN provided programs across the state with tips and tools for safe re-opening, as well as curricula for engaging students virtually and through distanced activities. We supported digital access and food delivery through programs over the summer and TAN worked with anti-drug youth advisory coalitions, connecting youth to support substance misuse and mental health and tele-counseling/tele-health and recovery groups like AA, NA, and more with tech issues. TAN’s efforts positively impacted thousands of people in Tennessee during the pandemic.
In addition to centralized, statewide efforts, UWTN members have operated TAN “hubs” at the local and regional level for increased networking, focused training, and collaborative work to address challenges unique to each community. Over the years, we have operated TAN hubs through our United Ways of Bristol, Clinch Powell Valley, East Tennessee Highlands, Greater Chattanooga, Greater Kingsport, Greater Knoxville, Greater Nashville, Mid-South, Ocoee Region, Rutherford and Cannon Counties, and West TN. These hubs have focused on deep work in a variety of areas, including reading, substance use prevention, STEM, career exploration, social/emotional learning, program evaluation, and more.
TAN also directly runs some additional statewide initiatives for the out-of-school-time field in collaboration with TAN hubs and leadership from key partners, such as Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA, NAZA, Volunteer TN, Shades of Development, Parks and Recreation, Save the Children, TN state agencies, and beyond. Two examples are Fit Foundations, a healthy lifestyle initiative for children and youth, and our Voter Registration Campaign for high school seniors.