Buffalo Providers Network (BPN)

	Primary Geographic Area: » Erie County Secondary Geographic Area: » Niagara County » Chautauqua County » Cattaraugus County » Wyoming County » Allegany County For more information about BPN, contact Tina Washington-Abubeker at twashabu@citizenactionny.org. BPN Listserv Sign-up

Mission Statement:

The Buffalo Provider Network (BPN) organizes and coordinates after school and out-of-school programs and other stakeholders, by increasing their capacity to collaborate and communicate. In addition, BPN provides local, state, and national advocacy for after school in general and its member programs in particular.

The Buffalo Provider Network:

• Provides a communication axis for member programs, including national and statewide information exchange utilizing an updated computer database.
• Provides collaboration among over 140 after school and out-of-school program providers in the City of Buffalo and surrounding areas.
• Provides training on targeted outcome topics, and promotes implementation of best practices for program staff, thus empowering staff to provide quality after school programming.
• Provides local, statewide, national advocacy for after school programs on issues such as increasing 21st Century Community Learning Center funds.
• Provides a forum for ongoing dialog with the Buffalo Public School District, the City of Buffalo Division for Youth, and the Erie County Youth Bureau as well as other stakeholders

Targeted outcomes:

• Incorporating literacy throughout program activities
• Increasing students' homework completion
• Increasing school and after school program attendance
• Increasing family involvement with after school and in-school programming
• Incorporating youth occupation and career awareness into after school programming
• Improving the quality of relationships between after school professionals and youth, colleagues, parents, school staff, and other stakeholders.

Special Initiative: BPN Summer Learning Program

BPN promotes summer learning through a comprehensive program which consists of trainings, materials, and local activities. BPN offers this program through a partnership with the John Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning. BPN observes the Center's annual “Celebration of Summer Learning Day” with a citywide activity in conjunction with the City of Buffalo Division for Youth. BPN also assists in the enrollment of a record number of youth in Reading Rules – a summer reading challenge established by Mayor Byron Brown. To learn more about best practices in afterschool, please read Promising Practices in Afterschool: A Scan of Promising Academic and Enrichment Activities prepared for the Buffalo Providers Network. This paper was written for the Buffalo Provider Network by Sam Piha.

BPN meets the third Thursday of every month from 9:00am – 11:00am. If you are interested in receiving notices of regional professional development, funding, networking and other opportunities, news and events, sign up for the BPN regional listserv.