After School Partnership
MSU’s After School Initiative
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After School Initiative Partner Schools
About the Program
As part of our ongoing effort to strengthen the preparation of the next generation
of new teachers and support children’s academic achievement, MSU launched the After
School Initiative in 2011. We created the After School Partnership- a collaborative
project developed between MSU, the Bozeman School District, and the Greater Gallatin
United Way- to serve as a central component of MSU's After School Initiative. We also
joined forces with several other local school districts across Gallatin and Park Counties
so that we could place over 250 pre-service teachers each semester, providing enrichment
activities for children in supervised after school settings.
The MSU pre-service teachers volunteering in the after school program are enrolled in either Literature and Literacy for Children (Book Club) or Integrating Technology Into Education (Tech Club) courses. Book Club pre-service teachers design and implement Common Core based lessons that incorporate strategies aimed at motivating children to enjoy reading. Tech Club pre-service teachers produce 21st century digital learning tools to motivate, engage and deliver effective standards based instruction. To date, MSU students from these two clubs have contributed over 5000 hours working with students in schools all across Gallatin and Park Counties.
Recent research (Purdy & Gibson, 2008; Diez, 2010) tells us that when preservice teachers engage in an after school program they develop stronger skills in communication, teamwork, flexibility, self-motivation, organization, and confidence. They also develop a more solid understanding of content and develop familiarity with unfamiliar subject areas.
