What is the PPAS System?
The PPAS System identifies the good things going on in afterschool and provides a lens through which practitioners can better understand the promising practices that lead to positive outcomes for children and youth. Through this process, they will learn to be more intentional about their work. The PPAS System can be an integral piece of training and planning for afterschool staff who are committed to improving the quality of their programs.
What is the difference between a practice, an activity, and a program?
A practice is the underlying rationale or process for an activity. An activity is the way a practice is carried out. A program is a set of many activities.
What is a promising practice?
Promising practices are the good things that underlie the activities that go on every day in after school programs. They have indicators or evidence of positive results, and key people-such as parents, children and youth, program staff, community members, and funders-have determined they are contributing to the quality of programming and the well-being of children, youth, families, and communities.
Promising practices in afterschool programs lead to positive social, emotional, cognitive, physical and cultural outcomes and are culturally, developmentally, age-, and gender-appropriate for the children and youth in the program.
Who can submit a practice?
Anyone who is working in an afterschool program or an affiliated organization, such as an intermediary organization or government agency, that works with afterschool programs.
How do I submit a practice?
1. On this website, click on “Promising Practices.”
2. Under the “Promising Practives in Afterschool (PPAS) Database” header, click on “create an account.”
3. Then complete the eight sections to submit your Promising Practice. The process will take approximately 1 1/2 hours to complete.
What do I do if I don't have access to the Internet to complete the application?
Please call 202-884-8715 or send an e-mail to PPAS@aed.org to request a hard copy of the application or to have an MS-Word version e-mailed to you.
Who decides whether my practice is promising or not?
A panel of trained volunteer peer reviewers reviews all practice submissions using criteria developed by the PPAS Advisory Panel. Peer reviewers rate each practice as either "promising" or as an "aha!" For more information about our current reviewers, please visit www.afterschool.org and click on "About PPAS."
What's in it for me and my program?
There are many benefits to submitting a practice for review. Here are the top three:
Benefit #3: You will receive detailed feedback on your practice from a group of trained peer reviewers.
Benefit #2: If your practice is recognized as promising, you will receive:
• An electronic copy of the PPAS logo to use on your program’s website, newsletter, letterhead, and other communications tools!
• An official letter of recognition that can be used to support your program’s funding efforts!
• Also, your practice will be part of the PPAS database, featured on the website, www.afterschool.org.
And the biggest benefit to you and your afterschool program…
Benefit #1: You will be helping to build the field of afterschool by sharing your practice with other program directors around the country!
