Nebraska Extension educator honored by National AfterSchool Association

January 6, 2017

Lincoln, Neb. — Nebraska Extension Educator Melissa Fenton has been named a National AfterSchool Association Next Generation of Afterschool 2017 honoree. Fenton was one of 34 individuals active in the afterschool community nationwide who were honored for their passion, creativity and commitment to youth. 

“The goal of my work in afterschool is to professionalize the field to positively impact program quality and ultimately lead to positive outcomes in the youth afterschool programs serve,” Fenton said. 

In her role with Nebraska Extension, Fenton works with Click2SciencePD, which is an interactive site for trainers, coaches, site directors and frontline staff or volunteers working in out-of-school time STEM programs serving children and youth.

“Through this project, I hope to increase access to professional development opportunities for staff, help them feel confident in their ability to create meaningful STEM learning experiences for youth and reinforce that we value they contributions they make to the youth development field,” Fenton said.

Fenton was featured in the Winter 2017 issue of AfterSchool Today and will be recognized during the 2017 National AfterSchool Association annual convention in Dallas, Texas in March.

The mission of the National AfterSchool Association is to foster development, provide education and encourage advocacy for the out-of-school-time community. Fenton was nominated for this honor by Heidi Ham, vice president of programs and strategy for the National Afterschool Association.

For more information on Fenton’s work with Click2SciencePD, visit http://www.click2sciencepd.org/.