OSTI AWARDS HALL OF FAME
The Annual BOOST Conference hosts the OSTI - Out-of-School Time Innovations - Awards honoring those who have affected change in our communities and in the lives of our youth.
2023 OSTI Award Recipients
2023 Excellence in Leadership Award Winners
The purpose of this award is to honor a person that has proven outstanding accomplishments as a leader in the field and has the ability to inspire and motivate others through student and/or teacher innovation, mentorship, and/or partnership building.
ARIK ARMSTEAD
Arik Armstead is the Founder of the non-profit Armstead Academic Project, and a professional football player for the San Francisco 49ers. He remains passionately committed to advocating for—and putting his financial and personal power behind— educational equity for all students.
Dedicated to ensuring that every student, no matter their socioeconomic status, has direct access to the resources they need to thrive, the Armstead Academic Project provides youth with positive spaces, tools, and academic support to unlock their potential and achieve their goals and supports students in Sacramento and the Bay Area of California, on the premise that a zip code should not define student opportunity.
CLAUDINE JAMES, @iamthatenglishteacher
Over her 13-year teaching career, 8th grade ELA teacher, Claudine James, has won numerous awards as well as being National Board and ESL certified. But recently her success has been on a different level. At the end of 2020, Ms. James, known on TikTok as @iamthatEnglishteacher, started posting grammar lessons on TikTok in order to reach virtual students who weren’t watching her YouTube tutorials. However, her students weren’t the only ones watching her videos. She has now amassed 3.7 million followers from 84 countries and was chosen as ARKTESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) Teacher of the Year. Her grammar videos and stories motivate and inspire current/future teachers. Now her classroom expands around the world, plus she’s helping to remind other educators how much they are needed in the education profession. A blog written by College Board, “Five TikTok Famous Teachers Everyone Should Follow”, lists Ms. James as number one. In addition to being the district’s community liaison, Ms. James serves on several advisory boards, the board of directors for the local library, and is a proud BOOST Ambassador and the 2023 BOOST Conference OSTI Award recipient.
2022 OSTI Award Recipients
2022 Champion Award
The purpose of this award is to honor a person that has made a significant impact to protect, promote, and advance our field through advocacy and policy measures. The nominee has worked to raise awareness, improve policy or influence legislation through initiatives or programs supporting the out-of-school time field.
GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM
Gavin Newsom is the Governor of California, former Lieutenant Governor of California, and former Mayor of San Francisco.
Newsom is widely recognized for his willingness to lead – repeatedly developing, advocating, and implementing innovative and groundbreaking solutions to some of our most challenging issues. On a wide range of topics including same-sex marriage, gun safety, marijuana, the death penalty, universal health care, access to preschool, technology, criminal justice reform, and the minimum wage, Newsom stuck his neck out and did the right thing, which often led to sweeping changes when his policies were ultimately accepted, embraced, and replicated across the state and nation.
Newsom’s top priorities for his administration are tackling our state’s affordability crisis, creating inclusive economic growth and opportunity for every child, and standing up for California values — from civil rights, to immigration, environmental protection, access to quality schools at all levels, and justice.
2022 Lifetime Achievement Award
The purpose of this award is to honor a person that has made significant and lasting contributions to the field of education through scholarly work and educational approaches or practices and worked in the educational field for over 25 years.
BECKY SHULTZ
Becky Shultz has over 20 years of experience in the after school field. She obtained a Master's degree in counseling and a P.P.S. credential in 2003 from California State University, Long Beach. Job experiences include 20 years as a school counselor and 20 years as the Director of Expanded Learning for Whittier City School District. Committee and board memberships include Helpline Youth Counseling (board member), LACOE Group Advisory Group (GAG) and Region 11 Advisory Committee, WCSD management, and wellness committee, and the Whittier Homeless Student Coalition. Becky has also been a member of the BOOST Leadership Team since 2010.
2021 OSTI Award Recipient
MARY JO GINTY
In loving memory of our friend, leader, mentor, and colleague, Mary Jo Ginty, Los Angeles County Office of Education
Mary Jo Ginty is the former Regional Lead/Program Coordinator overseeing the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) After School Technical Assistance Unit. This Unit provides staff training and development, consultation, and technical assistance services to the 1300+ school sites providing after school programs funded through the After School Education and Safety Program (ASES) and/or 21st Century Community Learning Center grants. Over 130,000 students participate in these programs which also provide over 10,000 employment opportunities in the county. Ms. Ginty directed and oversaw after school programs at the elementary, middle, and high school level; she has experienced the power of change these programs bring to students and their families. Her professional experiences over the past years include: Owner of a successful consulting firm, high school teacher, high school principal, college professor, lobbyist, and community organizer. She holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from UCLA and a Bachelors's Degree in Business and Social Welfare Administration from Ursuline College. Her spare time is spent enjoying her family, leading a Junior Girl Scout troop, music, and cooking in all forms, and sitting on the Board of Directors of her 10-year-old daughter’s school. Mary Jo Ginty believed that after school programs have the potential to assist youth to gain the skill sets, tools, and knowledge and have the experiences necessary to make a life for themselves and their families.
2017 OSTI Award Recipient
OSTI Champion Award
The purpose of this award is to honor a person that has made a significant impact to protect, promote, and advance our field through advocacy and policy measures. Nominee has worked to raise awareness, improve policy or influence legislation through initiatives or programs supporting the out-of-school time field.
BARBARA BOXER
A forceful advocate for families, children, consumers, the environment and her State of California, Barbara Boxer became a United States Senator in January 1993 after 10 years of service in the House of Representatives and six years on the Marin County Board of Supervisors. In January 2017, she stepped down after four terms in the Senate.
A champion of quality public education, Senator Boxer wrote landmark legislation establishing the first-ever federal funding for afterschool programs. Her law now covers 1.6 million children. She continues to work to expand afterschool programs nationwide as chair of the Senate Afterschool Caucus.
A strong supporter of the 1994 crime bill, she has worked to fund anti-gang programs, pass the Violence Against Women Law (VAWA), and the Community Policy “COPS” Program. Her bill to prevent the criminal use of personal information obtained through motor vehicle records was signed into law and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Senator Barbara Boxer met her husband of over 50 years, Stewart Boxer, at Brooklyn College. The couple moved to California in 1965 to raise their two children, Doug and Nicole. They have been blessed with four grandchildren—Zachary, Zain, Sawyer and Reyna.
2016 OSTI Award Recipient
OSTI Excellence in Leadership Award
The purpose of this award is to honor a person that has proven outstanding accomplishments as a leader in the field and has the ability to inspire and motivate others through student innovation, mentorship and/or partnership building.
MONROE HOWARD-SHACKELFORD
Monroe Howard-Shackelford is a native of Sacramento, CA and grew up in the Phoenix Park community of South Sacramento. He attended Sacramento City Unified School district schools through middle school and is a graduate of Christian Brothers High School. Monroe began his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley and completed his degree at California State University, Sacramento. For the last 10 years Monroe has dedicated his time, talent and energy to the field of expanded learning educational opportunities for students in the Sacramento community. He currently works for the Sacramento City Unified School District as the Coordinator of After School and Summer programming for Middle School and High School students.
Monroe is responsible for the oversight of 22 school and community-based programs operating on a daily basis, serving approximately 7000 students per day. In 2014 Monroe was appointed to the Advisory Committee on Before and After School Programs with the California Department of Education (CDE) by the State Superintendent of Public Education, Tom Torlakson. In addition, Monroe was a member of the CDE statewide workgroup tasked with developing the Expanded Learning Quality Standards for the state of California and is currently a member of the department's leadership team on K12 Integration and Communication. Monroe is a member of the "My Brother's Keeper Initiative", a coalition of Expanded Learning professionals across California focused on highlighting the intersection of expanded learning programs and President Obama's initiative for the betterment of Boys and Men of Color.
Monroe has presented workshops, moderated discussions and has been a panel presenter at BOOST over the last three years, focusing on his expertise in developing and sustaining partnerships in expanded learning programs, effective communications for K12 integration and engaging programming for older youth and Boys and Men of Color. Prior to working for Sac City Unified, Monroe spent five years with a non-profit community-based organization that provides educational services to low-income students in the Sacramento community as the organization's Operations Manager. Monroe was recently recognized by the NBA Sacramento Kings organization as a Community All-Star for his work in the field of education and youth development. Monroe is also an accomplished singer, often performing throughout the local community and has provided music instruction to students through the local church and other community venues. Monroe is extremely passionate when it comes to providing opportunities for ALL students to succeed and believes wholeheartedly in the power of student voice and their ability to emerge in their communities as leaders. Monroe will continue his professional development by pursuing graduate studies at New York University in Fall 2016 in the field of Social Work and Public Administration. Upon graduation, Monroe plans to return to Sacramento and continue to serve the community he loves!
2015 OSTI Award Recipient
OSTI Lifetime Achievement Award
The purpose of this award is to honor a person that has made significant and lasting contributions to the field of education through scholarly work and educational approaches or practices and worked in the educational field for over 25 years.
GARY MOODY
Gary Moody is an educator, motivational speaker, staff trainer, artist, musician and writer. His expertise in curriculum, programming and youth development comes from more than 35 years of teaching, coaching and working as a principal and county administrator throughout numerous California Public Schools. During his career he has worked with all grades, special education, college, adult, and corporate America. Gary was selected in 1991 as a National Danforth Leadership Scholar and received his Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Curriculum Development from Fresno State. Gary currently serves as the governor's appointee for the Afterschool Advisory Committee for Before and After School programs and consults for the Fresno County Office of Education providing training, curriculum development and quality assurance for more than 140 after-school programs.
In 1993 Gary was chosen California Middle Level Educator of the Year mainly due to his innovative after-school academy called REACH (Recreation, Enrichment, Art, Computers and Homework). He was hired by the California Department of Education as a Consultant where he assisted in launching the state funded After-School Learning and Safe Neighborhood Partnership Program. Along with Bonnie Reiss, Gary launched Arnold's All-Stars in four Los Angeles inner-city middle schools in the fall of 2001. Gary played a vital role is assisting Governor Schwarzenegger's Proposition 49 campaign and continues to assist the Governor in preparation for implementation. Gary was an original member of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers task force and served for several years as the Northwest and Southwest regional consultant for the National Center for Community Education.
2014 OSTI Award Recipient
OSTI Lifetime Achievement Award
The purpose of this award is to honor a person that has made significant and lasting contributions to the field of education through scholarly work and educational approaches or practices and worked in the educational field for over 25 years.
CARLA SANGER, M. ED
Since 1988, Carla Sanger, M.Ed has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of LA's BEST (Better Educated Students for Tomorrow) After School Enrichment Program. In the span of her over 45 year career, Sanger has been a specialist in children's education policy and advocacy in both the public and private sector. She's worked as a public school teacher in Baltimore, was a curriculum writer, the supervisor of day care services for the state of New Jersey, Executive Director of LA Child Care & Development Council, President of the California Children's Council and co-chair of the California State Department of Education Task Force on School Readiness. In 1969, Ms. Sanger also co-founded a K-12 school (Nuevo Colegio Bilingue Larchmont) in Bogotá, Colombia, that remains active to this day. As an activist in the after school movement, Ms. Sanger led efforts to help write and support California's Statewide Proposition for after school (Prop 49) creating a $500 million funding stream for the children in the state. She created the League of California After School Providers and established "Beyond the Bell"-- the first central division in the history of LAUSD with a shared vision for after school. Most recently, she helped lead a successful community response to save funding for LAUSD's Youth Services program. She is currently advocating for expanded learning programs to be added to the national education reform debate.
Nationally recognized in the field of after school programs, she has served on numerous after school quality and evaluation advisory committees and task forces for the U.S. Department of Education, the State of California, and the County of Los Angeles. She was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California State Advisory Committee on Before and After School Programs and continues to serve as Governor Jerry Brown's appointee. She also has been appointed by several California State Superintendents of Public Instruction to task forces, including the Title I Committee of Practitioners, as well as by Los Angeles Mayors James Hahn and Antonio Villaraigosa to the LA President's Joint Commission on LAUSD Governance.
Ms. Sanger has received numerous government commendations from federal, state and local legislators. She received the Wishing Well award from the Los Angeles Women Police Officers, the Pursuit of Justice award from the California Women's Law Center, a Treasure of Los Angeles award from the Central City Business Association of Los Angeles, an Angel award from the Child Lifesaving Foundation, an Arts & Entertainment Channel Community Hero award, and a Leading Boldly award from the Los Angeles Children's Planning Council. In 2007, she was honored by PODER Magazine and the Boston Consulting Group with the Education's Best Award and 1,000 trees were planted in her name.
A long-time activist, Ms. Sanger has served on various community boards of directors including the California Women's Law Center, United Way Metro Region, Child & Family Services, Highland Hall School, Northridge Knights Youth Sports League, Getty House Children's Committee and Dolores Mission Women's Cooperative.
She has been a featured speaker and conference presenter for numerous school districts throughout California, keynote speaker for the California State Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Education and countless community-based after school organizations throughout the United States. She holds a B.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a M.Ed. from Goucher College.
Ms. Sanger is married to Academy Award-winning film producer Jonathan Sanger and has two sons, David and Christopher, two grandsons, Harrison and Miles, and two granddaughters, Zada and Liliana.
She retires from her post as President & CEO of LA's BEST in November 2014.
2011 OSTI Award Recipients
OSTI Lifetime Achievement Award
The purpose of this award is to honor a person that has made significant and lasting contributions to the field of education through scholarly work and educational approaches or practices and worked in the educational field for over 25 years.
JONATHON KOZOL
Jonathan Kozol was born in Boston in 1936 into a traditional middle-class Jewish family. Kozol's father worked as a neurologist and psychiatrist, and his mother was a social worker. Kozol attended Harvard and later Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, and then lived in Paris in poor neighborhoods for several years while he worked on a novel.
A defining moment in Kozol's life occurred in 1964 when, shortly after returning to Boston to pursue an academic career, he heard about three young civil-rights workers who had been murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. He had never been political or had any involvement in race issues, but he was greatly affected by the news. Soon after hearing of this event he began working as a teacher in a freedom school that had been set up in a black church in a low-income, predominantly black area in Roxbury, just south of Boston.
Kozol has made a practice of leaving comfortable surroundings for more challenging, impoverished areas. He enjoyed teaching young children, and eventually got a job in the public school system in Roxbury teaching fourth grade. The segregated public school in Roxbury was very different from the school Kozol had attended as a child growing up in the wealthy Boston suburb of Newton. Shortly after he began teaching in the public school system, Kozol was fired for reading from a book of poetry by Langston Hughes that was not on the approved curriculum list. Soon after, he wrote his first work of nonfiction, Death at an Early Age: The Destruction of the Hearts and Minds of Negro Children in the Boston Public Schools, based on his teaching experiences in Roxbury. The book won the National Book Award in 1968.
Kozol's books often involve first-hand accounts of his experiences. His books serve to bear witness to social problems such as segregated and unequal schools, illiteracy, and homelessness. Often Kozol succeeds in humanizing abstract social issues by involving the reader intimately with particular individuals who are directly affected by these issues.
In his most recent book, Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation, Kozol addresses the issues of race and poverty by exploring the lives of inner-city residents in the South Bronx. In a review for the Washington Post Book World, Marie Arana-Ward writes that it is "a powerful book that lays bare what is surely the ugliest truth about us: that there are pockets of hell in our inner cities, and that even as an entire sector of America is condemned to burn in them, we insist on looking the other way."
Kozol has said, "Of all my books, Amazing Grace means the most to me. It took the most out of me and was hardest to write, because it was the hardest to live through those experiences. I felt it would initially be seen as discouraging but, ultimately, sensitive readers would see the resilient and transcendent qualities of children and some mothers in the book-that it would be seen as a book about the elegant theology of children. That's what happened finally. The most moving comments about it also pointed to its moral and religious texture."
Kozol currently lives with his dog Sweetie Pie in a 200 year-old farmhouse in Byfield, Massachusetts.
Jonathan Kozol has received the following awards:
Rhodes Scholar, 1958-59; Olympia Award, 1962; Sexton fellowship in creative writing from Harper & Row, 1962; National Book Award, 1968, for Death at an Early Age: The Destruction of the Hearts and Minds of Negro Children in the Boston Public Schools; Guggenheim fellow, 1970 and 1984; Field Foundation fellow, 1972; Ford Foundation fellow, 1974; Rockefeller fellow, 1978 and 1983; Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, 1988; Conscience in Media Award, American Society of Journalists and Authors, 1988; Christopher Award, 1988, for Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America; New England Book Award, and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, both 1992, both for Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools.
OSTI Pioneer Award
The purpose of this award is to honor a person that has shown leadership and development in the out-of-school time field through the creation of research, tools and/or resources to guide our field.ANDRIA FLETCHER
Dr. Andria J. Fletcher is Chief Afterschool Consultant for the Center for Collaborative Solutions. She is a nationally recognized expert in afterschool program and policy development. As the founding Director of Sacramento START, Andi initiated the program in 1995 with 20 sites, 120 staff, 2,000 students and $850,000 in funding. Under her leadership, within three years, student attendance increased to 4,000 and funding exceeded $3.4 million. In 1997, she and Carla Sanger of LA’s BEST afterschool program worked with Assembly Member Deborah Ortiz to launch California’s first afterschool legislation, which led to $550 million in state funding.
Andi has been a keynote speaker and workshop presenter at over 150 national, state and regional conferences including the California Department of Health Services’ Obesity Conference, National School Boards Association Conferences, California Department of Education-sponsored afterschool conferences, Council of Chief State School Officers 21st Century Community Learning Centers sessions, Harvard University’s Symposium of Evaluation, the National League of Cities, the Disney Institute, the National Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals, the National Summit on Afterschool and several U.S. Department of Education Regional conferences. She is the author of numerous publications, many of which are among the most widely read in the field. She is the co-author, together with Sam Piha and Reba Rose of the Community Network for Youth Development, of A Guide to Developing Exemplary Practices in Afterschool Programs. Most recently, she authored Changing Lives, Saving Lives–A Step-by-Step Guide to Developing Exemplary Practices in Healthy Eating, Physical Activity and Food Security in Afterschool Programs (2010). She also wrote Expand and Excel, A Step-by-Step Guide for Managing Growth and Strengthening Quality in Afterschool Programs (2006), Lessons in Leadership (2007), and the Developing Exemplary Practices in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Food Security in Afterschool guide (2008). Andi earned her doctorate in Political Science at UCLA.
Andi has done a wide variety of consulting and site-based mentoring and coaching for afterschool programs over the last thirteen years as Chief Afterschool Consultant for CCS. She led the original Healthy Behaviors Initiative Learning Community and provided coaching to the Learning Community afterschool programs and certifying them as Healthy Behaviors Learning Centers. She is now leading an LA Healthy Behaviors Learning Community for LACOE.
