Joyce Shortt
Co-Director, National Institute on Out-of-School Time

 

For over thirty years, Joyce Shortt has held a variety of positions in early childhood and child care. Joyce was the Co-Director of the National Institute on Out-of-School Time at Wellesley Centers from Women at Wellesley College for 10 years. Her work has involved direct service to children and families, program planning, policy, administration and advocacy. She served as a program manager for the Massachusetts Office for Children, and as the Executive Director of the Childcare Resource and Referral Center in Burlington, Vermont. While working at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health & Human Services, she coordinated the development of child care policies by state agencies. In these roles, she was responsible for developing child care policies and working to make quality child care available for all families. As the Senior Associate for Children’s Programs at the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, she coordinated and implemented a ten-year program to end childhood poverty.

At NIOST, Joyce was the Project Director for the MOST Initiative, which was a multi-year, multi-million dollar initiative funded by the DeWitt Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund, to improve the quantity and quality of opportunities for children in their out-of-school time in three urban areas. Projects worked on included MARS: the Massachusetts Afterschool Research Study, a study linking afterschool program features and youth outcomes, an investigation of supports and opportunities in out of school time for high school youth. Shortt directed research and evaluation projects relating to connecting afterschool programs and schools. Shortt facilitated the Cross-Cities Network for Leaders of Citywide After-school Initiatives. This project aimed to increase the knowledge base of leaders of large scale citywide after school initiatives and within those cities, to identify promising practices in the development of infrastructures that support after school programs. Joyce completed a strategic planning process to build a skilled and stable workforce for after school programs.

Joyce holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts. In addition to serving on many boards and associations focusing on child care and child protection, she has developed and taught numerous workshops on topics related to young children and child care.

Since 2006 Joyce has worked as an independent consultant on projects related to science in afterschool, community building for families with young children, and connecting public schools to out-of-school time programs.

  • PEOPLE ARE SAYING

    "NIOST has been an anchor for numerous school age care projects we do, including ASQ (After-School Quality) and Links to Learning. They are a nationally respected organization that Pennsylvania has partnered with for over 20 years."



    – Betsy O. Saatman, TA Specialist/SAC Initiatives, Pennsylvania Key
  • PEOPLE ARE SAYING

    "NIOST was a core partner in supporting the development of quality improvement systems across the nine cities that participated in The Wallace Foundation Next Generation Afterschool System-Building Initiative. The NIOST team worked well with other technical assistance partners in the initiative, always willing to pitch in and collaborate with others to make our professional learning community meetings a team effort. I truly hope the Foundation has an opportunity to partner with them in the future."


    – Priscilla M. Little, Initiative Manager, The Wallace Foundation

  • PEOPLE ARE SAYING

    "NIOST has been a leader in the out-of-school time field for as long as I can remember, and I have relied on their research, tools, and advice to improve my practice throughout my career. Their staff members are good partners and good listeners, and their influence across the country is palpable."


    – Jane Quinn, Vice President and Director of National Center for Community Schools, Children's Aid Society
  • PEOPLE ARE SAYING

    "Georgia Hall, Ellen Gannett, and the NIOST team have been instrumental in driving the healthy afterschool movement. Their dedication to quality practice, informed policy, and collective impact is instrumental in our effort to create healthier communities."



    – Daniel W. Hatcher, Director, Community Partnerships, Alliance for a Healthier Generation

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The National Institute on Out-of-School Time

A program of the Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College

Wellesley Centers for Women
Wellesley College
106 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02481-8203 USA

niost@wellesley.edu
781.283.2547
Directions to NIOST