Susan O'Connor

Susan O’Connor is the coordinator of West MOST, a newly emerging network for out-of-school time programs in Western Massachusetts. The Network will be directing the energy of 7 existing youth coalitions toward increased coordination, advocacy, sustainability, and program quality. She is an independent consultant, and is working with the Davis Foundation on a program improvement project, and also provides training and consultation services to NIOST, to New Jersey, and New Hampshire.

For the previous five years, Susan was the Director of the Hampshire Educational Collaborative’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers in Northampton, Massachusetts. The Collaborative’s after school programs serve 3,000 children and youth in 12 school-based community learning centers in a 3-county area. Ten of the programs serve middle school students, and two programs serve elementary schools. The resiliency research is the theoretical framework for the sites, and the mission is to build youth assets and provide learning supports. This includes major initiatives in linking to academic outcomes, social-emotional competence, and wellness.

Prior to working with the Collaborative, Susan was a Research Associate with the National Institute on Out-Of-School Time at Wellesley College for nine years, developing standards and continuous improvement tools for after school programs. She is an author of Advancing School-Age Child Care Quality (ASQ). She has also published papers on Resiliency and After School programs, Workforce Issues, Homework Assistance and Literacy Activities for after school programs.

She has an MSW from West Virginia in community development. She has been involved with child and family welfare issues for over twenty-five years.