Building Bold: The Start-Up Approach to Out-of-School Time

What happens when districts stop chasing perfection and start building anyway?

At CAAASA 2025, a panel of powerhouse out-of-school-time, expanded learning leaders shared a refreshing message: successful programs aren’t born—they’re built. One decision at a time. One community at a time. This is Part 1 of our CAAASA conference report.

Guided by the insightful Dr. Michele Bowers, former LA County Superintendent of the Year and past CAAASA president, the session featured Shauna Hultgrien (6crickets), Jessica Stout (La Habra City SD), Amber Villaseñor (Boys and Girls Club of La Habra), and Jennifer Davis (Fairfax SD). Their message was clear—great programs don’t have to start perfectly. The secret? Design, implement, evaluate, and keep going.

Start Somewhere: Laying the First Brick

Launching an out-of-school time program isn’t about having all the answers—just the willingness to begin. Jessica Stout shared, “This is a demanding position, to manage school sites and organize all the programs,” a reminder that no one is building these programs in a vacuum. Amber Villaseñor reflected on some early issues, “Some of the challenges that we saw were that every school did [program management] differently”. This lack of cohesion was creating more logistical work for staff which meant less time with the kids. Dr. Bowers recognized that, “Sometimes the logistics deter us” and Amber knew,

“There has to be a better system.”

Making It Work: Growing Through the Mess

With the basics in place, growth kicked in—fast, messy, but undeniably impactful. Jennifer Davis recognized the solution and put it simply, “Get your systems in place.” Jessica emphasized the transformation that came from system alignment, “Because each of our school sites had a different leader they had a different system… now that we have one system, we’re cleaning that up.”

One system. A Better system.

For districts like La Habra and Fairfax, 6crickets has become the all-in-one solution—streamlining registration, tracking attendance, and keeping student engagement at the heart of every program.

“Tracking is so important,” Amber noted. “It’s necessary in order to pinpoint impact.”

And the students? They responded. “Now our students are trying activities they never had access to before,” Jennifer shared. Whether it was music, STEM, or art, opportunities grew and so did student excitement.

The Power of Evolving: Build, Tweak, Repeat

Success isn’t static. Jessica reminded everyone to “be very willing to evolve, revisit, refine.” Amber stressed communication, saying, “Over communicate, invite everyone to have a seat at the table. Because there is so much power in a community.” And Shauna offered the guiding mantra,

“Design, implement, evaluate”.

She elaborated, “just get started, then make the tweaks, then get the help that you need… constantly evaluate, constantly evolve.”

Keep Building. Keep Tweaking. Keep Going.

Success in out-of-school time isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Start small. Work together. Refine often. Whether you’re launching a new program or just trying to make today a little smoother, remember: You’re not alone in this.