WHO WE ARE

WHAT WE ARE

The Nashville After Zone Alliance (NAZA) is a partnership between the Nashville Public Library, Metro Nashville Public Schools, the Mayor’s Office, and over 30 youth development organizations all working collaboratively to increase access to transformative learning experiences for youth during out-of-school-time hours.

Since its creation, NAZA has invested public and private funding in afterschool and summer programs to ensure that all youth have access to high-quality programs at no cost. In the past few years, NAZA has expanded its model to focus on strengthening youth-centered organizations' ability to support youths' 21st century skills, social and emotional learning, and holistic youth outcomes including cognitive, physical, and emotional development.

OUR MISSION

HOW IT WORKS

NAZA carries out its mission by:

• Investing funds in afterschool and summer programs citywide for youth in grades 5 through 8.
• Strengthening the capacity of the youth-serving community through professional development, evaluation services, and technical assistance to impact the learning experiences of youth.
• Convening the larger youth-serving community in Nashville to strategically mobilize and leverage resources.
• Advocating for increased investment in the holistic development of youth.
• Empowering youth through initiatives that cultivate their leadership and life skills, connect them to positive relationships, and inspire their love for learning.

HISTORY

2009 Mayor Karl Dean established NAZA as a citywide out-of-school time (OST) system and part of the Mayor's Office to increase equitable access to afterschool programs.

2014 Five zones were established over 5 years. NAZA is moved from the Office of the Mayor to the Nashville Public Library.

2016 Founding coordinator Candy Markman retired and Anna Harutyunyan was brought on as NAZA's new Chief Executive.

2017 Vanderbilt conduct a deep assessment of the NAZA system, recommending improvement strategies in structure, funding, and focus.

2019 Youth in Action! is founded to elevate youth voices, encourage youth advocacy and civic participation, create youth leadership opportunities, and inspire youth to improve their communities.

2020 NAZA, in partnership with Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, Nashville Public Library, Mayor’s Youth Council, Youth In Action!, and over 200 community stakeholders, completes development of Nashville's Vision for Holistic Youth Development.

2021 NAZA is fundamentally reorganized with a new operational model and team structure; the team underwent significant growth, allowing us to provide more support to our partners and expand our reach in the community.

2022 NAZA was awarded an unprecedented $1.7 million funding increase from the Metro government, allowing NAZA to increase the number of afterschool slots, increase transportation access to remove participation barriers, and invest in new summer programs for 1,100 students.

Today NAZA is a thriving network with 30+ partners that has served more than 17,000 youths since its inception.