The Out-of-School Time Collaborative

What The Out-of-School Time Collaborative does

The Out-of-School Time Collaborative (OST) is a non-profit community partnership based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, established in 2008 to coordinate out-of-school time programming for children and youth, with a stated emphasis on immigrant, refugee, and socially vulnerable populations. Rather than delivering services directly, the organization functions as a backbone coordinating body that convenes public, educational, and non-profit institutions through a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee comprising the Africa Centre, City of Edmonton, Edmonton Public Library, BGCBigs, Edmonton Catholic School Division, Edmonton Public Schools, and United Way Alberta Capital Region. Day-to-day operational support is provided by REACH Edmonton, which has served as the administrative backbone since 2015.

The collaborative's product surface includes the Annual OST Conference, a bilingual (English/French) interactive Child and Youth Services Map of Edmonton, a Middle Years Framework, a Resource Database, Summer OST Programs, and the Bridging Together Initiative delivered in partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The bilingual services map is the only identified technology component and appears to function as a directory/navigation tool rather than a proprietary platform. The named operational team consists of Sofia Alani (Project Manager) and Brandy Basisty (Project Coordinator), indicating a lean staff model.

Revenue is grant-based, with IRCC as the primary disclosed funder via the Bridging Together Initiative, supplemented by in-kind contributions from steering committee members and backbone support from REACH Edmonton. There is no disclosed commercial revenue, fee-for-service pricing, or earned-income component, and geographic scope is confined to Edmonton with no indication of multi-municipal or international expansion. The organization's structure is characteristic of small, community-anchored settlement-sector coordinating bodies whose financial sustainability depends on a narrow set of public and philanthropic funding sources.

Name

The Out-of-School Time Collaborative

Legal name

The Out-of-School Time Collaborative

Website

https://ostedmonton.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Out-of-School Time Collaborative is an Edmonton-based non-profit partnership, founded in 2008, that coordinates out-of-school programs for children and youth — particularly immigrant and refugee populations — through a multi-stakeholder steering committee model supported by REACH Edmonton.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Services Coordination

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Social Assistance (624), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Transition Services (Secondary to Postsecondary/Employment, Life Skills) (EDAJAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN), Special Education Resource Rooms & Pull-Out Programs (EDAKAAAJ)

Keywords

• Out-of-school programs
• Community partnership coordination
• Youth services network
• After-school programming
• Nonprofit collaborative services

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding and Government Support: The OST Collaborative operates as a non-profit partnership sustained primarily through grant funding and government support. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has provided funding for key initiatives including the Services Map and the now-ended Bridging Together Initiative.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Out-of-School Time (OST) Collaborative is a community partnership organization that coordinates and provides backbone support for out-of-school time programs serving children and youth in Edmonton, Alberta. It convenes community groups, service delivery agencies, and local institutions; delivers an interactive bilingual Child and Youth Services Map; runs an annual professional development conference; and maintains a resource database to expand access to recreational, educational, cultural, and mentorship programs for immigrant, refugee, and socially vulnerable children and youth.

Product overview

The Out-of-School Time (OST) Collaborative is a community partnership organization (not a software technology company) that provides coordination and backbone support for out-of-school time programs serving children and youth in Edmonton. The organization operates several interconnected programs: the Annual OST Conference for professional development, an interactive Child and Youth Services Map (available in English and French) to connect families with programs, the Middle Years Framework for supporting children ages 6-13, a Resource Database with categorized educational materials, and support for Summer OST Programs. The collaborative also previously operated the Bridging Together Initiative for newcomer youth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OST Annual Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased connectivity with their community
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• REACH EdmontoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2015, REACH Edmonton has provided full-time coordination and backbone support for the OST Collaborative. REACH supports partner organizations with organizational and program development needs through training opportunities including the annual OST Conference.
• Africa CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the OST Steering Committee, representing immigrant and refugee community interests and providing culturally relevant services to children and youth.
• City of EdmontoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the OST Steering Committee, providing civic resources and support for community-based OST programs.
• Edmonton Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the OST Steering Committee. Edmonton Public Library provides resources and programming for OST participants, including literacy support and educational materials. Library staff also present at the annual OST Conference.
• BGCBigscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the OST Steering Committee. BGCBigs delivers out-of-school time programming for children and youth in Edmonton.
• Edmonton Catholic School DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the OST Steering Committee, providing school facilities and support for OST programming within Catholic schools.
• Edmonton Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the OST Steering Committee, providing school facilities and support for OST programming within public schools.
• United Way Alberta Capital RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the OST Steering Committee, providing funding support and community connections for OST initiatives.
• Think Jar CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThink Jar Collective developed the Social Innovation Lab Field Guide referenced by the OST Collaborative to aid in moving from roundtable discussions to action, providing practical guidance on social innovation approaches.
• Connections FirstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnections First is an initiative referenced by the OST Collaborative that researches and identifies policy opportunities to enhance natural supports for potentially vulnerable Albertan children 6-16 years of age and their families.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• COSTI Immigrant Services: Toronto-based immigrant settlement agency delivering settlement, language, and youth programming for newcomers — comparable in serving immigrant and refugee children and youth through culturally appropriate community programs.
• REACH Edmonton: Backbone host and strategic partner of the OST Collaborative since 2015, providing full-time coordination and convening community stakeholders across Edmonton's social sector — the closest operational analog given its shared role as a backbone organization for collective-impact initiatives.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada: National network delivering after-school and OST programming for Canadian children and youth; BGCBigs is a Steering Committee member, making BGC Canada a directly comparable OST provider serving similar populations.
• Pathways to Education Canada: National non-profit supporting youth from low-income communities to graduate from high school and transition to post-secondary — comparable focus on academic success and life-skills development for vulnerable youth.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada: National youth mentoring organization serving vulnerable children and youth across Canada; closely comparable in serving social-vulnerability populations through community partnerships.
• YMCA Canada: National federation operating community-based youth, after-school, and recreation programs across Canada — directly comparable OST service delivery model with similar child-and-youth outcomes focus.
• United Way Alberta Capital Region: Regional United Way serving the Edmonton area and a Steering Committee member of the OST Collaborative; comparable as a community-coordinating backbone organization funding and convening OST-adjacent programs.

Regional players

• Immigrant Services Society of BC: British Columbia's largest immigrant-serving agency, providing newcomer settlement and youth programs in a different geography but with directly comparable mandate around newcomer youth integration and community-based supports.
• Out-of-School Care Association of BC: British Columbia's sector association for out-of-school care programs — directly comparable as a sector-coordinating body for OST programs, but operating in a different Canadian province.

Others

• Children's Aid Society of Edmonton: Edmonton-area child welfare organization serving vulnerable children and youth; adjacent rather than directly competing, but operates in the same local child-and-youth services ecosystem as the OST Collaborative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Out-of-School Time Collaborative