Lead Like a Pro: Empower Afterschool Staff to Thrive with Tools That Shine

Abstract:

Across the country, 81% of afterschool providers say staffing is a major concern. More than half report that burnout is the leading reason they struggle to keep good people.

But here is what those numbers do not show: the programs where staff feel prepared, supported, and genuinely good at their jobs look completely different. Students are more engaged. Attendance holds. The program has an energy that families notice and talk about.

The difference is not always who you hired. It is what you put in their hands.

This session is for afterschool leaders who want their staff to walk into every session feeling ready and confident to lead. We will explore how the right tools, including AI-powered planning and ready-to-run content, reduce the daily prep burden that wears people down, and how that reduction directly changes how staff show up for students. 

Attendees Will Walk Away With:

• A clear framework for identifying where prep pressure is highest on your team and which tools can take that weight off without adding new complexity
• Strategies for building staff confidence over time so quality does not depend on who had energy that particular afternoon 
• A hands-on look at how AI lesson planning works in an afterschool context, including a live example attendees can adapt for their own program
• Ready-to-use session structures staff can pick up and run immediately, with zero prep required

What to Expect in the Session:

• A practical look at what it actually takes for staff to feel prepared, and why more training is rarely the answer
• A hands-on exploration of how AI planning tools and ready-to-use content remove the daily decisions that drain staff before students even arrive
• Time to build a simple implementation plan for bringing at least one tool back to your team this week

Zoe’s Bio

Zoe Kurtz is the Director of Marketing & Sales at AB Studios, where she partners with schools and afterschool programs nationwide to design enrichment experiences that are sustainable for staff and meaningful for students. Over the past six years in educational technology, she has focused on empowering educators and leaders to use technology to support belonging, creativity, and student voice in ways that fit into real classrooms and afterschool spaces.

Prior to AB Studios, Zoe served as the Demand Generation Manager at The Social Institute,  empowering K-12 students to navigate social media in positive, high-character ways. 

Today she works alongside school and afterschool leaders to bring story-driven, hands-on learning to life using practical AI planning tools that reduce preparation while increasing engagement. She regularly presents at educator conferences and webinars, sharing strategies educators can immediately apply to build participation, confidence, and connection throughout the school and afterschool day.

Zoe has a Master’s in Digital Marketing at Wake Forest University. Originally from North Carolina and now based in Tampa, she believes the best learning happens when curiosity leads and every voice is heard.