Recent Afterschool Snacks
MAY
14
LIGHTS ON
By Sarah Simpson
We’ve gotten a TON of awesome Lights On Afterschool poster entries so far! (Shout-out to Albuquerque Public Schools YDI/Marmon After-School Program for the amazing banner!) One of these posters could be the winner—OR it could still be out there somewhere! Send us your entry by June 1!
MAY
10
FUNDING
By Sarah Simpson
A new grant competition will award $150,000 to libraries, museums, and other nonprofits to provide hands-on learning opportunities this summer for youth across the country to help make the online experience more civil, safe and empowering. The Project:Connect Summer Youth Programming Competition is administered by the Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory (HASTAC), with support from the MacArthur Foundation through a grant to the University of California, Irvine, and in partnership with the Born This Way Foundation. Grants will support a series of local hands-on events July through September where young people collaborate and compete through activities such as hackathons, maker spaces, digital journalism and communications labs, and mentoring workshops. Programs must be based on the understanding that learning happens anywhere, anytime and should be equitable, social, participatory, and reflect kids’ interests. Applications are due June 10. More information can be found on the Digital Media and Learning Competition website.
MAY
8
NEWS ROUNDUP
By Molly Tomlinson
Two C.K. McClatchy High School seniors, John Spurlock and Keenan Harris, took first place in the policy debate division at the national Tournament of Champions last month. The win was unexpected because the C.K. McClatchydebate team is an afterschool program and has a significantly smaller budget than the private schools it was competing against. “What we feel is important is hard work and showing teams like us that are without gigantic coaching staffs or huge travel budgets that success is possible,” Harris told the Sacramento Bee.
The D.C. Council unanimously voted this week to increase funding for summer school by $4 million and to continue teaching as many city students as possible over the summer. The council added the extra funds after D.C. public schools said it would scale back summer classes this year. “The council also approved an ‘emergency’ declaration stating that all students who need extra instruction should be able to enroll in summer school,” the Washington Post reports.
Since January, afterschool students at Hoover Elementary in Crawfordsville have been training for a 5k run. The students started running after school through a partnership of Fuel Up to Play 60, Chartwell’s and Prairie Farms, The Paper of Montgomery County reports. Even after the afterschool program ended, the students kept running and training for a 5k race on Saturday. Proceeds from Saturday’s run will help the school buy equipment and fund next year’s afterschool program.
Afterschool students from Hoffman Elementary School were left scrambling when minutes before the Texas Solar Race Car Event at Gustafson Stadium, their entry was accidentally crushed by a fellow competitor. The students, with the help of their coach, stripped the wheels from a decommissioned car, applied superglue liberally, and returned to the track to place first in their heat and advance to the semi-finals. The team’s coach Patrick Ware told the San Antonio Express-News, “The most important thing I think they get out of it is how to work together. Things we have to learn as adults they're learning right there.” The afterschool students dedicated the past two months to their goal of engineering the fastest miniature solar car in the competition.
APR
25
POLICY
By Erik Peterson
With the House and Senate each passing their own budget resolutions last month, and the president’s budget request submitted to Congress earlier this month, the FY2014 appropriations process can now move forward. A challenge for Congress early in the process is trying to reconcile the House and Senate FY2014 budget bills. Reconciling the two is a difficult prospect as the Senate resolution has $92 billion more than the House does to fund programs.
Despite the differences, House and Senate appropriations committees have begun holding hearings on the FY2014 spending bills, including Labor, HHS, Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee hearings featuring testimony by Education Secretary Arne Duncan. At the House subcommittee hearing in early April, Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Nita Lowey (D-NY) emphasized the importance of maintaining strong investments in afterschool programs through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative and cautioned against diverting federal afterschool funding. As part of her formal statement, LHHS Subcommittee Ranking Member DeLauro addressed the need for an increase in funding while also noting her concerns with the Administration’s proposed changes to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative:
…I am also pleased to see this budget requests a nine percent, or $100 million, increase for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers… Mr. Secretary, you know some of my concerns in this area, I am concerned that the Department's policies seem to place an emphasis on extended learning time programs over traditional after school programs, which is not what Congress authorized this program to do. I am concerned that this particular request eliminates the current formula funding to states, in favor of a national competition.
The need for additional funding for 21st CCLC was echoed by Rep. David Cicilline’s (D-RI) effort to organize a ‘Dear Colleague Letter’ in the House, signed by 43 Members asking appropriators for an increase of $100 million for 21st CCLC. The following members signed the letter:
- Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ)
- Maxine Waters (D-CA)
- Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-CA)
- Jerry McNerney (D-CA)
- Xavier Becerra (D-CA)
- Jared Huffman (D-CA)
- Lois Capps (D-CA)
- Jackie Speier (D-CA)
- Mark Takano (D-CA)
- Barbara Lee (D-CA)
- Elizabeth H. Esty (D-CT)
- Joe Courtney (D-CT)
- Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
- Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL)
- Theodore Deutch (D-FL)
- Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL)
- John Lewis (D-GA)
- David Loebsack (D-IA)
- Danny K. Davis (D-IL)
- Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL)
- Andre Carson (D-IN)
- Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD)
|
- C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD)
- Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
- Sander M. Levin (D-MI)
- John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI)
- Daniel T. Kildee (D-MI)
- Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-At Large MP)
- Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM)
- Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
- Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)
- Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-NY)
- Brian Higgins (D-NY)
- Charles B. Rangel (D-NY)
- Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY)
- Matthew A. Cartwright (D-PA)
- David N. Cicilline (D-RI)
- James R. Langevin (D-RI)
- Filemon Vela (D-TX)
- Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA)
- Bobby Scott (D-VA)
- Mark Pocan (D-WI)
- Gwen Moore (D-WI)
|
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is leading a similar effort in the Senate asking for an increase of $250 million over sequestration levels. As of today, 14 senators have joined Sen. Boxer on the letter. Afterschool advocates are also weighing in on the need for additional federal funding for afterschool programs, having sent 1,300 emails to Members of Congress since February. There is still time to make your voice heard as well:
contact Congress via email to express support for federal afterschool funding as part of the FY2014 appropriations process.
APR
22
LIGHTS ON
By Sarah Simpson
We’ve gotten some great submissions for this year’s Lights On Afterschool poster, but we think there’s even more afterschool talent out there—and we want to see it! That’s why we’re extending the poster deadline to June 1, 2013.
And to help afterschool artists explore their creative side, our friends at Discount School Supply are offering $500 art supplies to this year’s poster contest winner!
Win $500 in Art Supplies from Discount School Supply!
Enter to win $500 in Colorations Art Supplies from our valued partner, Discount School Supply! DSS salutes all the creative artists who participate in Lights on Afterschool and contribute their imagination and drive to the vital cause of increasing the peace in their communities.
We are Discount School Supply, where arts, crafts and creativity cost you LESS. You are the movers and shakers who change the world, one child at a time. Thank you for your business and for your inspiration. Anna Reyner, Director of Training, Discount School Supply. For free art ideas visit our Art & Creativity Blog at annareyner.wordpress.com
Receive a free copy of our Recreation or Arts & Crafts catalog by calling 800# 627-2829, or visiting our website at www.discountschoolsupply.com.
APR
10
POLICY
By Erik Peterson
Today the president released his budget request for the upcoming 2014 fiscal year, which begins this October. With regard to support for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative, the president requested $1.25 billion—reflecting an increase of $100 million from FY2012 levels (pre-sequester levels). As was the case in his budget request last year, the president proposes to radically change 21st CCLC to a competitive grant at the federal level as well as prioritizing 21st CCLC grant funding for new purposes including adding time to the traditional school day or year, and for teacher planning and professional development.
In a challenging budget environment in which many programs face consolidation or elimination, the proposed increase in 21st CCLC in the budget request demonstrates the importance and value of expanded learning opportunities. Unfortunately, in the budget documents and most notably in the budget justification, the president makes the preference for expanded learning time (ELT) clear by indicating that unless ESEA is reauthorized before FY2014 begins, the Administration will request authority to use the $100 million increase for competitive grants to support ELT models.
The Afterschool Alliance supports 21st CCLC funds being directed to high-quality afterschool, before-school and summer learning programs that focus on hands-on, engaged learning that complements and enhances but does not replicate the traditional school day. While not mentioned in the president’s budget, the Afterschool Alliance feels strongly that 21st CCLC funding should continue to support the partnerships between schools and community- and faith-based organizations that help children improve academically, socially and behaviorally while parents are at work. For more information on expanded learning, see our expanded learning resource page.
Additional Education Department funding that supports afterschool and summer learning includes $14.5 billion (level with FY2012) for Title I and $300 million for Promise Neighborhoods. The Safe, Successful and Healthy Students program would consolidate safe and drug free schools activities as well as school counseling and the Physical Education Program into one $280 million program. Note that all budget request amounts in the president's 2014 budget do not reflect the sequester and assume Congress will restore the funds cut by the March 1, 2013, deadline. The Department of Education’s budget summary is online.
Other budget news for the afterschool community:
School Safety
The president has proposed a new, comprehensive plan, Now is the Time, to protect schools and communities by reducing gun violence and providing resources to schools. Approximately $112 million in new funds are targeted to help to prepare schools for emergencies, create nurturing school climates and provide intensive supports to students who are exposed to violence. Other activities include collecting data on indicators of school safety and providing guidance on school discipline policies.
High School Redesign
Another new initiative is the $300 million High School Redesign program that that promotes innovative ways to prepare youth to be college and career ready, including, “career-related experiences or competencies, obtained through organized internships and mentorships, structured work-based learning, and other related experiences.”
National Service
The budget requests $1.06 billion for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), roughly even with the Fiscal Year 2012 enacted level. The funding level supports 82,000 AmeriCorps members, includes $49 million for the Social Innovation Fund, and creates the George H.W. Bush Volunteer Generation Fund, a $10 million program focused on improving the capacity of nonprofits to effectively manage and sustain volunteers. The CNCS AmeriCorps and VISTA programs help support afterschool programs.
Child Care Development Fund (CCDF)
The budget provides an additional $200 million in discretionary funds for states to support high-quality child care (including health and safety) in 2014 as well as a $500 million increase in mandatory funding for CCDF. Over the next 10 years, a total of $7 billion is invested to maintain the availability of child care subsidies. The budget invests $1.4 billion in new Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships to support states and communities in expanding the availability of high-quality learning opportunities for our youngest children.
Community Service Block Grant (CSBG)
The budget cuts CSBG by almost half, providing just $350 million for FY2014. The budget proposes to use competition to target the funds to high-performing agencies that are most successful in meeting important community needs.
Juvenile Justice
The budget renews efforts to promote juvenile justice and prevent youth violence. The budget provides $332 million for the Department of Justice's Juvenile Justice programs and includes evidence-based investments to prevent youth violence, including $25 million to fund the Community-Based Violence Prevention Initiative to provide grants to replicate successful community-based interventions to control shootings and other serious gang violence, and $4 million for the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, which provides assistance for selected communities across the nation to develop and implement youth violence strategies. The budget also includes $20 million for the Juvenile Justice Realignment Incentive Grants, which, in tandem with the $30 million reserved for Juvenile Accountability Block Grants, will assist states that are pursuing evidence-based, juvenile justice system alignment to foster better outcomes for young people, less costly use of incarceration and increased public safety. Further, the budget makes available $23 million for research and pilot projects focused on developing appropriate responses to youth exposed to violence.
STEM
The budget proposes a comprehensive reorganization of STEM education programs to increase the impact of federal investments in four areas: K-12 instruction, undergraduate education, graduate fellowships, and education activities that typically take place outside the classroom—all with a focus on increasing participation and opportunities for individuals from groups historically underrepresented in these fields. The reorganization involves a consolidation of nearly 90 programs across 11 different agencies. Nearly $180 million will be redirected from these consolidated programs toward the Department of Education, National Science Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution to implement core initiatives in these four priority areas.
The Department of Education will restructure its own existing efforts to lead an initiative around improving K-12 STEM education. The budget invests $150 million, redirected from within the department and from other agencies, to support STEM Innovation Networks, which would be districts or consortia of districts working in partnership with universities, science agencies, museums, businesses and other educational entities. These public-private partnerships will work to harness local, regional and national resources to dramatically transform teaching and learning by implementing research-based practices, supporting innovation and building capacity at both school and district levels.
Also included in the Department of Education budget is $80 million for STEM Teacher Pathways to offer competitive grants to recruit, train and place talented recent college graduates and mid-career professionals in the STEM fields in high-need schools and $35 million to establish a new STEM Master Teacher Corps. STEM Master Teacher Corps members would make a multi-year commitment to build a community of teaching practice where they live, help students excel in math and science while taking on leadership and mentorship roles in their schools and communities and the broader STEM field, and receive annual stipends on top of their base salaries for their service in the Corps. Recognizing many agencies currently engage in various informal education activities to get the public, students and teachers interested in their missions and research, the budget redirects $25 million from these agencies to the Smithsonian Institution to improve the reach of informal education activities by ensuring that they are aligned with state standards and are relevant to the classroom. Look for follow-up post on the STEM aspects of the budget early next week.
Take Action! The president’s budget is typically released in early February and the late release in mid-April follows the passage of separate FY2014 budget resolutions last month by both the House and the Senate. The budget request now goes to Congress, where budget and appropriations deliberations for FY2014 are underway. House and Senate appropriations committees are holding hearings this week and next week to hear details of the education budget request from Sec. Duncan. Friends of afterschool programs can contact their Members of Congress to express support for 21st CCLC and federal funding for afterschool programs.
APR
9
IN THE FIELD
By Nikki Yamashiro
Are you a maker? Have you ever built a house made of cake, painted a mural, sewed a dress, designed a video game, or created something for school or for fun? If so, the Instructables Make-to-Learn Youth Contest is for you! Youth between the ages of 13 and 18 can share their projects by uploading photos, videos or step-by-step photo instructions to the contest website and answering four easy questions:
- What did you make?
- How did you make it?
- Where did you make it?
- What did you learn?
Three Grand Prize winners will receive a 32GB iPad mini; a $50 gift card to the iTunes App Store; and a $200 gift card to SparkFun, Home Depot or Amazon. Five First Prize winners will be awarded a $200 gift card to SparkFun, Home Depot or Amazon; and 10 Runner Up Prize winners will receive a $50 gift card to SparkFun, Home Depot or Amazon. All award winners will have the opportunity to star in a professionally produced mini-documentary. The deadline for applications is April 15. For more information, visit http://m2l.indiana.edu/make-to-learn-challenge/.
APR
8
RESEARCH
By Nikki Yamashiro
For D.C. locals, April brings to mind cherry blossoms and the start of spring weather. For the Afterschool Alliance, April means it’s time to release the new MetLife Foundation and Afterschool Alliance compendium! This week, we are disseminating “Afterschool in Action: Innovative Afterschool Programs Supporting Middle School Youth” at the National AfterSchool Association Annual Convention in Indianapolis, IN. This compendium features four issue briefs that explore the critical role quality afterschool programs play in meeting the needs of middle schoolers, their families and their communities. The issue briefs address arts enrichment in afterschool, the role of afterschool supporting successful parent engagement efforts, afterschool programs promotingmiddle school improvement efforts, and digital media and learning in afterschool.
In keeping with the tradition started last year, we have once again included in-depth profiles of the five Afterschool Innovator Award winners, including a historical overview of the program, main sources of funding and their recommendations for other programs. The award winners—The Wooden Floor in Santa Ana, CA; Latino Arts Strings & Mariachi Juvenil Program in Milwaukee, WI;Kid Power Inc.,—The VeggieTime Project in Washington, D.C.; Parma Learning Center in Parma, ID; and Green Energy Technologies in the City in Lansing, MI—share the inspirational work they are taking on with their middle school students, giving readers an in-depth look at each program’s mission, theory of change, curriculum, and institutional growth and development.
Additionally, in celebration of five years of MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Awards, the compendium includes an infographic showcasing award winners from previous award cycles. It is quite a proud moment to know, that with the generous support of MetLife Foundation, we have awarded more than $160,000 to 26 programs—in 17 states and 24 cities—that are supporting the growth and success of children across the nation.
I also hope that you’ll register for our upcoming webinar on April 25, Afterschool Innovators and Middle School Success. The webinar will feature three of the 2012 Afterschool Innovators, as well as share with you why these programs’ nominations stood out in the 2012 award selection process.
Be the first to comment on this entry.
+ Add a Comment: