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!

With the sequester now in effect, 3,400 AmeriCorps positions are expected to be cut.  A recent story in the Baltimore Sun illustrates the concern that many afterschool providers have about the implications these cuts might have for their programs.  At the Mother Seton Academy, a school for low-income children in Baltimore, AmeriCorps members serve in a number of vital roles, including helping out the afterschool program.  As the school faces budget constraints and teachers are overworked, AmeriCorps members expand the capacity for schools and nonprofits to serve. 

During a time of budget cuts, AmeriCorps members make all the difference in overcrowded classrooms, afterschool programs that keep kids safe or in tutoring programs that lower dropout rates.  A recent blog post on Service Nation argues that the small living stipend offered to AmeriCorps members costs the country far less than the price of a teenager who drops out of school.  With the wide range of services that AmeriCorps members offer, cuts to the program will undoubtedly have a large impact.  

AmeriCorps currently engages more than 75,000 men and women at more than 15,000 locations including nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community- and faith-based groups across the country.  During their year of service, AmeriCorps members help communities with a wide range of issues including disaster services, economic opportunity, education and healthy futures. 

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.

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.

This month we’re putting the spotlight on two of our grant opportunities for afterschool programs: the well-known MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Awards and the new Noyce Foundation Afterschool STEM Impact Awards.  Afterschool STEM programs can apply for an Impact Award now until May 15. The Innovator Awards nomination process has been moved to later this year—stay tuned for further details and key dates. These webinars will introduce you to both grant opportunities, complete with tips about the application and selection process.

Afterschool Innovators & Middle School Success April 25, 3:00 – 4:00 PM EDT   Since 2008, the Afterschool Alliance and MetLife Foundation have collaborated to highlight and expand the work of innovative afterschool programs supporting children, families and communities across the nation. Now in the fifth year of the partnership, we have awarded more than $160,000 to programs in a variety of categories, including digital learning, school alignment, service-learning, middle school bullying and college readiness. Join us to learn more about last year’s MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Award winners and hear helpful tips about the selection process. Register now!

Afterschool STEM Impact Award Insights April 30, 1:00 – 1:30 PM EDT   The Afterschool Alliance recently announced a new national award for afterschool programs offering science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) – the Afterschool STEM Impact Awards, sponsored by the Noyce Foundation.  This year’s award categories are focused on partnership models, and computing and/or engineering. This webinar will be incredibly useful to potential applicants as we will discuss the intentions behind creating the Afterschool STEM Impact awards and what we’ll be looking for in the review process.  The Afterschool Alliance team will also address the definitions used for the award categories.  Participants will have the opportunity to ask any questions they might have to help craft a winning application! Register now!

The Afterschool Alliance and the Noyce Foundation are excited to announce the new Afterschool STEM Impact Awards!  Two $10,000 awards will be awarded to exemplary afterschool programs offering science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to students in grades 4 through 8.

As afterschool STEM programming grows around the nation, we want to recognize programs that are clearly demonstrating their impact on participants.  Such programs highlight the power of afterschool programs as key partners in STEM education reform and can also serve as best-practice models. 

In addition to the cash award, winners and other notable applicants will be promoted nationally through a variety of opportunities—they will be featured in a special series of Afterschool Alliance issue briefs, invited to participate in webinars, co-present at national and state conferences, and generally highlighted as model programs.

1. Afterschool programs that are a strong partnership between an afterschool provider and a STEM-rich institution(s), which include science centers or museums, nature centers, universities, government labs, STEM-related businesses, or other similar institutions.  Programs may focus on any STEM topic.
2. Afterschool programs that have a strong computing and/or engineering component.  Computing is not about learning how to use technology—it’s acquiring the skills and knowledge required to create technology.  For the purposes of this contest, computing includes but is not limited to coding, programming mobile apps, and software or hardware design.  Engineering programs should be rooted in the engineering design process, and students should be developing and building a solution to a problem.

Additional details are available on the award website, along with a link to the online application.  Applications are due by May 15, 2013.

Know an afterschool program that’s perfect for this award?  Share this opportunity with your colleagues and friends.  We can’t wait to hear about the fantastic STEM programs across the nation and the impact that they’re having on kids!

AfterSchool.com is the one-stop shop for kids’ sports and activities (operated by the people behind Diapers.com and Soap.com).  AfterSchool.com carries everything kids need to participate in all their activities—sports, outdoor recreation, dance, arts and crafts, and more.  They cater to kids of all ages and carry top brands. 

Now, AfterSchool.com is offering our network of afterschool supporters a discount to check them out! Just enter code “ASALLIANCE” at checkout to receive 15% off your first order.  But be sure to return as many times as you’d like—every time you shop using this link: http://gan.doubleclick.net/gan_click?lid=41000613802350765&pubid=21000000000619180, the Afterschool Alliance will receive 5% of the purchase price! 

Remember—it’s not too early to start shopping for fun games and gear for your Lights On Afterschool event!

Last week our friend and colleague Richard Murphy, former National AfterSchool Association board chair and dedicated youth advocate, passed away in New York City.

Richard spent his career as a dedicated advocate for youth.  He provided invaluable guidance to the Afterschool Alliance during its formation, and we are grateful for the leadership and direction he gave to the afterschool field and the education community.

Richard was the founding director of the Rheedlen Center for Children and Families, now known as Harlem's Children Zone, and served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Youth Services from 1990-1994. During that period, New York City made an investment of $40 million new dollars to create Beacon Schools and YouthLine.

After his time in New York City government, Richard served as the Director of the AED Center for Youth Development and Policy Research. Richard led the Center in the creation of Community Youth Mapping, a model that has been replicated in more than 100 localities and
four countries.

Richard was a tireless and dedicated advocate who always believed in the limitless possibilities of our young people. He will be greatly missed.