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Weekly Media Roundup: January 29, 2025

Afterschool Program Introduces West Columbia Students to Technology, The Facts (Texas) Students at West Columbia Elementary in Texas are taking part in hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities in the new Robocatters afterschool program, which already has a long...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/29/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 22, 2025

Another Year, Another Long Waitlist for BUSD After-School Program, Berkeleyside (California) Due to ongoing staffing shortages, more than 200 students are currently waitlisted for afterschool programs at Berkeley Unified School District. Parents in the district’s PTA Collaborative on...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/22/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 15, 2025

New 4-H Program Will Bring STEAM to Area Students, KNEB (Nebraska) Students in rural Expanding Learning Opportunity programs in Nebraska are exploring aerospace, electronics, engineering, robotics and more thanks to a partnership with 4-H. The Think Make Create Lab is a six-by-12 mobile trailer...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/15/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 8, 2025

Parks and Recreation Secures Grant to Bring Physical Activity Education to Youth in Afterschool Program, WBIW (Indiana) More than 50 students in the Banneker Afterschool program in Bloomington, Indiana are taking part in fun physical activities this year led by Indiana University School of...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/08/25

Weekly Media Roundup: December 18, 2024

Mason City YMCA Teaching Social and Emotional Skills to Kids, News-Press Now (Iowa) Students in the Mason City YMCA afterschool program in Iowa practice communication, emotional regulation, empathy and more in twice-weekly social and emotional learning sessions, learning, for instance, to take...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      12/18/24

Weekly Media Roundup: December 11, 2024

Usher Helps Cut Ribbon On New Content Studio at Metro Boys and Girls, WSB-TV (Georgia) This week, superstar Usher visited the Whitehead Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta, Georgia, to unveil a new content studio he donated featuring soundboards, mics, computers and other audio equipment. The...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      12/11/24

Weekly Media Roundup: December 4, 2024

New Program Helps Connect Older Kids to Valuable Activities, Pigeon 605 (South Dakota) Through Sioux Falls Thrive’s new Youth Connect website, parents can explore afterschool programs available in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  “Our goal is to make it super-easy for families, kids...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      12/04/24

Weekly Media Roundup: November 27, 2024

Detroit After-School Program Mentoring Children Through Art, Music Looking to Expand, WDIV (Michigan) At the New City Kids afterschool program in Detroit, teen mentors inspire younger students to pursue music, dance, and the arts while also providing homework assistance. The teen mentors...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      11/27/24

Weekly Media Roundup: November 20, 2024

After-School Program Opens in Lewis County for the First Time in Years, WDTV 5 (West Virginia) Thanks to a partnership between the City of Weston and AmeriCorps, students at Robert L. Bland Middle School in West Virginia will take part in a comprehensive afterschool program this year....

BY: Magen Eissenstat      11/20/24

Weekly Media Roundup: November 13, 2024

Flower City Arts Center Empowers Students to Share Stories Through Photography, Spectrum News 1 (New York) Through photography, sculpture, and painting, the afterschool program at the Flower City Arts Center in Rochester, New York is empowering middle and high schoolers to express themselves...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      11/13/24

Afterschool STEM Hub’s Transition Memo to the Trump Administration

Photo courtesy of Million Girls Moonshot. Happy New Year, everyone! As we move into 2025, we at the Afterschool STEM Hub are gearing up to engage with the new Presidential Administration and the 119th Congress to continue advancing afterschool STEM. Our complex and changing world demands both...

BY: Leslie Brooks      01/30/25

Supporting youth to improve community well-being through afterschool programs

I am starting 2025 with gratitude to be part of a team and a field that is committed to supporting young people on their journey through life. Many young people have a great desire to make the world a better place, both in the here and now, and in the future. But too often, they are left out of...

BY: Anita Krishnamurthi      01/23/25

Empowering future innovators through Invention Education

Photo: Nicolette Buonora and Lauren Strechay with their invention, Battery Swap. By Samantha Rhoads, inHub Marketing Specialist at The Henry Ford. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This...

BY: Guest Blogger      01/13/25

Afterschool STEM Hub year in review

As 2024 comes to a close, the Afterschool STEM Hub is reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the year ahead. In working toward our vision of a STEM learning ecosystem where high-quality afterschool programs are well-resourced and accessible for all youth, we leveraged collaborative...

BY: Leslie Brooks      12/18/24

Final Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review of 2024 - A focus on youth-led community impact

As 2024 comes to a close, we are delighted to share the winter edition of the Afterschool STEM Quarterly Research Review (ASQRR) with you! This newsletter aims to provide you with summaries of recent research from the field of afterschool, summer, and out-of-school time science, technology,...

BY: Leslie Brooks      12/16/24

December resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for December 2024 ACRES Coaching: Elevating Youth Voice and Choice Wednesdays, 12/4, 12/18 1-3 p.m. EST / 10 - noon PST How often do youth in your program get to choose what they’re investigating or designing, the materials they might use and/or how they engage with the...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      12/02/24

Exploring STEM career pathways in afterschool

Photo courtesy of the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance By Hannah Lakin, ACRES coach at the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance. Without clear pathways into STEM careers, many young people—especially those from underrepresented communities—are missing out on opportunities...

BY: Guest Blogger      11/26/24

Launching EcoGIS: Mapping environmental justice and beyond

By Leah Boveda, Development and Comunications Intern at trubel&co. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs working at the intersection of STEM...

BY: Guest Blogger      11/19/24

GenAI in education: Potential and guardrails

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock By An-Me Chung, Director and Strategic Advisor, New America. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), a type of AI that can create new content, has sparked both excitement and trepidation in formal and informal education settings. Like many, we at New America...

BY: Guest Blogger      11/18/24

Inspiring Hispanic students through SHPE’s Virtual STEM Lab

Photo courtesy of Deanna Drako, Manager, Research & Impact, SHPE By Mariana Acuña Delgado, Director, Government Relations & Public Affairs, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). Early exposure to STEM degrees and careers is crucial for increasing the likelihood of...

BY: Guest Blogger      11/06/24

The Impact of the Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families Executive Order on afterschool and summer learning programs

This week several additional Executive Orders were announced by the Trump Administration in addition to the Orders put in place last week. Two new Orders, on Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families (January 29) and Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling (January 29)could...

BY: Erik Peterson      01/31/25

New Executive Orders could impact afterschool and summer learning programs

Photo by Edoardo Cuoghi on Unsplash. After being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, President Trump issued several Executive Orders on a wide range of issues, including several that impact federal agencies and regulatory processes. Below, we touch on a number of...

BY: Erik Peterson      01/29/25

Federal Budget Appropriations Update: Looking ahead at 2025

Photo by Samuel Schroth on Unsplash. While the 119th Congress has officially begun, the landscape is still shaking out in terms of priorities for the new House and Senate education committees. At least one, if not two, budget reconciliation bills are taking shape, extending tax credits and...

BY: Erik Peterson      01/29/25

OMB temporarily pauses federal agency grants, loans, and assistance

Update: January 31, 2025: Clarification that while the Administration’s Office of Management and Budget rescinded the memo from last Monday, the review and vetting of all federal assistance grants and loans (except those to individuals) being conducted by federal agencies is still underway....

BY: Erik Peterson      01/28/25

Afterschool Alliance sends memo to President-elect Trump’s Transition Team

On January 20, 2025, President Elect Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. Late last year, Linda McMahon was announced as the nominee to serve as Secretary of Education, pending Senate confirmation early this year. In anticipation of the new Administration, the...

BY: Erik Peterson      01/15/25

Guest blog: Federal alignment with research-based practices on school-age development and well-being

By Philip Steigman, STEM Next Early Care and Education & Out-of-School Time Policy Fellow at the US Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). To reach him, email psteigman@stemnext.org. Have you ever wondered how...

BY: Guest Blogger      01/14/25

After$chool Funding: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title I, Part A

Welcome to our series on funding and sustainability for afterschool and summer learning programs! We will be sharing information about top funding streams and how to access them every Friday during this campaign. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to make sure you get regular updates. TItle I,...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      11/22/24

Federal Workforce Pathways for Youth grantees announced, leveraging afterschool to support skill-building for young people

Earlier this fall, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the award of nearly $20 million in Workforce Pathways for Youth demonstration grants to six national organizations that provide workforce development and training programs to youth after school and over the summer. The grants will help...

BY: Erik Peterson      11/14/24

Election implications

Photo by Srikanta H. U on Unsplash As we all process the election results, we wanted to take a moment to assure you that we at the Afterschool Alliance will continue making a powerful case for the afterschool and summer learning programs that our children, families, schools, and the economy need...

BY: Jodi Grant      11/06/24

After$chool Funding: Child Care Development Block Grant

Welcome to our series on funding and sustainability for afterschool and summer learning programs! We will be sharing information about top funding streams and how to access them every Friday during this campaign. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to make sure you get regular updates. Federal...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      11/01/24

Federal Budget Appropriations Update: Looking ahead at 2025

Photo by Samuel Schroth on Unsplash. While the 119th Congress has officially begun, the landscape is still shaking out in terms of priorities for the new House and Senate education committees. At least one, if not two, budget reconciliation bills are taking shape, extending tax credits and...

BY: Erik Peterson      01/29/25

Appropriations Update: Continuing Resolution to fund the government through March 2025

Update: Dec. 21, 2024. After a hectic week that included a carefully negotiated deal falling apart, and then another possible continuing resolution (CR) falling apart, the House and Senate both passed a new CR late into the hours of this morning by bipartisan votes, avoiding a government shutdown....

BY: Erik Peterson      12/19/24

Practice and policy recommendations featured during UnidosUS and BGCA Hill briefing

On Tuesday, December 3, UnidosUS and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America hosted a Hill briefing titled Out-of-School Time Learning: Practice to Policy. UnidosUS published a brief of the same name in October 2024. Brian Ortega of UnidosUS began the morning by explaining the origins of the...

BY: Jillian Luchner      12/10/24

Election 2024 results: What may be next for afterschool

As the dust settles from Election Day 2024, the results have various possible implications for public support of afterschool and summer learning programs at the federal, state and local levels. Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant wrote on our blog on Nov. 6, “We will continue...

BY: Erik Peterson      11/13/24

Several new bills introduced that would support afterschool and summer learning opportunities

While Congress is on recess this month leading up to the election in early November,  three new bills were introduced over the past few months that could increase access to  quality afterschool or summer learning programs. The focus of the bills range from providing support to AmeriCorps...

BY: Erik Peterson      10/29/24

Bipartisan Summer Meals Act reintroduced in the House of Representatives

The bipartisan Summer Meals Act (H.R. 9406) was reintroduced in the House in late August by Reps. Larsen (D-Wash.), Smith (R-N.J.), and Peltola (D-Alaska) and would reform and expand the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) to increase access to the federal initiative that funds meals served by...

BY: Erik Peterson      10/28/24

Child care momentum continues with a re-introduced bill for CCDBG

On August 1, Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced the Child Care and Development Block Grant Reauthorization Act of 2024. The act builds on the current Child Care and Development Block Grant legislation last reauthorized in 2014. Additional co-sponsors include Todd Young (R-IN), Susan...

BY: Jillian Luchner      08/13/24

Senate appropriators propose level funding for 21st CCLC in FY 2025

The Senate Appropriations Committee released and marked up their Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill on August 1, 2024. The bill proposes $231.34 billion in base discretionary funding for Fiscal Year 2025, and the Committee approved the bill along...

BY: Erik Peterson      08/02/24

Summer for All legislation introduced in the Senate

On July 26, at Camp Courant summer learning program in Farmington, CT, Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced the introduction of the Summer for All Act. The new federal legislation aims to help provide high-quality summer enrichment opportunities to all children, youth and families, and...

BY: Erik Peterson      07/30/24

Senate Finance Committee examines the State of Child Care

On July 9, 2024, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing titled "Examining the State of Child Care: How Federal Policy Solutions Can Support Families, Close Existing Gaps, and Strengthen Economic Growth." This hearing addressed the urgent child care crisis in the United States. The...

BY: Jamaiya Nowling      07/25/24

Celebrating Lights On Afterschool with SHADES of Development in Knoxville, Tennessee

I spent Lights On Afterschool in Knoxville, Tennessee, with SHADES of Development! We kicked off the day at a Grab and Go breakfast hosted by United Way and sponsored by the Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB). This was the first year SHADES partnered with KUB for Lights On (KUB reached out, seeing it...

BY: Lucy Maddox      11/12/24

Celebrating Lights On Afterschool in North Carolina — with Usher!

In honor of Lights On Afterschool, I had the opportunity to celebrate by attending a two-day event hosted by Usher and Usher’s New Look Foundation in Charlotte, N.C. Usher and his foundation, Usher’s New Look, created a social impact tour where afterschool programs in selected tour...

BY: Tiyana Glenn      10/31/24

Top 10 highlights from Lights On Afterschool 2024

Yesterday, the 25th annual Lights On Afterschool was celebrated by afterschool programs and supporters nationwide. From Alaska to Florida, afterschool programs were hosting student art displays, STEM festivals, traditional cooking classes, scavenger hunts, student officer elections, and much...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      10/25/24

Join the Lights On Afterschool Lightbulb Challenge!

Photo courtesy of BOOST Collaborative. The 2024 celebration of Lights On Afterschool is next week! Still, it’s not too late to get involved and show your support for afterschool programs across the country. Even if you aren’t hosting your own event this year, there are still plenty...

BY: Lucy Maddox      10/17/24

Celebrate Lights On Afterschool with these last-minute ideas

The time has come: we are officially two weeks out from Lights On Afterschool day! Did you think it was too late to join in the celebration? Well, think again! Whether you want to partake in the Lightbulb Challenge or light up a local landmark, here are some ways to get involved in Lights On...

BY: Lucy Maddox      10/10/24

Passing the microphone: Ways to amplify youth voice during Lights On Afterschool

Lights On Afterschool is the perfect time to pass the microphone to the young people in your community and let them share their thoughts and experiences with a larger audience. From the planning to the execution, youth can be involved in all aspects of your Lights On event. There are plenty of...

BY: Lucy Maddox      10/03/24

Celebrate Lights On with the 4-H STEM Challenge

By Annia Quiroz, Integrated Marketing Manager at National 4-H Council. Looking for a great way to engage kids in STEM during this year’s Lights On Afterschool? The National 4-H Council's 2024 4-H STEM Challenge, Food for Thought, might be the kit for you and your participants. STEM...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/27/24

Transform your afterschool program into a fun-filled carnival for Lights On

For the sheer variety of activities, there’s nothing like a carnival to showcase all the ways your program supports kids and families in your community. Attendees of your celebration have numerous opportunities to explore everything on offer through booths or stations with different games,...

BY: Lucy Maddox      09/19/24

Make math magic

By Laurie Posner for Mizzen Education. Just in time for fall and Lights On Afterschool, Mizzen Education and Learn Fresh have teamed up to bring you exhilarating, free content specially designed for afterschool programs to help build math skills. The fun begins with NBA Math Hoops! Invented...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/18/24

Shine a spotlight on your students during Lights On Afterschool

Put the young people in your afterschool program center stage during your Lights On Afterschool celebration. Hosting a talent showcase is a great way to get students excited about participating in your event and to encourage families to come to the party and see what their children are doing...

BY: Lucy Maddox      09/12/24

Federal Budget Appropriations Update: Looking ahead at 2025

Photo by Samuel Schroth on Unsplash. While the 119th Congress has officially begun, the landscape is still shaking out in terms of priorities for the new House and Senate education committees. At least one, if not two, budget reconciliation bills are taking shape, extending tax credits and...

BY: Erik Peterson      01/29/25

Election 2024 results: What may be next for afterschool

As the dust settles from Election Day 2024, the results have various possible implications for public support of afterschool and summer learning programs at the federal, state and local levels. Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant wrote on our blog on Nov. 6, “We will continue...

BY: Erik Peterson      11/13/24

The latest research on the impact of afterschool and summer programs

A 2023 U.S. Department of Education report on 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) programs nationally found that nearly half of participating students who were chronically absent the previous year improved their school-day attendance in the current school year, while a meta-analysis...

BY: Nikki Yamashiro      09/30/24

21st CCLC Non-Regulatory Guidance finalized, includes updated information on parent fees

On September 3, the U.S. Department of Education published its final Non-Regulatory Guidance for the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) program. This guidance officially replaces the last edition of guidance published in 2003. The guidance aligns with the updated legislative...

BY: Erik Peterson      09/06/24

Senate appropriators propose level funding for 21st CCLC in FY 2025

The Senate Appropriations Committee released and marked up their Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill on August 1, 2024. The bill proposes $231.34 billion in base discretionary funding for Fiscal Year 2025, and the Committee approved the bill along...

BY: Erik Peterson      08/02/24

Senate Finance Committee examines the State of Child Care

On July 9, 2024, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing titled "Examining the State of Child Care: How Federal Policy Solutions Can Support Families, Close Existing Gaps, and Strengthen Economic Growth." This hearing addressed the urgent child care crisis in the United States. The...

BY: Jamaiya Nowling      07/25/24

Appropriations update: House Committee passes FY 2025 Education Spending Bill, Senate starts process

This week, both the House and Senate made progress on the FY 2025 appropriations cycle. The House Appropriations Committee continued to approve bills sent to them by the 12 spending subcommittees, while the Senate got its process started by deciding topline figures. House Committee acts on...

BY: Erik Peterson      07/12/24

Key House subcommittee makes deep cuts to education spending in FY 25

On June 27, the House of Representatives Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS-ED) and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its FY 2025 spending bill. Overall, the FY 2025 Labor-Health and Humans Services-Education bill (Labor-H) provides $68.1 billion for Department...

BY: Erik Peterson      06/27/24

5 highlights from the Afterschool for All Challenge 2024

This week, 200 advocates from across the country — including nine of our Afterschool Youth Ambassadors — came to Washington, D.C., as part of the Afterschool for All Challenge. On June 11, supporters attended meetings on Capitol Hill to urge their elected officials to support increased...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      06/13/24

It's the Afterschool for All Challenge! Join us on June 11

The Afterschool for All Challenge is back for 2024! Join us starting Tuesday, June 11, as we head to Capitol Hill to encourage Congress to make sustained investments in afterschool and summer programs. We know that afterschool and summer programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn,...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      06/07/24

Recapping the third Engage Every Student Summit

On July 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education hosted the third Engage Every Student Summit in Washington, D.C. Non-profits, representatives from cities and local governments, and afterschool and summer learning programs gathered at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library to participate in panel...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      08/01/24

Youth Voice Week 2024 was a huge success

The voices of young people are still echoing in afterschool programs across the nation, in the halls of Congress, and across social media after a powerful Youth Voice Week! From March 25-29, the Afterschool Alliance partnered with the Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society and...

BY: Maria Rizo      04/15/24

By helping create my afterschool program, I became the person I am today

By Ava Havidic, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. March 25 to 29, 2024 is Youth Voice Week! All this week, we will publish blogs from our Afterschool Youth Ambassadors, as they describe the impact their program has had on their lives and why afterschool is important to them and their...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/29/24

I'm grateful to my afterschool program for giving me a place to belong and helping me make friends.

By Gabrielle Haynes, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. March 25 to 29, 2024 is Youth Voice Week! All this week, we will publish blogs from our Afterschool Youth Ambassadors, as they describe the impact their program has had on their lives and why afterschool is important to them and...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/27/24

I have been led by my afterschool teachers, and now I am leading the youth of today.

By Jay'Len Clark, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. March 25 to 29, 2024 is Youth Voice Week! All this week, we will publish blogs from our Afterschool Youth Ambassadors, as they describe the impact their program has had on their lives and why afterschool is important to them and...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/26/24

Afterschool gave me access to opportunities that improved my outlook on life.

By Brandon Tibbs, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. March 25 to 29, 2024 is Youth Voice Week! All this week, we will publish blogs from our Afterschool Youth Ambassadors, as they describe the impact their program has had on their lives and why afterschool is important to them and...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/25/24

It's almost Youth Voice Week! Here's how to participate.

Next week marks the start of Youth Voice Week 2024, and all eyes are on the young people in afterschool. From March 25 to 29, we’re amplifying young people’s voices as they share the issues that are most important to them, and we’re inviting your program’s youth to...

BY: Maria Rizo      03/22/24

Afterschool is changing the narrative in my community

By Brandon Tibbs, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. Where I’m from, there’s three ways to be: a “Norbit” (a scholar), a “hoodlum,” or a baller. Afterschool programs aim to change that narrative. A typical day in the ComED youth program would...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/21/24

In afterschool, I had amazing experiences and got to meet amazing people

By Gabrielle Haynes, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. Throughout middle school, I loved going to the Boys and Girls Club afterschool, and I especially loved the staff. Being at the club felt like home to me; it just felt normal and comfortable. Every day, at about 2:15 pm, we would...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/19/24

In afterschool, we're building community and celebrating progress

By Edgar Euceda, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. One meaningful lesson I've learned in the Elsik Afterschool Debate Club, particularly as president of the club, is the importance of having a community that's not only supportive but also celebrates progress.  A few...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/14/24