What's in Store at the Afterschool for All Challenge

The Afterschool for All Challenge is a little over a month away and our team at the Afterschool Alliance is in high gear preparing an awesome two days of learning, discussion, networking, advocacy and celebration.  So what do we have in store?  Here are some exciting highlights:

On May 16, workshops will include:

• What Will the 112th Congress Mean for Afterschool Programs?  This session will offer an insider look at the current federal budget/policy situation.  If you’re tired of trying to keep up with all the talk of a government shutdown, short term and long term spending bills, FY11 and FY12 budgets, ESEA Reauthorization, etc. etc., but want to know what all this mess means for your program, then this is the session for you!  The workshop will feature Congressional staff as well as the Afterschool Alliance’s government relations team.  They’ll give you the inside scoop and let you know how you can make an impact.

• Facing Budget Cuts? How to Mobilize Support in Your Community.  Everywhere you look these days you see cuts, cuts and more cuts, but we know that when budgets are tight, afterschool programs are more important than ever! So how do you communicate that message in a compelling and enduring manner?  I wish I knew.  JUST KIDDING!  Come to our session on mobilizing your community in the face of budget cuts and hear from public relations, media and messaging aficionados!

• Afterschool Health and Wellness: New Developments, Resources and Funding Opportunities.  Concern over youth health and wellness, specifically the childhood obesity epidemic, has reached a fever pitch.  Increasingly people are looking to before school, afterschool and summer programs to provide physical activity, healthy food and nutrition education.  This session will feature key national leaders working on this issue, including Robin Schepper, executive director of the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative and Dr. Georgia Hall of the National Institute on Out-of-School Time.

And the fun will continue on May 17:

• We will start the day off with my two favorite things: food and celebration at the famed “Breakfast of Champions.”  We will hear from our honoree Dean Kamen, inventor and afterschool pioneer (he founded FIRST Robotics and in his free time invented the Segway!  Not too shabby), about the importance of STEM learning in afterschool programs.  We will also hear from some of our strongest champions in Congress, who will discuss why they love afterschool programs and how our advocacy can truly make a difference in the halls of Congress.

• After we have eaten and celebrated to our little hearts’ content we will begin the real work of the day—meeting with Members of Congress.   This is our chance to tell the folks who control the purse strings why afterschool is not only a wise investment, but an absolutely necessary one!

Not yet convinced? Check out the full conference agenda for more information.  With the conference fast approaching, now is the time to register!

See you on May 16!