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A deeper approach to drug use prevention

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A deeper approach to drug use prevention

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RECENT AFTERSCHOOL SNACKS

Policy

Congress set to reauthorize afterschool and summer meal programs
In the Field

Introducing our summer intern, Theresa Carr
In the Field

Strengthening our youth to face the teen vaping crisis
News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: May 15, 2019

FEATURED FOR May 21, 2019

Funding

Up to $20,000 for out-of-school time educators working with kids & parents

Posted On: 05/14/2019
In the Field

It's SAMHSA Prevention Week

Posted On: 05/13/2019
In the Field

Views from VISTAs: Updates from April 2019

Posted On: 05/10/2019
In the Field

A deeper approach to drug use prevention

By Heather E. Daly, Ph.D., director of Courageous Hearts, an organization committed to educating after school staff with drug education and prevention content; and Normandie Nigh, chief...

Policy

Congress set to reauthorize afterschool and summer meal programs

As afterschool program educators and advocates, we know that a hungry child struggles to learn. According to data from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), more than 13 million American...

In the Field

Introducing our summer intern, Theresa Carr

Hello, readers! My name is Theresa Carr and I will be interning at Afterschool Alliance for the next month. I will help plan the Afterschool for All Challenge next month, work on some blog posts, and...

In the Field

Strengthening our youth to face the teen vaping crisis

News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: May 15, 2019

Funding

Up to $20,000 for out-of-school time educators working with kids & parents

In the Field

It's SAMHSA Prevention Week

In the Field

Views from VISTAs: Updates from April 2019

Participants in the San Diego Expanding Access Working Group at their April meeting. Photo courtesy of Ray Nobles-Decadiz. AmeriCorps’ Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) work...

The key to incredible STEM learning in libraries? Strong community connections.

For this post, Dan Gilbert, project manager at the Afterschool Alliance, spoke with Megan Burton, STEM and learning supervisor at the Kitsap Regional Library, about their efforts to provide family engagement, STEM learning, and afterschool and out-of-school time learning...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/28/19

Promoting access to computer science for girls

Earlier this month, CBS’s 60 Minutes highlighted the work of Code.org in expanding access to computer science opportunities for girls. The 60 Minutes piece drew public attention to the growing number of tech-related jobs across the country and the lack of women currently filling these...

BY: Leah Silverberg      03/26/19

STEM learning in the president’s FY2020 budget proposal

It’s often said that a budget is a statement of priorities and last week a majority of President Trump’s priorities were laid out through his FY2020 budget proposal. Due to the partial government shutdown earlier this year, it was a full week before all of the details, specifically...

BY: Chris Neitzey      03/25/19

Free STEM resources for afterschool programs from Science Buddies

By Amy Cowen, online community manager at Science Buddies. Science Buddies, a non-profit organization providing free K-12 STEM education resources, strives to build STEM literacy by delivering fun and engaging STEM activities to all students, whether it is in school, out of school, or at home....

BY: Guest Blogger      03/08/19

Los Angeles libraries spark STEM learning and family engagement in OST

For this post, Dan Gilbert, project manager at the Afterschool Alliance, spoke with Eva Mitnick, director of the Engagement and Learning Division of the Los Angeles Public Library, about the library’s efforts to provide family engagement, STEM learning, and afterschool and...

BY: Dan Gilbert      02/28/19

National Leap Into Science Week celebrates science & literacy learning in OST

The week of February 25 to March 3, 2019 is National Leap Into Science Week, the annual celebration of Leap Into Science, a national program with a mission to integrate open-ended science activities with children’s books and literacy efforts in libraries, museums, and out-of-school time...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      02/22/19

Participate in new research on STEAM in out-of-school time

Are you an out-of-school time educator? The Innovation Collaborative is conducting a national study that will help outline effective practices for sciences, technology, engineering, arts/humanities, and math (STEAM). The first national study of its kind, your participation could help determine what...

BY: Leah Silverberg      02/21/19

In the field: Stand-out examples of quality STEM programming

Look no further for great examples of high-quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs! Our afterschool STEM program profiles feature 20 examples of afterschool programs providing innovative and impactful STEM programming to diverse populations of students. Each program...

BY: Leah Silverberg      02/14/19

Applications open for free summer immersion program from Girls Who Code

The Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program is a free seven-week experience for 10th- and 11th-grade girls interested in gaining exposure to coding and jobs in technology. Program participants will use computer science to create art, tell stories, make video games, program robots, build...

BY: Leah Silverberg      01/28/19

Get the latest afterschool STEM news in your inbox

The next issue of the Afterschool Lab Report is coming this January. Brought to you each quarter by the Afterschool STEM Hub, a project of the Afterschool Alliance, the newsletter provides the latest STEM education policy updates, new resources, upcoming opportunities for advocacy, and new research...

BY: Leah Silverberg      01/24/19

Weekly Media Roundup: April 17, 2019

Project Aims to Help Students Fall in Love with Math, The Brunswick News (Georgia) In the Roosevelt Lawrence Community Center afterschool program in Brunswick, Georgia, elementary students tackle math concepts through hands-on games and interactive lessons. Teacher candidates from the College of...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      04/17/19

Weekly Media Roundup: April 3, 2019

Maplewood Elementary Students Create Art from Trash to Raise Awareness About Recycling, Greeley Tribune (Colorado) After a discussion on recycling, students in the Maplewood Elementary afterschool program in Colorado were inspired to raise awareness of the issue. They formed committees within...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      04/03/19

Weekly Media Roundup: March 27, 2019

YMCA and Kroger Cooking for Good with Roanoke Kids, WSLS 10 (Virginia) A new YMCA afterschool program in Virginia teaches children about nutrition through unconventional snacks like chickpea cookies. The Cooking with Me program is funded by Kroger, a grocery store, and features hands-on cooking...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      03/27/19

Weekly Media Roundup: March 13, 2019

Sioux City Youth Have Fun While Learning About Science from Morningside Professor, Students, Sioux City Journal (Iowa) Each week, students in the afterschool program at the Boys & Girls Club of Siouxland in Iowa learn science from a local chemistry professor and his students through the...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      03/13/19

Weekly Media Roundup: March 6, 2019

Giving Back: Three O’Clock Project, inRegister (Louisiana) When Emily Chatelain was working for a charter network, she realized how many students relied on school meals for their primary source of nutrition. She was inspired to create the Three O’Clock Project, which connects...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      03/06/19

Weekly Media Roundup: February 20, 2019

After-School All-Stars Program Provides Safe Environment, Boosts Students Academically, KTNV (Nevada) Students in After-School All-Stars programs in Clark County, Nevada grow zucchini, write code, sew, and more. The organization serves 6,500 elementary and middle school students from 16...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/20/19

Weekly Media Roundup: February 13, 2019

After-School Program Teaches Students About Medicine, KGNS (Texas) A new afterschool program called “Little Medical School” is building pathways to health and medical careers for sixth graders in Laredo, Texas. Through the program, 60 students at four middle schools learn about the...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/13/19

Weekly Media Roundup: February 6, 2019

Viroqua, La Farge After-School Programs Join Forces for New Journaling Activity, Lacrosse Tribune (Wisconsin) A new initiative in Wisconsin called the After-School Journal Buddy Program aims to improve students’ literacy abilities and social skills at the same time. The program will pair...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/06/19

Weekly Media Roundup: January 30, 2019

After School Program Teaches Students Valuable Lessons About Money, CBS Miami (Florida) Students in the After-School Investing Program in Miami-Dade, Florida are getting a jump start on financial skills including managing cash flow and choosing wise investments. Jake Butler, a former economics...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/30/19

Weekly Media Roundup: January 23, 2019

Kids Create Inspirational Messages for Others on MLK Day, KSFY (South Dakota) Students in afterschool programs at the Multi-Cultural Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day decorating rocks with positive messages to place around their community and writing greeting...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/23/19

Hearings and letters: Support broadens on Capitol Hill for 21st Century Community Learning Centers

For friends of afterschool, the last week of March has been a busy one in Washington, D.C., with both the House and the Senate holding education appropriations hearings and letters of support for 21st Century Community Learning Center afterschool and summer learning programs submitted to...

BY: Erik Peterson      03/29/19

A 7-point plan to stop elimination of afterschool funding

On Monday, March 11, the administration called for eliminating all funding for afterschool and summer programs in the 2020 budget. The afterschool field didn’t miss a beat, springing into action to save the programs that 1.7 million kids and their families rely on. Thousands of afterschool...

BY: Ursula Helminski      03/14/19

Trump administration proposes eliminating afterschool

Today the Trump administration released its fiscal year 2020 full budget proposal. The full budget represents the president’s vision for how Congress should spend federal funds for the fiscal year that begins October 1, 2019 (FY20) and, for the third year in a row, proposes to eliminate...

BY: Erik Peterson      03/11/19

The 116th Congress is here: What afterschool advocates need to know (Part II)

As January winds down and the partial government shutdown on hold at least until February 15, it is a good time to look at the new 116th Congress: what are the priorities; what might get accomplished, and what are the challenges and opportunities ahead from the afterschool advocate’s...

BY: Erik Peterson      02/04/19

The 116th Congress is here: What afterschool advocates need to know (Part I)

As January winds down and the partial government shutdown on hold at least until February 15, it is a good time to look at the new 116th Congress: what are the priorities, what might get accomplished, and what are the challenges and opportunities ahead from the afterschool advocate’s...

BY: Erik Peterson      02/01/19

Afterschool in the shutdown

The partial government shutdown that began on December 22, 2018, is now the longest in U.S. history. The primary federal funding streams that boost local afterschool programs have largely been spared because FY2019 funding for the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Defense and...

BY: Erik Peterson      01/22/19

Closing out the 115th session of Congress: Lame ducks and new beginnings

Congress is working furiously to conclude the 115th session while laying the ground work for the 116th session set to begin on Jan. 3, 2019. Top priority for this “lame duck” session is finishing work on the FY2019 spending bills as seven remain in a holding pattern as part of a...

BY: Erik Peterson      12/13/18

Sen. Thune visits young afterschool advocates in Summit, S.D.

Summit, South Dakota has one paved road through the center of town. Recent counts place the town’s population at about 300, though Summit School, located in the middle of town, is the only school available to many more families beyond the town’s official count. “I mean it takes...

BY: Faith Savaiano      11/16/18

Midterm election 2018: First look at what the results mean for afterschool

With the dust still settling from the 2018 midterm elections, and several House and Senate races remain too close to call, there are a few conclusions to be made amidst the remaining uncertainty. At the beginning of Tuesday, all 435 House seats were up for grabs along with 35 of the 100 Senate...

BY: Erik Peterson      11/07/18

Afterschool goes to college

After celebrating an updated law in Career and Technical Education (CTE) in July, it’s natural to ask “What’s next?” in the education landscape for Congress. One thing on the agenda is the Higher Education Act, or HEA, which governs federal investments in making quality...

BY: Jillian Luchner      10/09/18

In Alaska, prevention programming for marijuana use is a new priority

This is the first of a two-part series on preventing and responding to substance use and trauma in Alaska. The next part of the Afterschool Alliance’s conversation with Thomas Azzarella will be published in two weeks. Alaska is not like other states. For starters, it has its own time zone....

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      04/19/19

Promising practices: Coaching Corps’ strategy physical & social-emotional health

This blog post was adapted from a program spotlight in the Afterschool Alliance issue brief, “A Big-Picture Approach to Wellness: Afterschool Supporting Strong Bodies and Minds.” Established in the late 1990s as Team-Up for Youth, Coaching Corps works to ensure that children in...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      04/01/19

Building a trauma informed care approach for afterschool programs & community-based organizations

By Jennifer Smith, afterschool program manager at the Center for Community Health Advancement, Marshfield Clinic Health System. Recently, schools, afterschool programs, and community-based organizations have shared the increasing numbers of disruptive and challenging youth in their programs....

BY: Guest Blogger      03/22/19

Advancing equity in children's health: New messaging resource!

The Afterschool Alliance has released an Out-of-School Time (OST) Health Equity Messaging Resource in collaboration with Voices for Healthy Kids and We-Collab. Designed to be used in conjunction with the Voices for Healthy Kids Health Equity for Public Policy Messaging Guide, the OST Health Equity...

BY: Marisa Paipongna      01/31/19

Afterschool Heals Tennessee: A Q&A on the opioid crisis

To help shatter the myths during National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, we bring you a story of how an afterschool state network is leveraging afterschool programs to support children, youth, families, and communities facing the opioid and substance use epidemic. In this Q&A with the...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      01/25/19

Guest blog: Let’s shatter the myths about drugs and alcohol

By Brian Marquis, public liaison officer, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health. Myths about drugs and drug use are pervasive, and for young people, it can be challenging to separate fact from fiction. Out-of-school time (OST) programs can play a...

BY: Guest Blogger      01/07/19

5 tips for a fun and healthy winter break

This post is part of Healthier Generation’s #HealthyHolidays blog series, highlighting healthy ways to celebrate and enjoy the holiday season at home, school, and work. This post originally appeared on HealthierGeneration.org. View all posts in the #HealthyHolidays series here. The...

BY: Guest Blogger      12/20/18

1,800 events promote health and wellness during Lights On Afterschool

Free fruits and vegetables, Zumba classes, color runs, yoga and mindfulness – this year’s Lights On Afterschool saw afterschool programs across the country celebrating a broad vision of health and wellness. National partners and local groups showcased the critical role afterschool...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      12/06/18

New report: Community programs important in preventing childhood obesity

A recent article, published in the current issue of Pediatric Obesity, “The prevalence of community programmes and policies to prevent childhood obesity in a diverse sample of US communities: the Healthy Communities Study,” examines the influence of community programs and policies...

BY: Marisa Paipongna      11/26/18

The Body Project: Q&A on a body positivity afterschool program

The Body Project is a group-based intervention program facilitated through NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) that provides young girls the forum to push back against the body ideal and engage in the development of healthy body images. This body acceptance education curriculum has proven...

BY: Erin Hegarty      11/20/18

Building a trauma informed care approach for afterschool programs & community-based organizations

By Jennifer Smith, afterschool program manager at the Center for Community Health Advancement, Marshfield Clinic Health System. Recently, schools, afterschool programs, and community-based organizations have shared the increasing numbers of disruptive and challenging youth in their programs....

BY: Guest Blogger      03/22/19

Afterschool takes a deeper dive into civic education

With the past few years have been full of inspiring displays of civic education and action from our nation’s youth, a brighter spotlight has been shone on the role that afterschool programs can play in supporting the youth who are inspired to take action in their own...

BY: Faith Savaiano      03/05/19

Guest blog: Fresh Air Fund offers city kids new experiences, connections every summer

By Alexis De La Rosa, an alum of The Fresh Air Fund in New York City. Alexis is a senior at Middlebury College in Vermont, and in Fall 2018, he studied abroad at Oxford. Alexis spent his summers with a Fresh Air Fund volunteer host family in Connecticut from the age of 7. Diversity, challenges,...

BY: Guest Blogger      01/29/19

Afterschool Heals Tennessee: A Q&A on the opioid crisis

To help shatter the myths during National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, we bring you a story of how an afterschool state network is leveraging afterschool programs to support children, youth, families, and communities facing the opioid and substance use epidemic. In this Q&A with the...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      01/25/19

Grant opp.: Up to $500 for creative community projects

The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation is offering funding of up to $500 to design and implement a creative program for your school or library! Public schools, public libraries, and public preschool programs are encouraged to apply. Previous successful projects have included a ceramic totem...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      01/18/19

The Body Project: Q&A on a body positivity afterschool program

The Body Project is a group-based intervention program facilitated through NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) that provides young girls the forum to push back against the body ideal and engage in the development of healthy body images. This body acceptance education curriculum has proven...

BY: Erin Hegarty      11/20/18

Public charge: What is it and what does it mean for afterschool?

One in four children in America lives in a household with at least one immigrant parent. Recently-proposed changes to the process of gaining citizenship could have major repercussions for communities and programs engaging with these families. Most importantly, these proposed changes could directly...

BY: Erik Peterson      10/30/18

Using visual learning & history to strengthen reading skills

Identity in Montgomery County, Maryland, is no stranger to afterschool and summer learning. The organization acts as a safe and enriching community for Latino children and their families to receive all the tools they need to be successful in school and in life. This summer, Identity programs are...

BY: Dayna Hood      08/21/18

New federal opportunities to advance two-generation approaches

In a new SolutionSERIES brief, “New Federal Opportunities to Advance Two-Generation Approaches to Improving the Lives of Children and Parents,” Ascend at the Aspen Institute explores new funding and policy developments that can strengthen two-generation (2Gen) system...

BY: Nikki Yamashiro      07/23/18

How (and why) afterschool programs can ensure a more accurate census

In June, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released their 2018, Kids Count Data Book, State Trends in Child Well-Being. This year’s report in addition to identifying trends in spheres of economics, health, education, family, and community between 2010 and 2016 (find your state’s ranking...

BY: Jillian Luchner      07/19/18

Beacon House, Comcast help students thrive in Northeast D.C.

By Kareem Harris, student at Friendship Collegiate Academy and Beacon House. Comcast recently hosted a celebration of Internet Essentials at Beacon House in Northeast D.C. Internet Essentials is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive high-speed Internet adoption program, offering...

BY: Guest Blogger      11/30/18

Youth voice: The power of STEM learning opportunities

By Archika Dogra. Archika, 16, is a high school junior at the Interlake High School in Bellevue, Washington who co-founded the EduSTEM Initiative, along with Evelyn Chen and Maya Srikanth, two juniors at Newport High School. Archika is also president of her school’s Technology Student...

BY: Guest Blogger      11/12/18

New polling shows America is for afterschool

Just in time for Lights On Afterschool, the only national rally celebrating afterschool, a new national poll is out that shows strong public support for afterschool. Nearly 9 in 10 adults (89 percent) agree that afterschool programs are important to their community, with bipartisan and nationwide...

BY: Nikki Yamashiro      10/22/18

Why invest public funds in afterschool?

A new infographic released by RAND draws our attention to the key benefits of public funding for afterschool and summer learning programs. Based on their 2017 research report The Value of Out-of-School Programs, which we covered here last year, the infographic reflects the evident need for...

BY: Rina Moss      10/05/18

Guest blog: You are never too young to have a voice

By Kyra-Lee Harry, 4-H Collegiate Leader/National 4-H Youth Action Citizenship Pillar Winner. Growing up, I was always that student who volunteered to present, answer questions, or do something that involved interacting with my peers and using my voice. Even at a young age, I knew that I had a...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/24/18

Guest blog: Afterschool makes "cents" for Georgia

By Jessica Woltjen, policy & outreach manager at the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network.  When the clock strikes 3 p.m., thousands of Georgia’s youth head off to explore their interests, develop new skills, and build upon school day learning at afterschool and youth development...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/18/18

Guest blog: Branding tips your afterschool program needs to achieve success this school year

By Susan Le, Senior Marketing Manager at Peachjar, who strives to help after school programs elevate their marketing strategy so they can reach families more effectively and continue to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children. In addition to developing your program curriculum,...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/17/18

How to amplify youth voice, from 2 youth leaders

The past year has seen a wave of youth and student activists who have made their voices heard on a variety of topics and taken the national stage by storm. It’s clear that many children and youth have important things to say about issues they are passionate about, and youth development...

BY: Faith Savaiano      09/13/18

16 afterschool leaders named White-Riley-Peterson (WRP) Policy Fellows

Sixteen leaders in the field of afterschool and expanded learning nationwide have been selected as White-Riley-Peterson (WRP) Policy Fellows as part of a partnership between the Riley Institute at Furman University and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Through deep discussion of...

BY: Jen Rinehart      09/11/18

In Baltimore, kids conquer uneven bars and bar graphs

To be able to guess what the students in the Barclay After School Program are doing for the three hours after the last bell rings, you’d have to keep up with a diverse and ever-rotating schedule of activities, from STEM contests to photography lessons, from arts programming to...

BY: Faith Savaiano      07/20/18

The 116th Congress is here: What afterschool advocates need to know (Part II)

As January winds down and the partial government shutdown on hold at least until February 15, it is a good time to look at the new 116th Congress: what are the priorities; what might get accomplished, and what are the challenges and opportunities ahead from the afterschool advocate’s...

BY: Erik Peterson      02/04/19

Public charge: What is it and what does it mean for afterschool?

One in four children in America lives in a household with at least one immigrant parent. Recently-proposed changes to the process of gaining citizenship could have major repercussions for communities and programs engaging with these families. Most importantly, these proposed changes could directly...

BY: Erik Peterson      10/30/18

Afterschool goes to college

After celebrating an updated law in Career and Technical Education (CTE) in July, it’s natural to ask “What’s next?” in the education landscape for Congress. One thing on the agenda is the Higher Education Act, or HEA, which governs federal investments in making quality...

BY: Jillian Luchner      10/09/18

Thank you, friends of afterschool!

In February of this year, parents, students, educators, and afterschool providers were faced with the prospect of the complete elimination of federal support for local afterschool and summer learning programs through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative—the second such...

BY: Erik Peterson      10/02/18

Opioid epidemic response legislation heads to House, Senate for final votes

Update Oct. 9: Both the House and the Senate overwhelmingly passed the final compromise opioid legislation (HR 6) in late September and early October – sending the bill to the president’s desk for signature this month. This summer both the House and the Senate overwhelmingly passed...

BY: Erik Peterson      09/28/18

Federal afterschool funding update, August 24

On Thursday, August 23, the full Senate passed a combined spending bill package, including the FY2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) spending bill and the FY2019 Defense spending bill. The LHHS bill was very similar to the one passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee...

BY: Erik Peterson      08/24/18

Several newly introduced bills would support afterschool, summer learning

While August is usually a slow month in the nation’s capital and Congress is usually in recess, this year there has been a great deal of activity during the doldrums of summer. In late July Congress passed and the president signed into law a reauthorization of the Perkins Career and Technical...

BY: Erik Peterson      08/16/18

Career and Technical Education (CTE) bill passes into law with new opportunities for out-of-school time

On July 31, the “Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act” passed into law, reauthorizing the major federal legislation, colloquially known as “Perkins CTE,” which supports students’ educational pathways toward high-skill, high-wage, and...

BY: Jillian Luchner      08/02/18

How (and why) afterschool programs can ensure a more accurate census

In June, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released their 2018, Kids Count Data Book, State Trends in Child Well-Being. This year’s report in addition to identifying trends in spheres of economics, health, education, family, and community between 2010 and 2016 (find your state’s ranking...

BY: Jillian Luchner      07/19/18

House appropriators maintain federal afterschool funding levels

The House Appropriations Committee marked up the FY2019 education and health funding bill on Wednesday, July 11, after a 13-hour session. The FY2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) Appropriations Act sets funding levels for all federal education, human services, and health and...

BY: Erik Peterson      07/13/18