Afterschool Snack

Weekly Media Roundup: December 4, 2019

Mentoring Matters: ‘A Soccer Life Foundation’ Players Share Passion for Sport With Community, CBS Miami (Florida) Last year, two high school students created a foundation that brings soccer instruction to an afterschool program in Miami, Florida. Twin brothers Sebastian and Daniel...

BY: Magen Eissenstat 12/04/19

Weekly Media Roundup: October 9, 2019

Crowell Looking to Expand Boys and Girls Club, Daily Mountain Eagle (Alabama) At afterschool programs facilitated by the Boys & Girls Club of Central Alabama, more than 75 students participate in an hour of physical activity each day and benefit from homework help, arts and crafts projects,...

BY: Magen Eissenstat 10/09/19

Weekly Media Roundup: October 2, 2019

After-School Program Named for Some of Sarasota’s First Black School Administrators, Herald-Tribune (Florida) At a new afterschool program in Sarasota, Florida, children living in a mixed-income housing community will create relationships with college students who serve as mentors, get...

BY: Magen Eissenstat 10/02/19

Weekly Media Roundup: September 25, 2019

East LA Board Shop Combines Skateboarding, Education To Keep Kids Off The Streets, CBSN Los Angeles (California) The Garage Board Shop, a skateboard retail store in Los Angeles, was originally a business opportunity for its owners. But soon, they converted it to a nonprofit that facilitates an...

BY: Magen Eissenstat 09/25/19

Weekly Media Roundup: September 18, 2019

YouthPlaces Is Offering Kids A Place to Hang Out Downtown After School, WESA-FM (Pennsylvania) When YouthPlaces, a Pittsburgh nonprofit, surveyed students about the possibility of an afterschool program to offer teens a safe, constructive space and also reduce loitering downtown, the response...

BY: Magen Eissenstat 09/18/19

Weekly Media Roundup: September 11, 2019

Junta’s After-School “Place” Thrives in New Home, New Haven Independent (Connecticut) The Neighborhood Place (TNP), an afterschool program in New Haven, Connecticut, can now reach up to 75 students with academic support and artistic programming since moving into a larger space....

BY: Charlotte Steinecke 09/11/19

Weekly Media Roundup: September 4, 2019

Expanding ROC Kids Read Literacy Program at Rec Centers, Rochester First (New York) This fall, more than 200 students will strengthen their literacy skills at afterschool programs in recreation centers throughout Rochester, New York. Spearheaded by Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren, the ROC Kids...

BY: Magen Eissenstat 09/04/19

Weekly Media Roundup: August 28, 2019

With New Bradenton Facility, Boys & Girls Clubs Will Serve Even More Youth in Manatee, Bradenton Herald (Florida) This week, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County in Florida cut the ribbon for a new, 37,800-square-foot facility where students will be able to learn healthy behaviors...

BY: Magen Eissenstat 08/28/19

Weekly Media Roundup: August 14, 2019

Connecticut Students Explore Plastic Consumption Project, Greenwich Time (Connecticut) A group of rising seventh graders in Greenwich, Connecticut spent their summer learning about environmental sustainability and interviewing local business leaders about plastic use as part of the Horizons...

BY: Magen Eissenstat 08/14/19

Weekly Media Roundup: August 7, 2019

Summer Learners Enjoy a 5-Star Taste of the Real World, The Westerly Sun (Rhode Island) Students in the Tower Street Community Center Summer Learning Program explored culinary arts, nutrition, sustainable farming, the hospitality industry and more during a recent trip to Ocean House hotel and...

BY: Magen Eissenstat 08/07/19

State of STEM learning in Congress and the White House

Rural STEM Education Act introduced in House A new bill, H.R. 4979 - Rural STEM Education Act, was introduced in the House on November 5 to address the lack of STEM education opportunities for students in rural areas. The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Rep. Lucas (R-Okla.) and...

BY: Chris Neitzey 11/15/19

Get the latest afterschool STEM news in your inbox

The next issue of the Afterschool Lab Report is coming in just a few days. 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...

BY: Leah Silverberg 10/31/19

Bipartisan Youth Workforce Readiness Act announced

In late September, plans to introduce the bipartisan, bicameral Youth Workforce Readiness Act were announced in the House and Senate by Sen. Smith (D-Minn.) and Rep .Josh Harder (D-Calif.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.). The legislation would provide funding for hands-on skills education at...

BY: Erik Peterson 10/03/19

4-H is seeking Game Changers this October

By Kittrina Thompson, digital marketing manager, National 4-H Council, 4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD) is an annual initiative inspiring kids everywhere to take an active interest in STEM topics through hands-on learning. Celebrations begin October 1, with participation across the country...

BY: Guest Blogger 08/22/19

Facebook’s Engineer For The Week program showed my students they are leaders – and just how far their skills can take them

By Afterschool Ambassador Andrea Bridges, executive director, The CARE Center, New Hope, Alabama. I think afterschool programs have special powers when they partner with businesses and organizations to broaden students’ horizons. So when I was recently invited by the Afterschool Alliance...

BY: Guest Blogger 08/20/19

Federal support for STEM and making in afterschool

Picture a center filled with computers, paired with a wood and metal shop, combined with a sewing studio, mixed with an arts and crafts room, filled with people of all ages building and making things to solve problems – this is the foundation of a maker space. Maker spaces were born out of...

BY: Leah Silverberg 08/12/19

An exciting, rewarding experience for our youth

By Afterschool Ambassador Gwynette Williams, director of Collective for Youth, Omaha. When teens are struggling with issues they find difficult to talk about, how can they ask for help? Recently, my middle school students identified that question as a social issue they wanted to...

BY: Guest Blogger 07/16/19

Views from VISTAs: Updates from June 2019

AmeriCorps’ Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) work to alleviate poverty by providing indirect service to their communities. Our afterschool VISTAs and the work they do are essential to the expansion of afterschool access for the children who need it most, especially in the fields...

BY: Marisa Paipongna 07/15/19

Afterschool makes a difference for middle school career exposure in CTE

“Imaginations are what will carry us to the future, and (for me) Digital Harbor helped to expand it,” 7th grader Jacob Leggette proclaimed in front of the full room at the Senate Career and Technical (CTE) Education Caucus and Afterschool Alliance Briefing on June 25. The...

BY: Jillian Luchner 07/09/19

Putting afterschool to work: Career exploration in out-of-school settings

By Jillian Luchner, Christopher Neitzey, and Austin Estes from Advance CTE. This is a cross-post of the first blog post in a series on the intersection of CTE and afterschool programs, exploring strategies and opportunities to bridge learning both in and out of the classroom. The original...

BY: Guest Blogger 06/25/19

More children are getting afterschool meals that boost their health and learning

By Clarissa Hayes. Originally published on October 25,2019 as a blog on FRAC Chat, the blog of the Food Research & Action Center. National participation in the Afterschool Nutrition Programs — which are key to closing the hunger gap that exists afterschool for many children...

BY: Guest Blogger 11/01/19

Lights On Afterschool events showcase healthy eating, stress management & active lifestyles

Afterschool programs are key players in ensuring children’s well-being, addressing challenges such as hunger and food insecurity, managing stress, encouraging physical activity, and avoiding alcohol and drugs. Many Lights On Afterschool events this year are showcasing how afterschool programs...

BY: Lisa Lederer 10/22/19

New issue brief: Afterschool fostering protective factors

In Colorado, the Montrose Recreation District’s Summer Enrichment Program creates a welcoming environment to help students feel safe to share their feelings. At Jóvenes de Puerto Rico en Riesgo, Inc. (JPRR), also known as Puerto Rico Youth at Risk (PRYR), one-on-one...

BY: Nikki Yamashiro 09/24/19

Bipartisan, bicameral Summer Meals Act would improve access to nutritious meals when school is out

Update, July 24, 2019: Reach out to Congress and urge their support of the Summer Meals Act via Rally Congress. Summer 2019 is here and members of Congress marked the occasion by introducing legislation that would greatly improve access to healthy meals during the summer months by making it...

BY: Erik Peterson 07/08/19

Recap: Annual Out-of-School Time Advisory Coalition meeting

This year’s Afterschool for All Challenge not only gathered passionate afterschool advocates together, but also included a meeting of advocates who support healthy eating and physical activity in the afterschool space. Through funding from Voices for Healthy Kids, a joint...

BY: Marisa Paipongna 06/28/19

For effective SEL, staff need to learn new skills, too.

By Heather E. Daly, Ph.D., director of Courageous Hearts, an organization committed to educating afterschool staff with drug education and prevention content; and Normandie Nigh, chief executive officer of A World Fit for Kids, whose mission is to prepare young people for fit and...

BY: Guest Blogger 05/31/19

Connecting the dots: Mental health and SEL in afterschool

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re highlighting the ways afterschool programs support children and young people as they face challenges including trauma, ACEs, substance use, and beyond. Read the full series here. As Mental Health Awareness Month draws to a close, we here...

BY: Dan Gilbert 05/30/19

Congress set to reauthorize afterschool and summer meal programs

Update, July 24, 2019: Reach out to Congress and urge their support of the Summer Meals Act via Rally Congress. 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...

BY: Erik Peterson 05/20/19

Strengthening our youth to face the teen vaping crisis

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 executive officer of A World Fit for Kids, whose mission is to prepare young people for fit and fulfilling...

BY: Guest Blogger 05/16/19

It's SAMHSA Prevention Week

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re highlighting the ways afterschool programs support children and young people as they face challenges including trauma, ACEs, substance use, and beyond. Read the full series here Every year in the third week of May, the Substance Abuse...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke 05/13/19

FY2020 appropriations update: Afterschool funding increased!

House and Senate appropriators reached an agreement on final subcommittee allocations to avert a shutdown and fund the government past the December 20 deadline. The final bi-partisan bill language specifying funding levels for all government programs provides $1.25 billion for...

BY: Erik Peterson 12/17/19

Federal funding update: Stopgap spending measure until Dec. 20

With federal funding set to expire on November 21, Congress voted to extend temporary funding for the federal government through December 20 with the president signing the bill into law yesterday just hours before the deadline. The federal government has been operating under a continuing...

BY: Erik Peterson 11/22/19

College Affordability Act presents a mixed bag for afterschool supporters

On October 15, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, introduced the College Affordability Act (H.R. 4674) (CAA) on behalf of all the Committee Democrats. Working expeditiously, the Committee then passed the bill on October 31 by a 28-22 partisan...

BY: Jillian Luchner 11/18/19

Share your yoice: Join the Let’s Talk About Election 2020 Youth Media Challenge

It is hard to believe, but the 2020 elections are just over a year away! Are you looking for civic engagement opportunities for youth in your afterschool program? Consider participating in Let’s Talk About Election 2020 youth media challenge, a free, standards-aligned program on KQED Learn,...

BY: Alexis Steines 11/12/19

Sen. Harris introduces legislation that would double funding for 21st CCLC

This week, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) introduced legislation that would authorize doubling the current funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, with the additional $1.3 billion targeted to summer learning programs. The Family Friendly Schools Act also establishes a new Title IV Part...

BY: Erik Peterson 11/06/19

Afterschool programs and a trauma-informed approach

“A trauma-informed, culturally responsive lens must be a part of everything we do.” This statement by Laura Norton-Cruz, Director of the Alaska Resilience Initiative, sums up the key message of last week’s Senate Afterschool Caucus briefing for Congressional staff which focused on...

BY: Chandler Hall 09/23/19

Appropriations update: Senate freezes FY20 education funding

By a vote of 301-123, on Sept. 19 the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4378, the continuing resolution (CR) that will fund the government through Nov. 21. In total, 225 House Democrats and 76 House Republicans voted for the CR; three House Democrats, 119 House Republicans, and one Independent...

BY: Erik Peterson 09/20/19

FY2020 afterschool appropriations update: Spending deal reached

Last week the White House, Senate leadership, and House leadership announced that they had come to an agreement to increase spending caps for FY2020 and FY2021. The deal, which passed the House last Thursday and is expected to pass the Senate and be signed into law by the president this week, would...

BY: Erik Peterson 07/29/19

Congress hears 2,000 voices unite: Keep the Lights On Afterschool!

June 12 marked the 18th Afterschool for All Challenge, and we made our voices heard! Supporters from all across the nation told Congress not to eliminate the quality afterschool and summer learning programs that we rely on to keep children safe, inspire them to learn, and give working parents peace...

BY: Ursula Helminski 06/13/19

Join the Afterschool For All Challenge from home

We’re just two days away from the 2019 Afterschool for All Challenge! Brave kids from across the nation, including our inaugural class of Youth Afterschool Ambassadors, are heading to D.C. to take the case for afterschool direct to their members of Congress. While they’re on Capitol...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke 06/10/19

Share your yoice: Join the Let’s Talk About Election 2020 Youth Media Challenge

BY: Alexis Steines 11/12/19

Bill White’s afterschool legacy

Bill White (right) at the After School Summit of 2003, a gathering which helped spur the continued growth of afterschool and summer programs supported by 21st Century Community Learning Centers. On Wednesday, William S. White, the former president, CEO and board chair of the...

BY: Jodi Grant 10/11/19

Afterschool programs and a trauma-informed approach

BY: Chandler Hall 09/23/19

Youth Afterschool Ambassador: "My parents were able to have peace of mind while I excelled in my education."

By Viridiana Gonzalez, Youth Afterschool Ambassador and junior at Texas Christian University. Although I grew up as a child in a low-income area with two working parents, I never knew the struggles that parents faced to keep their kids safe while trying to be financially stable. All I...

BY: Guest Blogger 07/30/19

Highlights from Utah's Capitol Hill Day and first-ever State of Afterschool report

By Kelly Riding, executive director of the Utah Afterschool Network. This past January, afterschool programs staff and students joined the Utah Afterschool Network for our second Annual Afterschool Day on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City to speak with legislators and advocate for afterschool. Many...

BY: Guest Blogger 07/12/19

A history of afterschool

Established fields have documented their history, and now thanks to Sam Piha, Temescal Associates, and the How Kids Learn Foundation, afterschool has its own historical documentary. I have been familiar with afterschool for more than 30 years and I still learned a LOT watching the one-hour...

BY: Jodi Grant 07/02/19

Sowing the seeds of afterschool programming in “afterschool deserts” in Illinois

By Susan Stanton, network lead, Afterschool for Children and Teens Now (ACT Now). Afterschool programs across our nation are doing incredible work and cover a wide array of services and outcomes. Yet the diversity in programming offerings can also make it difficult for program providers to...

BY: Guest Blogger 06/24/19

Afterschool advocates talk 21st CCLC, Higher Education Act, and child nutrition on Capitol Hill

It has been one week since my favorite days of the year: hundreds of students, parents, providers and other advocates took to Capitol Hill for the Afterschool for All Challenge. The 18th Afterschool for All Challenge featured almost 200 individuals from 41 states in more than 175 meetings with...

BY: Erik Peterson 06/20/19

Guest blog: Self-care ideas: Give 1/Get 8

By Daniel W. Hatcher, MPH, director of Community Partnerships at Alliance for a Healthier Generation. This blog post was originally published on March 21, 2019 on the BOOST Breakfast Club blog. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re highlighting the ways afterschool...

BY: Guest Blogger 05/07/19

This Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week, let’s celebrate helping students find their voice

Justin (center) and students at Loyola University in New Orleans By Justin Pinn, director, Strategic Initiatives, Teach for America Miami-Dade. In honor of Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week, the Afterschool Snack will feature stories from our Afterschool Ambassadors and other...

BY: Guest Blogger 04/25/19

FY2020 appropriations update: Afterschool funding increased!

BY: Erik Peterson 12/17/19

Federal funding update: Stopgap spending measure until Dec. 20

BY: Erik Peterson 11/22/19

College Affordability Act presents a mixed bag for afterschool supporters

BY: Jillian Luchner 11/18/19

State of STEM learning in Congress and the White House

BY: Chris Neitzey 11/15/19

Bipartisan Youth Workforce Readiness Act announced

BY: Erik Peterson 10/03/19

Appropriations update: Senate freezes FY20 education funding

BY: Erik Peterson 09/20/19

Putting afterschool to work: Career exploration in out-of-school settings

BY: Guest Blogger 06/25/19

Congress set to reauthorize afterschool and summer meal programs

BY: Erik Peterson 05/20/19

House appropriators propose substantial increase to 21st CCLC afterschool funding

Update: On May 8, the full House Appropriations Committee voted to approve the FY2020 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS) and Related Agencies Appropriations Act by a party line vote of 30 to 23, sending the bill on to the House floor. The approved bill included several changes...

BY: Erik Peterson 05/01/19

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

Afterschool turns the peak time for crime into a time of opportunity for young people

For close to 20 years, we at the Afterschool Alliance have been dedicated to the cause of expanding afterschool opportunities because we know the life changing impact programs can have on children, on families, and on communities. Today, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids released a new report that...

BY: Jodi Grant 10/16/19

New issue brief: Afterschool fostering protective factors

BY: Nikki Yamashiro 09/24/19

Youth Afterschool Ambassador: "My parents were able to have peace of mind while I excelled in my education."

BY: Guest Blogger 07/30/19

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

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

Archives:

Putting afterschool to work: High-impact work-based learning in New Orleans

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Putting afterschool to work: High-impact work-based learning in New Orleans

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State of STEM learning in Congress and the White House

Get the latest afterschool STEM news in your inbox

Bipartisan Youth Workforce Readiness Act announced

4-H is seeking Game Changers this October

Facebook’s Engineer For The Week program showed my students they are leaders – and just how far their skills can take them

Federal support for STEM and making in afterschool

An exciting, rewarding experience for our youth

Views from VISTAs: Updates from June 2019

Afterschool makes a difference for middle school career exposure in CTE

Putting afterschool to work: Career exploration in out-of-school settings

More children are getting afterschool meals that boost their health and learning

Lights On Afterschool events showcase healthy eating, stress management & active lifestyles

New issue brief: Afterschool fostering protective factors

Bipartisan, bicameral Summer Meals Act would improve access to nutritious meals when school is out

Recap: Annual Out-of-School Time Advisory Coalition meeting

For effective SEL, staff need to learn new skills, too.

Connecting the dots: Mental health and SEL in afterschool

Congress set to reauthorize afterschool and summer meal programs

Strengthening our youth to face the teen vaping crisis

It's SAMHSA Prevention Week

FY2020 appropriations update: Afterschool funding increased!

Federal funding update: Stopgap spending measure until Dec. 20

College Affordability Act presents a mixed bag for afterschool supporters

Share your yoice: Join the Let’s Talk About Election 2020 Youth Media Challenge

Sen. Harris introduces legislation that would double funding for 21st CCLC

Afterschool programs and a trauma-informed approach

Appropriations update: Senate freezes FY20 education funding

FY2020 afterschool appropriations update: Spending deal reached

Congress hears 2,000 voices unite: Keep the Lights On Afterschool!

Join the Afterschool For All Challenge from home

Share your yoice: Join the Let’s Talk About Election 2020 Youth Media Challenge

Bill White’s afterschool legacy

Afterschool programs and a trauma-informed approach

Youth Afterschool Ambassador: "My parents were able to have peace of mind while I excelled in my education."

Highlights from Utah's Capitol Hill Day and first-ever State of Afterschool report

A history of afterschool

Sowing the seeds of afterschool programming in “afterschool deserts” in Illinois