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Weekly Media Roundup: April 17, 2024

The CARE Center Collecting Snacks, Books for Upcoming Summer Learning Program, WHNT (Alabama) In preparation for its summer learning program, the CARE Center in Huntsville, Alabama is hosting a food and book drive so each of the 300 students participating in its summer program will receive...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      04/17/24

Weekly Media Roundup: April 10, 2024

Detroit Kids Dance Through School Work at After-School Program, CBS News Detroit (Michigan) At the Let’s Dance afterschool program at Detroit’s Dufree Innovation Society, students work with teaching artists on dance routines with academic concepts built in. Afterward, the same...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      04/11/24

Weekly Media Roundup: April 3, 2024

At IPS School 43, Teaching Kids to Read is a Community Effort, WISH-TV (Indiana) At the Martin Luther King Community Center’s afterschool program in Indianapolis, Indiana, elementary school students are paired with mentors who encourage them to read through a variety of engaging...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      04/03/24

Weekly Media Roundup: March 27, 2024

The Opp Helps Mr. Calloway’s Students Thrive, Tulsa Kids (Oklahoma) Thanks to support from The Opportunity Project, students at the Culinary Arts afterschool program at East Central Middle School in Tulsa, Oklahoma are practicing cooking techniques while also learning about budgeting and...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      03/27/24

Weekly Media Roundup: March 20, 2024

Matthew McConaughey and ASU Are Helping an Arizona School District. Here's How, Arizona Republic (Arizona) Matthew McConaughey and Arizona State University (ASU) have teamed up to help a Phoenix-area school district apply for federal afterschool funding included in the Bipartisan Safer...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      03/20/24

Weekly Media Roundup: March 13, 2024

English Learners Stopped Coming to Class During the Pandemic. One Group is Tackling the Problem By Helping Their Parents, Hechinger Report In North Carolina, nearly one third of English language learning students were chronically absent last year, a rate significantly higher than the...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      03/13/24

Weekly Media Roundup: March 6, 2024

Charlotte Afterschool Program Aims to Break Cycle of Youth Crime and Violence, WBTV (North Carolina) In response to the 33 percent rise in juvenile gun violence in Charlotte, North Carolina, county leaders presented The Way Forward plan to city council members this week. The plan includes...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      03/06/24

Weekly Media Roundup: February 28, 2024

Program Designed to Boost Reading Rates in NW Tallahassee is Reaching More Students, WTXL (Florida) At Springwood Elementary School’s afterschool program in Tallahassee, Florida, students are paired with volunteers from United Way’s ReadingPals program, working together to improve...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/28/24

Weekly Media Roundup: February 21, 2024

Missoula After-School Program for BIPOC Youth Creating Next Generation of Leaders, KTVQ-TV (Montana) At the Association for BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) Youth afterschool program in Missoula, Montana, students of color build community, take part in mindfulness activities, and develop...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/21/24

Weekly Media Roundup: February 14, 2024

Viewpoint: Invest in Out-of-School Programs to Help Solve State’s Educational Challenges, South Bend Tribune (Indiana) Indiana lawmakers are considering continuing the state’s pandemic-era investments in out-of-school time learning, including afterschool and summer learning programs....

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/14/24

Congress wraps up FY2024 spending with mixed results for STEM education

by Della Cronin, principal of the Bose Public Affairs Group. The 118th Congress recently completed the fiscal year 2024 budget and appropriations process via the enactment of two packages of spending bills. The two massive measures each included six spending bills. The first invests $467.5...

BY: Guest Blogger      04/08/24

Million Girls Moonshot resources for April

Trainings for April  2024 ACRES Coaching: Asking Purposeful Questions Tuesdays: 4/16, 4/30, and 5/14/2024 11:00 am- 1:00 pm EST / 8:00 - 10:00 am PST Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      04/04/24

Engaging in the process of science using the FieldScope community and citizen science platform

By Jessica R. Bean, Ph.D., UC Berkeley. Throughout my career as a scientist and educator, I have strived to provide opportunities for learners of all ages to engage in the process of science in ways that are relevant and connected to their lives. As the Director of Outreach and Science for the...

BY: Guest Blogger      04/01/24

An afterschool STEM advocacy story

Photo courtesy of California Academy of Sciences By Rachael Van Schoik, Science Action Club Manager, California Academy of Sciences. My advocacy story is Science Action Club’s (SAC) advocacy story. A program within the California Academy of Sciences, a world renowned museum and research...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/15/24

Million Girls Moonshot resources for March

Trainings for March 2024 ACRES Coaching: Make Math Engaging Wednesdays: 3/20 and 4/3/2024, 2 - 4 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. PST Are you looking for fun ways to help youth build number sense and problem-solving skills? Math can take on new meaning when it is integrated into daily routines...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      03/07/24

Guest blog: Creating tomorrow’s engineers with Design Squad Latinx

By Nicki Sirianni, Education Outreach and Marketing Manager of GBH Education. Government, industry, research, and education leaders all agree that a strong engineering workforce is an essential part of the future economy in the U.S. and across the globe. Despite the need for more engineers,...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/04/24

Youth at the helm: Exploring sustainability through teen-led initiatives

By Lindsey DeLorey, Public Events and Youth Programs Coordinator at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has offered a teen program in various forms since the 1960s. Presently known as The Museum Apprentice Program (M.A.P.), it serves as a...

BY: Guest Blogger      02/23/24

Are you ready for the April 8 total solar eclipse?

Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash. By Dennis Schatz, Institute for Learning Innovation and past president of the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA). Do you remember the excitement around the 2017 total solar eclipse? Well, it is going to happen again on Monday, April 8 of this...

BY: Guest Blogger      02/15/24

February resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for February 2024 Click2Engineering: Asking Purposeful Questions Coaching 2/1; 2/15; 3/7 from 12:00 - 2:00pm EST / 9:00 - 11:00am PST Click2Engineering is offering an ACRES (Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM) training on Asking Purposeful Questions in...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      02/06/24

Looking ahead in 2024 – what’s coming up for our afterschool STEM work?

I hope the new year has launched well for all of you! After a year of changes in our afterschool STEM work and team, we are energized about the year ahead! 2023 saw us bringing on Leslie Brooks as our new Afterschool STEM Hub Manager to revitalize our federal afterschool STEM policy work. We...

BY: Anita Krishnamurthi      01/31/24

Congress wraps up FY2024 spending with mixed results for STEM education

by Della Cronin, principal of the Bose Public Affairs Group. The 118th Congress recently completed the fiscal year 2024 budget and appropriations process via the enactment of two packages of spending bills. The two massive measures each included six spending bills. The first invests $467.5...

BY: Guest Blogger      04/08/24

FY 2024 Appropriations update: Six spending bills passed; new deadline for education spending

Crisis averted. Yet again. The first week of March was another “shutdown week” in Washington, D.C. However, by week’s end, the House and Senate had passed a package of six appropriations bills that headed off a partial federal government shutdown, as funding for four spending...

BY: Erik Peterson      03/13/24

Biden administration releases FY 2025 budget proposal, includes afterschool related increases

Today, the Biden administration released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 discretionary budget request, formally kicking off the FY2025 appropriations process. With regard to afterschool and summer learning support, the proposal requests $1.3 billion for afterschool and summer programs funded through the...

BY: Erik Peterson      03/11/24

Office of Child Care finalizes their rule on the Child Care and Development Funds

The heavily anticipated CCDF Final Rule regulating Child Care and Development Funds became public on February 29, 2024. The Office of Child Care has a page outlining the changes and will be offering a webinar to the field on March 7 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. EST. The rule creates new conditions...

BY: Jillian Luchner      02/29/24

New draft for comment of Child Care Development Plan pre-print for 2025-2027

The Office of Child Care has published a much-revised draft of the CCDF Plan Pre-Print for comment. Comments will be due on February 21. The new pre-print aims to streamline some of the requirements in the former plan and prioritizes some important areas by clearly defining how states may...

BY: Jillian Luchner      02/12/24

Afterschool and summer learning called out in Improving Student Achievement agenda

Earlier this month the Biden administration announced a new effort focused on providing students with the support they need to accelerate learning and be successful in school and life. The Improving Student Achievement Agenda for 2024 was launched at the White House on January 17 and is focused on...

BY: Erik Peterson      02/01/24

Changes coming to summer meals program for summer 2024

While snow is on the ground in many parts of the country, it is not too early to think about summer learning and enrichment program planning, and how to ensure nutritious meals are part of all comprehensive summer learning programs. On December 29, 2023, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)...

BY: Erik Peterson      01/22/24

Extending the liquidation deadline of ESSER III funds to promote student success

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education released a letter sent to state education agencies outlining the process for requesting American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) funding extensions. The process will be similar to what was announced for ESSER I and...

BY: Erik Peterson      01/19/24

Appropriations update: Countdown till next CR deadline

Update – March 1, 2024: Today the Senate followed the House in passing a fourth continuing resolution which extends FY 2024 federal government spending to March 8 for four appropriations bill and March 22 for the remaining eight bills. This prevents a partial government shutdown from...

BY: Erik Peterson      01/18/24

Child Care Development Plan Cycle for 2025-2027 begins now with stakeholder input

Happy 2024! A new year is a time for new beginnings, strengthening what has worked, and changing what we need to improve upon. Child care policy is undergoing its own new year’s revisions, and as key stakeholders, school-age child care providers and afterschool and summer programs serving...

BY: Jillian Luchner      01/05/24

The 2024 Lights On Afterschool Poster Contest is open!

The Lights On Afterschool poster contest is officially open, and this year we’re looking for any artwork that represents the spirit of afterschool programs. To make things even more exciting, we’re looking to gather new or already existing materials. If your program has pre-made artwork...

BY: Shaun Gray      04/09/24

Where we were during Lights On Afterschool 2023

Students at Life Pieces to Masterpieces in Washington, D.C. Afterschool Alliance staff members were out and about at afterschoool programs during Lights On Afterschool 2023. Here are a few snapshots of events they participated in. For even more Lights On Afterschool event recaps, check out...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      11/30/23

Lights On Afterschool: Where on earth is Chris Neitzey?

Photo courtesy of Chris Neitzey; Madison Deputy Mayor Sanon addresses the crowd outside the Wisconsin State Capitol.  For Lights On Afterschool 2023, Afterschool Alliance Director of State Policy Chris Neitzey visited a record-breaking six Lights On Afterschool events across Wisconsin. His...

BY: Chris Neitzey      11/20/23

Lights, learning, and lunchboxes – An innovative partnership during Lights On

By Meredith Bush, Senior Manager of Education Business Development at Center of Science and Industry (COSI), and Stephen White, Chief Strategy Officer, Vice President of Partnerships and Business Development at Center of Science and Industry (COSI). Afterschool Alliance teamed up...

BY: Guest Blogger      11/09/23

Lights On Afterschool STEM extravaganza

With Lights On Afterschool season upon us and as the new STEM Hub Manager here at the Afterschool Alliance, I was eager to participate in an event elevating the value of STEM learning for youth at a young age. I was delighted to learn about and attend the inaugural STEM Extravaganza in Columbia,...

BY: Leslie Brooks      11/02/23

Top ten highlights from Lights On Afterschool 2023

Yesterday, the 24th annual Lights On Afterschool was celebrated by afterschool programs and supporters nationwide. With 8,000 different events held in collaboration with hundreds of partners and a million attendees, it’s hard to select just a few special moments to share...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      10/27/23

Today is Lights On Afterschool!

In Arkansas, students are completing an obstacle course with members of their local fire department. In California, they are learning to weave baskets and performing songs and skits. In Delaware, they are exploring careers from landscaping to banking; in Georgia, identifying native plants...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      10/26/23

Energy Superheroes join Lights On Afterschool events in Charlottesville, Denver, Houston – and Mons, Belgium

We’re thrilled to share that Energy Superheroes are joining in the nation’s celebration of afterschool programs, Lights On Afterschool! Energy Superheroes are real-life women with superpowers and careers that are leading the energy transition. Many of these women help to power...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      10/24/23

Celebrate Lights On Afterschool with these last-minute ideas

The time has come: we are officially one week 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      10/19/23

Join the Lights On Afterschool Lightbulb Challenge!

With just two weeks left until Lights On Afterschool day, the countdown to this annual celebration is well underway! 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...

BY: Lucy Maddox      10/12/23

Pandemic relief funds expanded support for underserved students in Minnesota

A recent report on pandemic relief funds showed the numerous ways that school districts are using federal funds to support students with afterschool and summer learning opportunities. A new spotlight dives deeper into one example in Minnesota and how St. Louis Park Public Schools used American...

BY: Liana Shivers      04/12/24

5 facts about rural school districts’ pandemic relief spending on afterschool and summer programs

In rural Washington State, one school district invested a quarter of a million dollars of its American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to create a brand-new afterschool program for the district’s elementary school students that provided extra homework help, STEM learning opportunities, and time for...

BY: Nikki Yamashiro      03/22/24

New fact sheet: Using American Rescue Plan Funds For Afterschool And Summer Programs

Following up on findings from the “Investments in Student Recovery: A Review of School Districts’ Use of American Rescue Plan Funding to Support Afterschool and Summer Opportunities” report, our new fact sheet describes the impact of American Rescue Plan (ARP) investments in...

BY: Nikki Yamashiro      02/26/24

Cultivating the next workforce generation in afterschool programs

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) provide new career opportunities for students by giving them hands-on experience working in afterschool and summer enrichment programs. Many 21st CCLC sites offer opportunities where students can be assistant teachers, tutors, coaches, and...

BY: Sophie Kidd      02/02/24

Afterschool and summer learning called out in Improving Student Achievement agenda

Earlier this month the Biden administration announced a new effort focused on providing students with the support they need to accelerate learning and be successful in school and life. The Improving Student Achievement Agenda for 2024 was launched at the White House on January 17 and is focused on...

BY: Erik Peterson      02/01/24

Extending the liquidation deadline of ESSER III funds to promote student success

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education released a letter sent to state education agencies outlining the process for requesting American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) funding extensions. The process will be similar to what was announced for ESSER I and...

BY: Erik Peterson      01/19/24

Year in review: Pandemic relief funds support the nutrition of young people

In 2023, we released eight blogs and collected over 550 examples on our American Rescue Plan map, highlighting some of the amazing ways pandemic relief funds are being utilized for afterschool and summer. These funds have supported youth access to arts, physical activity, mental health services,...

BY: Emily Murtaugh      01/04/24

Tracking American Rescue Plan funds: Recommendations from the field

By Emily Murtaugh and Liana Shivers. In October, the Afterschool Alliance released a new report, “Investments in Student Recovery: A Review of School Districts’ Use of American Rescue Plan Funding to Support Afterschool and Summer Opportunities,” detailing how districts are...

BY: Guest Blogger      12/01/23

American Rescue Plan funds support afterschool programs for Native American families

Native Americans represent more than 570 tribes, 3.7 million people, and 644,000 students across the country. The America After 3PM for Native American Families fact sheet highlights how afterschool programs play an important role in Native American communities by providing comprehensive support...

BY: Liana Shivers      11/28/23

Pandemic relief funds fuel partnerships

We’re highlighting ways that COVID relief funds are increasing partnerships to support out-of-school time learning, as a part of our series highlighting the wide variety of examples available in our map of City, State, and School District Investments in Afterschool and Summer Learning with...

BY: Sophie Kidd      11/07/23

The 2024 Lights On Afterschool Poster Contest is open!

The Lights On Afterschool poster contest is officially open, and this year we’re looking for any artwork that represents the spirit of afterschool programs. To make things even more exciting, we’re looking to gather new or already existing materials. If your program has pre-made artwork...

BY: Shaun Gray      04/09/24

Measuring Youth Development: How out-of-school time programs collect and use data

Data collection can be one of the most useful – and most challenging – aspects of running an afterschool or summer program. A new Child Trends report commissioned by The Wallace Foundation explores the ways OST programs gauge their work, challenges to collecting data, and tips to...

BY: Ursula Helminski      04/02/24

Find essential OST research on the new Wallace Foundation website

Notice anything new? The Wallace Foundation has recently unveiled a new website. To help users navigate the new site, the foundation has provided an accompanying FAQ to address common questions about the site’s updated features. While steps were taken to ensure that former webpage links...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      01/23/24

Culturally responsive STEM programming: Aim High awardee Geeking Out Kids of Color

This blog is part of a series covering the work of New York Life Foundation Aim High grantees. Awardees receive support for their outstanding out-of-school time programs serving underserved middle school youth. The Aim High grant request for proposals is open now through February 1, 2024...

BY: Maria Rizo      01/02/24

Now open: The New York Life Foundation offers grants up to $100,000 for OST programs serving middle school youth - apply now!

The New York Life Foundation’s 2024 Aim High grant competition is now open for applications! A total of 40 grants totaling $1.8 million will be awarded to afterschool, summer, or expanded learning programs serving middle school youth. This marks the 8th year of the Aim High grant...

BY: Tiyana Glenn      12/12/23

Phase II findings from the National Summer Learning and Enrichment Study explore how SEAs approached summer

Researchers at Westat released the second batch of findings from the National Summer Learning & Enrichment Study. The Wallace Foundation is supporting the study. This release is the second in a series of three reports taking a closer look at summer learning in 2021 from the perspective of state...

BY: Sophie Kidd      11/16/23

Energy Superheroes join Lights On Afterschool events in Charlottesville, Denver, Houston – and Mons, Belgium

We’re thrilled to share that Energy Superheroes are joining in the nation’s celebration of afterschool programs, Lights On Afterschool! Energy Superheroes are real-life women with superpowers and careers that are leading the energy transition. Many of these women help to power...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      10/24/23

Promising practices and innovative responses for high-quality arts programming in OST

Welcome to the second part of our series unpacking The Wallace Foundation’s recent report, “Setting the Stage: Practical Ideas for Implementing High-Quality Afterschool Arts Programs.” In this blog post, we will discuss the Youth Arts Initiative’s efforts to connect youth...

BY: Elizabeth Bannan      10/17/23

Guest blog: Sparking joy… districtwide

By Laurie Posner, communications consultant. This article originally appeared on the Mizzen Minute on October 2, 2023. It is being shared here with permission. As an out-of-school time professional, having vetted education content at your fingertips — for free — can be a huge help....

BY: Guest Blogger      10/09/23

Connecting young people with high-quality arts programming in multipurpose OST settings

Welcome to our two-part series unpacking The Wallace Foundation’s recent report, “Setting the Stage: Practical Ideas for Implementing High-Quality Afterschool Arts Programs.” In this blog post, we will discuss the Youth Arts Initiative’s efforts to connect youth from...

BY: Elizabeth Bannan      10/03/23

Congress wraps up FY2024 spending with mixed results for STEM education

by Della Cronin, principal of the Bose Public Affairs Group. The 118th Congress recently completed the fiscal year 2024 budget and appropriations process via the enactment of two packages of spending bills. The two massive measures each included six spending bills. The first invests $467.5...

BY: Guest Blogger      04/08/24

Congress poised to resolve FY 2024 spending with 6-bill package, including support for afterschool and summer programs

Update, March 25, 2024:The Senate passed the measure early Saturday morning, and the bill has been signed into law by President Biden. Update, March 22, 2024: The House of Representatives passed the FY 2024 six-bill package on Friday morning by a vote of 286-134. Read the statement by Jodi...

BY: Erik Peterson      03/21/24

FY 2024 Appropriations update: Six spending bills passed; new deadline for education spending

Crisis averted. Yet again. The first week of March was another “shutdown week” in Washington, D.C. However, by week’s end, the House and Senate had passed a package of six appropriations bills that headed off a partial federal government shutdown, as funding for four spending...

BY: Erik Peterson      03/13/24

State of the Union recognizes importance of summer learning programs

Last Thursday night, March 7, President Joe Biden delivered his annual State of the Union address to Congress. The president’s address centered on what he considers to be historic achievements he delivered for the American people and his vision for the future. Specific achievements mentioned...

BY: Erik Peterson      03/12/24

Appropriations update: Countdown till next CR deadline

Update – March 1, 2024: Today the Senate followed the House in passing a fourth continuing resolution which extends FY 2024 federal government spending to March 8 for four appropriations bill and March 22 for the remaining eight bills. This prevents a partial government shutdown from...

BY: Erik Peterson      01/18/24

Child Care Development Plan Cycle for 2025-2027 begins now with stakeholder input

Happy 2024! A new year is a time for new beginnings, strengthening what has worked, and changing what we need to improve upon. Child care policy is undergoing its own new year’s revisions, and as key stakeholders, school-age child care providers and afterschool and summer programs serving...

BY: Jillian Luchner      01/05/24

House Education Committee advances workforce bill

On December 12, 2023, the House Education and the Workforce Committee, led by Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) and Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.) passed H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act by a vote of 44 to 1. The bipartisan legislation reauthorizes...

BY: Erik Peterson      12/21/23

FY 24 Appropriations update: Continuing Resolution, education spending bills, and… shutdown averted?

Update – Nov. 16, 2023: Last night the ‘two-tiered’ Continuing Resolution that will keep federal funding intact until Jan. 19, 2024, (for Military Construction-VA, Agriculture, Energy and Water, and Transportation-HUDs) and until Feb. 2, 2024, (for all other federal agencies...

BY: Erik Peterson      11/15/23

Federal appropriations update: Are we headed for a shutdown?

Congress is back in session after its annual August recess, and at the top of their to-do list is addressing spending for the fiscal year that begins October 1. As we touched on last month, lawmakers are staring down a fast-approaching deadline for action on FY 2024 spending. It is clear that...

BY: Erik Peterson      09/15/23

Summer is ending! What is the status of appropriations for STEM education on Capitol Hill?

As is the case each August, Congress has left Washington D.C., for several weeks. The month’s slower pace gives STEM, education and afterschool advocates an opportunity to digest what happened in the frantic days before the recess and assess what remains to be done in 2023. The annual...

BY: Anita Krishnamurthi      08/28/23