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Archive for the ‘Resources’ Category

Six Flags Friends Scholarships!

Posted in Funding Opportunities, General, Resources on March 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »

DoSomething.org has teamed up with Six Flags Friends to award college scholarships to young leaders who are taking action to make their community a better place. Scholarships will be awarded based on past, current and planned action in the community as well as the applicant’s passion, commitment and proven leadership skills.

How many: Six winners will receive a $1,500 college scholarships

Application deadline: April 30th

For more information go to www.dosomething.org/six-flags/scholarships

Questions? Email Amanda at grants@dosomething.org

About DoSomething.org: DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the United States that helps young people rock causes they care about. A driving force in creating a culture of volunteerism, DoSomething.org is on track to activate two million young people in 2011. By leveraging the web, television, mobile, and pop culture, DoSomething.org inspires, empowers and celebrates a generation of doers:  teenagers who recognize the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action.  Plug in at www.DoSomething.org.

About Six Flags Friends: Six Flags Friends is a series of programs throughout the Six Flags family of parks that make a difference in communities by encouraging local involvement, supporting the mission of various non-profit organizations, and bringing the thrill of Six Flags to children and families across North America.

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AZ Child Care Empower Pack Best Practices

Posted in Resources on March 3, 2010| Leave a Comment »

The Arizona Dept of Health Services is offering discounted licensing fees to centers that register for the Empower Pack program to increase healthy nutition and physical activity choices for children and youth.

The Dept. has added a new resource online called Arizona Child Care Champions for Change – Best Practices

From the Table of Contents:

Best Practice #1: Model Healthy Eating Behavior

Best Practice #2: Integrate nutrition and physical activity into all curricula so that these practices are persistent throughout teaching and the childcare environment.

Best Practice #3: Practice the “Division of Responsibility” in feeding.

Best Practice #4: Provide the best start for infant feeding, including breastfeeding, developmentally appropriate first foods, and recognition of hunger and fullness.

Best Practice #5: Become partners in prevention-caregiver and parent involvement, education and guidance.

Best Practice #6: Use the environment effectively to promote physical activity and free play.

Best Practice #7: Plan menus and meals with the child’s nutritional needs in mind, therefore promoting physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.

For more information about the Empower Pack Program – http://www.azdhs.gov/empowerpack/index.htm

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Great Science for Girls Seeing New Partners

Posted in Resources on February 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Great Science for Girls (GSG) is seeking new partners. GSG developed a Request for Applications (RFA) and is encouraging intermediaries, direct service providers operating multiple afterschool programs, school districts, and other organizations to apply.  For more information and to view the RFA solicitation, please visit the GSG website: www.edequity.org/gsg/

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American Humane Invites Entries for Be Kind to Animals Kid Contest

Posted in General, Resources on February 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Sponsor: American Humane Association

Deadline: 4/15/2010

Amount: varies

Type: Social & Economic, Education

Description: Through the Be Kind to Animals Kid Contest, the American Humane Association recognizes kids and teens who show extraordinary kindness to animals and go out of their way to help them.

The contest is open to children (between the ages of 6 and 12) and teens (13 to 17) who participate in activities such as volunteering at animal shelters or for other animal welfare organizations; helping raise money for causes that help companion animals: helping save and/or care for abused and neglected companion animals: demonstrating and strengthening the human-animal bond; raising awareness in their communities about animal-related issues; and lobbying for laws that protect companion animals.

Two grand-prize winners (one child and one teen) will each win $1,000 and two runners-up will each win $500.

Nominators who are nominating a child or teen who is not their son or daughter must have the parent read and sign a waiver.

Entry forms are available at the American Humane Web site.

Link to RFP

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Find Youth Info

Posted in Resources on February 5, 2010| Leave a Comment »

FindYouthInfo.gov is the U.S. government Web site that helps you create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs. Included are youth facts, funding information, and tools to help you assess community assets, generate maps of local and federal resources, search for evidence-based youth programs, and keep up-to-date on the latest, youth-related news. http://www.findyouthinfo.org/topic_afterSchoolPrograms.shtml

There is a page for afterschool programs, and includes a mapping tool to find resources to support and strengthen youth programs:

Map My Community is a tool designed specifically to assist you in locating resources in your community to help you build and strengthen your youth program. Get ideas for new partnerships, identify gaps in your community, and learn about resources to avoid duplication of effort.

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MAKING SCIENCE COOL – NEW VIDEOS FROM TASC

Posted in Activities, Resources on February 5, 2010| Leave a Comment »

The After-School Corporation recently released a series of short videos that make the case for doing science after school. The videos are each 1-2 minutes in length, and show kids and their group leaders engaging in lively hands-on science activities in after-school programs.

Why Do Science After School?
Engaging in science after school is not a substitute for having kids acquire basic math/science skills and knowledge at school. It’s a way to excite kids about acquiring that knowledge, to involve them in tactile, surprising, real-world applications. See the telescope build by Harlem third graders in this video:
http://www.vimeo.com/8896015

 Science Training for After-School Educators
Programs don’t need science or math experts to lead activities. Well-trained after-school educators are in some ways better prepared to model the inquiry process, given that they discover the answers to science inquiries alongside kids. See the difference training can make:
http://www.vimeo.com/8896687 

Oobleck
Oobleck is a hands-on science activity that introduces kids to inquiry, observation and states of matter. Here’s one after-school educator trying Oobleck for the first time with her kids:
http://www.vimeo.com/8896274

Who Does Science?
At the beginning of the After-School Science PLUS curriculum, after-school educators ask kids to draw pictures of scientists. After several months of science programming, the kids do the “Who Does Science?” activity again. This time, the results are very different:
http://www.vimeo.com/8896981

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The National AfterSchool Association and the National Association of Elementary School Principals Release a Joint Statement about Leading a New Day for Learning

Posted in Advocacy, General, Research, Resources, tagged on January 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »

There simply isn’t enough time in a typical school day for children and youth to learn everything they must know and be able to do for future success in their world of work. We also know that kids learn every minute of the day. So it makes sense, now more than ever before, that all educators ­— particularly principals and afterschool program leaders — work together to structure students’ varied and diverse learning times and experiences in and out of school for maximum effect.

 Shrinking budgets are requiring Americans everywhere to use resources more efficiently. The economic recession is also a good time to look at what already exists with an eye toward innovation. The National AfterSchool Association believes that the time and places kids learn out of school are more vital to their success than ever before. We recognize that our work with children and youth must be seamlessly aligned with the efforts of educators during the regular school day. 

The boards of directors of both the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) have released a joint statement designed to lead the development of a new learning day not bound by place, time, or conventional ways of acquiring knowledge and skills. NAESP and NAA are committed to offering support and assistance to our members as they work collaboratively, side-by-side, to help all children by increasing their opportunities and access to enriching learning experiences. We challenge our members to think of leading a new learning day as a means to achieving innovative reform for both school and afterschool — not just another responsibility added to their workloads. Together we can achieve our mutual goals for children. We believe this visionary statement will guide principals and afterschool directors — those who are most directly involved and responsible for children’s day-to-day learning experiences — as they move the vision from concept to reality across the nation.

 ***
Leading a New Day for Learning aligns is an outcome of a report entitled A New Day for Learning, released by the Time, Learning, and Afterschool Task Force in January, 2007, and funded by the C. S. Mott Foundation. To learn more, visit newdayforlearning.org. To learn more about the National Association of Elementary School Principals, visit naesp.org.

Listen to former NAA President and CEO, Judy Nee, as she interviews NAESP Executive Director, Gail Connelly, about the development of the joint statement on NAA Radio. Click HERE.

Please go to http://naaweb.site-ym.com/?page=JointStatement.

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New Policy Brief: “Room to Grow: Tapping the After-School Workforce Potential”

Posted in Professional Development and Training, Resources on January 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »

More than a million people work in after-school programs throughout the U.S, including many for whom it’s their first job. In a recent policy brief, The After-School Corporation proposes ways to establish clear systems of professional development and easily navigable career pathways that link training and education with job advancement.
 
Good for programs and good for staff, creating a navigable career path for after-school educators is also a great job development strategy for related fields, including teaching. After-school educators are a highly diverse, motivated group of citizens who acquire valuable on-the-job training and experience in working with kids. Their participation in formal and informal training should build toward attainment of college degrees.
 
Promising approaches are documented in this brief, which is available at: http://www.tascorp.org/content/document/detail/2818/.

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Investments in Building Citywide Out-of-School-Time Systems – Webinar

Posted in Professional Development and Training, Research, Resources on December 2, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Join The Wallace Foundation for a Webinar on Monday, December 7, 2009
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/892489265

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/892489265

Join researchers and local leaders to explore Investments in Building Citywide Out-of-School-Time Systems, a study of the investments six cities-Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, New York City and Seattle-made in building OST systems. The study, commissioned by The Wallace Foundation from The Finance Project and Public/Private Ventures, can inform OST system-building efforts across the country-by helping stakeholders understand the potential roles and functions of OST systems and the range of resources needed to build a solid infrastructure. The webinar will present lessons for the OST field and highlight the work of local initiatives focused on quality, data and access, and financing.

Title: Investments in Building Citywide Out-of-School-Time Systems
Date: Monday, December 7, 2009
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

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Developing a Homework Policy

Posted in General, Resources on December 2, 2009| Leave a Comment »

School-Age Notes, long-time resource for afterschool programs, publishes a daily “note” – short, quick resources, ideas, inspirations and other information pertinent to out-of-school time professionals and programs. You can sign up to receive the daily email at http://www.schoolagenotes.com/

Children often arrive at their after-school programs with homework. If it is not done there, it will need to be completed at home.
Deciding whether to offer the time, space and resources for children to work on their homework is a unique decision that each program must make, according to the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST).

In Homework Assistance & Out-of-School Time: Filling the Need, Finding a Balance by Susan O’Connor and Kate McGuire, NIOST offers the following guidelines for making this decision.

The most effective homework policy will be developed when the opinions and needs of children, families and staff members are taken into consideration. Discussions should focus on balancing the research findings, the resources available to the program and the needs of those served.

Homework assistance and enrichment activities are especially important for children who are at risk of school failure. Some families cannot provide children with the quiet space, resources and assistance that they need to successfully complete homework. Without help from the program, homework may become yet another place where students with fewer resources fall behind.

Homework is only one way to support academic achievement. Programs can also offer tutoring, enrichment activities and recreational reading programs to help students develop skills and build self-confidence.

Children’s academic needs must be balanced with their physical, emotional and social needs. Children need time to blow off steam and have snacks, play with friends, build relationships with caring adults and develop their own talents and hobbies.

To order Homework Assistance and other proven and practical resources, please visit our Web site at www.schoolagenotes.com.

School-Age NOTES

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