Students Learning Spanish After School

First and second graders in the Mary K. Goode School in Middleboro, Massachusetts will be learning Spanish afterschool as part of their participation in the Global Child Program for the second year in a row. Since research shows that children in the first and second grades are better able to learn another language, Middleboro and 25 other communities in Massachusetts are making this opportunity available. For more information, check out the Global Child website.

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Launches Inner City Afterschool Program

Inspired by a countrywide program in Venezuela that brings music to several hundred thousand low-income children, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has launched OrchKids. OrchKids will be piloted initially in an elementary afterschool program where students will be taught the basics of music in the first year and will choose an instrument to study in subsequent years.

JC Penney Customers Contribute $840,000 for Afterschool Programs

Last month, the JCPenney Corporation embarked on their Afterschool Round-Up Campaign. Over a 10-day period, JCPenney customers had the option of rounding up the amount of the purchases to the nearest whole dollar and donate the difference to JCPenney's Afterschool Fund. As a result, customers donated $840,000 in which JCPenney contributed an additional $500,000 to make available $1.3M for afterschool programs nationally.

BOSTNet and United Way Sponsor Families Matter 2008 Conference - June 6

Just a reminder that BOSTNet and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley will be sponsoring the Families Matter 2008 Conference next Friday, June 6 from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the United Way. This conference will focus on the tools, tips and techniques for afterschool providers who work in the field.

Click here to register.

BOSTNet's Inclusion Network

BOSTNet's has developed an important resource for afterschool program providers who work or want to work with children and youth with special needs. The Inclusion and Referral Network provides information in the following areas:

* Arts and Inclusion
* Behavior and Inclusion (coming soon)
* Literacy and Inclusion
* Sports and Inclusion

They have also created an interactive map where you can locate a specific disability resource based on the disability that a child has.

Afterschool providers can also join a group where "members [can] communicate ideas, latest trends, resources or ask questions and create partnerships. You can join this group by clicking this link: http://groups.google.com/group/bostnetinclusion

Sharing What Works: Sustainability Models and Plans

I attended a great meeting yesterday where a cohort of MA 21st CCLC Project Coordinators shared their sustainability plans. Skillfully facilitated by Beth Newell, folks were able to share what inspires them as they work in their communities to sustain their quality afterschool programming.

Barbara Sargent, Worcester's 21st CCLC Coordinator, shared a model created by Harvard's Public Education Leadership Project (PELP) called the PELP Coherence Framework. This framework is designed to "help leaders identify the key elements that support a district-wide improvement strategy and to bring these elements into a coherent and integrated relationship. School district leaders leverage this framework to develop strategies that work towards improving student performance throughout the district."

And how does this relate to sustaining afterschool programs? As ably described by Ms. Sargent, this framework contains all the components that are necessary to successfully operate quality afterschool programs as well. It has an added benefit of building off the educational trajectory that starts in the school day so that young people can benefit from a great educational experience after school.

Exciting work is being done across the MA 21st CCLC sites to sustain this important work. Your ideas, plans, and models will continued to be shared here, in the newsletter and in meetings so that we can all continue to learn what works!

Massachusetts Senate Increases Funding for Afterschool Programs

The Massachusetts Senate voted last night to increase funding for the ASOST Quality Grant Program by $450,000. Earlier this month, the Massachusetts House of Representatives increased funding for this important program by $3M. Overall this means that $5.45M will be available for afterschool programs in FY09, an increase of $3.45M from last year.

Co-Chairs, Senator Thomas McGee and Representative Marie St. Fleur, Co-Chairs of the Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time are to be commended for their leadership during the budget debate. These additional resources is a very exciting development for the field, particularly considering the difficult fiscal climate the state is facing this coming year.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, who administers the ASOST Quality Grant Program, will continue to work on the grant requirements for this coming year. Look to this blog for additional details as they become available.

FRAC's Afterschool Resource Center

The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), is the leading national nonprofit organization working to improve public policies and public-private partnerships to eradicate hunger and undernutrition in the United States. FRAC works with hundreds of national, state and local nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and corporations to address hunger and its root cause, poverty.

FRAC’s has created an Afterschool Resource Center. This Center provides a variety of information, best practices, outreach materials, tools and strategies to help afterschool providers and anti-hunger advocates get more healthy snacks and meals to children including a Summer Outreach Toolkit and a Child Nutrition Blog.

Text courtesy of FRAC's website.

USDA Issues Request for Written Comments - Due October 15, 2008

USDA Issues a Request for Written Comments for Improving the Child Nutrition and WIC Programs in 2009 Reauthorization

Today USDA issued a request for public comments in the Federal Register: Request for Public Comments for Use in Preparing the 2009 Reauthorization of the Child Nutrition and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.

There is plenty of time to respond. The comment period ends October 15, 2008. FRAC will provide model comments and various other materials during the period leading up to October 15th, with enough lead time to make follow-up easy.

USDA states that "Commenters will be asked to address, but not be limited to, issues related to specific aspects of WIC, the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, and Special Milk Program. Key among these are:

• Strengthening program management and improving nutrition services,
• Ensuring that all eligible persons have access to program benefits, and
• Advancing technology and innovation."

These three points are the same as those generally being announced as key topics for the regional listening sessions. They are important topics, but advocates and providers should by no means feel limited by them. For example, while USDA's situation may lead it to emphasize "ensuring that all eligible persons have access to program benefits," individuals and groups should also point out ways to improve eligibility rules so that all people in need have access and the programs are more efficient and effective. And USDA does say it expects and wants comments beyond these three important topics.

In short, we encourage you to describe all the ways in which you believe Congress should improve these programs. This comment period and the regional hearings will be important opportunities for anti-hunger, healthy eating, children's health, out-of-school time and education advocates, service providers, program administrators, state and local officials and others to provide recommendations on improving access, meal quality and nutrition in the programs that are due for reauthorization: school breakfast and lunch, summer feeding, afterschool and child and adult care food programs, fresh fruit and vegetable program, WIC and the WIC farmers' market nutrition program.

For a copy of the USDA request for public comments go to FRAC's website:

FRAC Contacts:
Ellen Teller (202) 986-2200 ext. 3013 eteller@frac.org
Crystal FitzSimons (202) 986-2200 ext. 3006 cfitzsimons@frac.org
Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Center: http://www.frac.org/html/federal_food_programs/cnreauthor/cnrc.htm

About Us: The Food Research and Action Center is the leading national organization working for more effective public and private policies to eradicate domestic hunger and undernutrition. Visit our Web site to learn more.

Listing courtesy of FRAC.


Editor's Note: For those of you who provide afterschool snacks and/or food for your summer afterschool program, you may want to consider providing comments.

National League of Cities Creates City Platform to Better Support Families

The National League of Cities has created a City Platform for Strengthening Families and Improving Outcomes for Children and Youth. Grounded in real examples, this document is designed to help city leaders thoughtfully plan and sustain how they can better support children, youth and families. They provide sample resolutions, how to form a Mayor's Youth Council and outline other important tasks.

For those of you who are seeking to strengthen your relationship with your local officials, this resource may offer an important blueprint for action.

School Children in Queens Talk to Astronaut in Space as Part of Afterschool Program

Michael Meenan of New York 1 reported that NASA made arrangements for astronaut Garrett Reisman to speak to students in a Queens afterschool program and from a California school recently. NASA is encouraging young people to think about future careers in space exploration.

"If anyone is going to the moon in 2020 and then Mars in 2030, it's not gonna be me or you. It's going to be someone sitting in an elementary or middle school classroom,” said Frank Scalzo of NASA. “So we're trying to teach the kids to reach for the stars."

Read Michael Meenan's piece further for more information.

Governor's Office Seeking Youth to Serve on Statewide Youth Council - Applications Due May 30, 2008

Governor Patrick's Office is seeking 28 youth (2 youth from each of the 14 counties in the Commonwealth) to serve on the Governor's Statewide Youth Council. "The Governor’s Statewide Youth Council is one part of Governor Patrick's commitment to engaging all citizens of the Commonwealth in their communities and their government. The Youth Council initiative will encourage and motivate young people to be involved in their communities and to participate in problem solving through assuming leadership and planning roles. Once established, the Youth Council will focus on the Governor’s priorities of education, economic development, civic engagement, and community outreach, advising the Governor as representatives of all Massachusetts young people. Young people ages 14-20 are encouraged to apply by May 30, 2008."

* Learn more about the Statewide Youth Council
* Apply to be a Youth Council member
* Contact the Youth Council

For those of you who work with young people ages 14-20, this might be a great opportunity for them to help advise the Governor's office on how best to support their needs.

Some text courtesy of the Governor's Office website.

Seeking Young People ages 12 - 25 to Participate in an International Survey on Spirituality

I received an e-mail today from a colleague who heads up the New England Network on Children, Youth and Families. The Search Institute has contracted with them to help conduct an international survey on youth and spirituality. (See description below.) They need a lot of young people, ages 12-25, to fill it out in the next six weeks. The survey is not being confined to young people who attend afterschool or other programs, but even your own kids can participate!

I've been informed that the survey is long -- but it’s interesting. It can be done individually/ electronically, or printed out on paper and done in a group setting. They need 250 kids and they are reaching out to everyone to help gather data on this compelling topic.

If you can help them, please contact Melanie Wilson, mwilson@nenetwork.org. To view the survey, click here:


MEANING, PURPOSE, JOY: ARE YOUR YOUNG PEOPLE FINDING IT?

Where are you on your lifelong journey toward meaning, joy and hope? Where are the young people in your care? As someone who has contact with young people, we are asking for your help in involving them in an international research effort that investigates how young people ages 12-25 think about and use spirituality in their daily lives. Research shows a clear connection between spiritual development and pro-social behaviors in young people, and child development experts now consider spiritual development to be a critical part of the journey to maturity.

The project, led by the Minneapolis-based Search Institute, is aimed at understanding spiritual ideas and development in young people across cultures. Search Institute is one of the country’s leading researchers on child- and adolescent well-being. It also has a long history of work with faith communities; two years ago it launched a Center for Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence.

In this new project, Search treats spirituality as a broad concept that includes both religious and non-religious beliefs. The survey is meant to capture many different cultural concepts, beliefs and attitudes, meaning that all youth, religious or not, are welcomed and encouraged to take it. The survey will be administered to thousands of youth in the US, Canada, Australia, Thailand, Ghana, Ukraine and other countries, making it the largest effort of this sort ever undertaken. The New England Network (NEN) also has a national reputation for its research on spirituality and young people. NEN has published three groundbreaking studies on spirituality and at-risk youth, and offers trainings youth-serving organizations and congregations to help integrate this and related research into their youth development work.

Search has contracted with NEN to be one of several research partners in this study. We are asking you to administer the survey to young people who participate in your programs. The survey can be taken online or on paper, individually or in groups, and makes an excellent springboard for group discussions. NEN will sponsor a pizza party for groups of five or more young people who take the survey. To arrange "pizza money" and/or to receive paper surveys, contact Melanie Wilson at mwilson@nenetwork.org or (603) 778-6010.

National League of Cities Announces Afterschool Policy Advisors Network - May 21 Web Seminar Scheduled

The National League of Cities' Youth, Education and Families Institute has created a new on-line community for municipal leaders. "The Afterschool Policy Advisors Network (APAN) is an interactive, online resource center to help municipal leaders find, share, and discuss knowledge on how to build citywide systems of high-quality out-of-school time programs. The YEF Institute will host a web seminar on May 21, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time to demonstrate how city officials can use the APAN Online Community to improve their afterschool efforts."

Click here to register for the APAN Online Community and the May 21 Web Seminar.

For those of you who have strong relationships with your local elected officials, this could be a valuable tool to help support their efforts to support you.

Some text courtesy of The National League of Cities.

Youth Development Approaches to Youth Violence Prevention Conference - June 2 at Holy Cross

Youth Development Approaches to Youth Violence Prevention Conference
Monday, June 2, 2008
Hogan Center, College of the Holy Cross
1 College Street, Worcester, Massachusetts

Conference Overview
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Youth Violence Prevention Program, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Massachusetts Coalition for Youth Violence Prevention, will be hosting the 1st Annual Youth Development Approaches to Youth Violence Prevention conference on Monday, June 2nd, 2008 at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.

Conference Goals
This statewide conference will provide a forum for a diverse array of practitioners and stakeholders from the intersecting arenas of youth development promotion and youth violence prevention to share ideas, network with one and other, learn about innovative prevention strategies and promising practices, and identify opportunities for future collaboration. The conference will include prevention practitioners representing a broad spectrum of youth violence including community violence, teen dating violence, gang violence, workplace violence, school violence, sexual violence, witnessing violence, and bullying and harassment. Workshop presenters will include representatives from mentoring programs, after school and out-of-school time programs, employment readiness programs, conflict resolution programs, street outreach workers, and other youth development centered programs. It will also include a number of workshops focusing on innovative approaches to violence prevention currently underway in Massachusetts.

There is no fee for this conference. A continental breakfast and lunch are included. To sign up, click on this
conference registration button.

NIOST Wins $2.1M Grant Over 5 Years to Continue Important Work

$2.1 Million Awarded for 5-Year Afterschool Matters Initiative to National Institute on Out-of-School Time at Wellesley Centers for Women

WELLESLEY, Mass., April 14 (AScribe Newswire) -- The Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) is pleased to announce that the Robert Bowne Foundation is awarding more than $2.1 million over five years to the Centers' National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) for the National Afterschool Matters Initiative which will promote research and professional development for the out-of-school time industry.

"The Wellesley Centers for Women is committed to making the world a better place for women and their families through our research and action programs. NIOST's careful evaluation programs, comprehensive trainings, and advocacy for professional standards are examples of how we do this," says Susan McGee Bailey, Ph.D., WCW executive director. "Expanding the Afterschool Matters Initiative through NIOST advances both the field of out-of-school time and our organizational mission."

The primary objective of this award is to ensure the continuation of the well-established Afterschool Matters Initiative, which includes a Practitioner Fellowship Program; the production of the Afterschool Matters publications; the Edmund A. Stanley, Jr. Research Grantee program; and the Research Roundtables, as forums for connecting research and practice.

"Out-of-school time remains a critical issue for working families in the U.S. and I am proud that the Robert Bowne Foundation is entrusting this important initiative to us - it is an ideal fit," says Ellen Gannett, M.Ed., director of NIOST. "For more than three decades now, NIOST has broken ground to move this industry forward and our work with the National Afterschool Matters Initiative will only further enhance the quality of OST programming and the preparation of staff who support our children and youth."

The Practitioner Fellowship Program for out-of-school time professionals emphasizes reflection on practice towards improved program quality and outcomes for children and youth. Its goals include identifying and disseminating effective practice and strategies for program improvement; building a network of practitioners, scholars, educators, and policymakers working in and studying out-of-school time programs; and contributing to basic knowledge and the improvement of practice and policy in the area of out-of-school time programs.

NIOST is excited to be partnering with the National Writing Project (NWP) in the national expansion of the Practitioner Fellowship program. Additionally, Sara Hill, Ed.D., who has directed this project for the Robert Bowne Foundation for the last five years, will continue to bring her expertise to the Initiative.

The Afterschool Matters Journal is a high quality, peer reviewed journal which will continue to be a vehicle for disseminating cutting-edge research in the field of out-of-school time and also provide a forum for practice and program improvement findings from the Practitioner Fellowship program.

The existing Edmund A. Stanley, Jr. National Research Grant program of the Afterschool Matters Initiative will also continue under NIOST's direction. Currently, four grants of $10,000 are awarded to support research about community-based youth programs during out-of-school time hours. The grantees join with the practitioner fellows to present their work at Research Roundtables.

"We need to continue to examine the many facets of out-of-school time - environments, professional development, programming, engagement, funding - so that we may recommend best practices and policies that will not only improve outcomes for kids, but also further improve the industry benefits for youth workers and educators," stresses Georgia Hall, Ph.D., senior research scientist at WCW and Afterschool Matters project co-director. "The National Afterschool Matters Initiative allows us to expand practitioners' opportunity to reflect on and improve program practices which we know can make a real difference to these professionals and to youth outcomes."

Since 1974, the Wellesley Centers for Women has helped shape a better world through its research and action programs. Work at the Centers addresses three major areas: the status of women and girls and the advancement of their human rights both in the United States and around the globe; the education, care, and development of children and youth; and the emotional well-being of families and individuals. Issues of diversity and equity are central across all the work as are the experiences and perspectives of women from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.

For almost 30 years, the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST), formerly known as the School-Age Child Care Project, at the Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College, has successfully brought national attention to the importance of children's out-of-school time. Through research, training, evaluation, and program development, NIOST has continued to be at the forefront of advances in the field, and has acted as a leader in many areas of out-of-school time policy development, increased quality standards, professional recognition, and community action.

The Robert Bowne Foundation supports the development of quality programs that offer literacy education to children and youth of New York City, in the out-of-school hours, especially for those living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Afterschool Matters serves as this initiative name and a statement of the Foundation's belief: to children, adolescents, families, and communities, afterschool and other out-of-school-time programs matter a lot.

- - - -

CONTACT: Donna Tambascio, WCW Communications, 781-283-2552, dtambasc@wellesley.edu

NIOST Announces its Annual Summer Seminar

The National Institute for Out of School Time (NIOST) will host its annual summer seminar in Boston, Massachusetts on July 14-17, 2008. Seminar topics include Advancing School, Afterschool and Community Partnerships; Quality Advisor Training; System Building; and Afterschool Program Assessment System. The seminars are in-depth, research-based events designed to empower providers with the tools necessary to elevate their programs. For more information, visit National Institute for Out of School Time.

Listing courtesy of the Afterschool Alliance.


Editor's Note: Interested parties are encouraged to register as soon as possible as space is limited.

BOSTNet and United Way Announces Engaging Families Conference

BOSTNet and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley have announced the upcoming Engaging Families conference that will be held at the United Way offices on June 6, 2008. More information from BOSTNet's website appears below:
**************************************************************************************************

Families Matter!
Creating Opportunities for Family Voice, Empowerment and Leadership

Join BOSTnet and United Way on June 6th for the 2008 Families Matter! Conference to celebrate family involvement throughout the ages and stages of child and youth development. You'll learn how to design responsive programs, enhance parent communications, and improve outcomes for youth of all ages.

Panel Discussion
Hear from empowered parents, leading experts, and staff from out-of-school time programs that support family engagement strategies for young children, middle school students and teens.

Special Bonus Resources for Families: Receive copies of the NEW BOSTnet 2008-2009 Guide to Boston's Before and After School Programs!

Workshop Offerings
Guided working sessions will help you adapt strategies to your own programs. Click here for a description of each workshop.
Topics include:

* Including Family Voice and Leadership in your Programs: Going Beyond Family Night
* Developing a Family Focused Staff
* The Power of the 2 Minute Check-in at Pick-Up Time
* Engaging Families in Programs with Teens
* Accessing Community Cultural Resources

Event date: Friday, June 6, 2008
Time: 8:30 am- 12:30 pm
Location: United Way, 51 Sleeper Street, 1st floor Boston, MA 02210
Cost: This is a free event (breakfast and lunch included)

Questions? Contact Manosi Datta, Program Director, Evaluation and Operations at BOSTnet at 617.720.1290 x 210 or datta@bostnet.org.

Lawrence Music Afterschool Program Profiled

"For many at-risk youth in Lawrence, the violin offers a path to a gang-free life. Kids are "in gangs because they lack a sense of identity and belonging," Marcia Lier, director of Community Strings of Lawrence, told the Boston Globe. "A lot of kids in our program have difficult home lives, but [playing the violin] builds such self-confidence, such pride. I've seen some big-time attitudes fall by the wayside." Community Strings offers free violin lessons before, during and after school, on Saturdays and throughout the summer to more than 75 students in second through eighth grades. The program teaches students to give back to the community as well, scheduling performances in local hospitals, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers."

Listing courtesy of the Afterschool Alliance.


Editor's note: This is an example of an arts-based afterschool program and how the arts provide engaging and enriching alternatives for the Commonwealth's young people that can make a real difference in their lives.

Massachusetts House Votes Increases in Afterschool Line Items

This past week-end, the Massachusetts House of Representatives finalized their budget for FY09. It is exciting to share that several statewide programs that fund afterschool programs saw important increases. This is particularly exciting considering the current fiscal climate in the state.

Representative Marie St. Fleur, the Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time, was successful in her efforts to increase funding for the Afterschool and Out-of-School Time (ASOST) Program Quality grant from $2M last year to $5M this year.

The Shannon Grant Program which provides funding for afterschool programs as part of its gang prevention efforts, saw a $2M increase from last year. Now $13M is available for funding statewide instead of $11M.

The Department of Public Health's Youth Violence Prevention grant also received more funding - $3M this year versus $2M from last year.

The Extended Learning Time Initiative also received more funding in the House budget. Funded last year at $13M, now $17.5M is available statewide to continue to help schools lengthen their school day.

The Senate will be releasing their version of the state budget later this month and it is hoped that the Senate will also recognize the value of afterschool programs as they deliberate the budget.

Great to see you all yesterday

Howdy folks - great to see you all at the 21CCLC Coordinator meeting yesterday. I hope the little primer on the blog was helpful to folks as we continue to figure out the best ways to get information to you.

Do contact me if you have any questions about how to use the blog at dmclaughlin@kunnusta.com.

Cheers,

Deb

SAYO-Y Due Date

The due date for completed SAYO-Y surveys will be June 13, 2008.