New Links and Resources Added to the Blog!

The World Wide Web continues to be a treasure trove of information for all of us who are passionate about our work in the afterschool field. In addition to the wide array of organizations devoted to the issue of afterschool, there are a number of other associations and networks that are promoting afterschool to their members that I found interesting and helpful. There are other entities and blogs that represent the latest trends and information about the best ways to serve youth and to secure funding for the work we do. As a result, I have posted new links and resources to the blog that may be of interest to you.

In the Sustainability Resources section, check out:

1) Center on NonProfits and Philanthropy - Urban Institute - useful briefs and information on both topics
2) Child Trends DataBank - statistics on afterschool participation nationally
3) Communities in Schools - a toolkit on afterschool programs
4) National Center on Charitable Statistics - a helpful grant writing resource
5) The Federal Register - the Bible of all federal funding sources
6) The Grantmanship Center - the title says it all

In the Promising Practices section, check out:

1) Afterschool Community and Learning Network - features the work of Dr. Terry Peterson
2) American Association of School Administrators - showcases their own toolkit on afterschool
3) Americans for the Arts - Youth Arts - comprehensive section on how to develop youth arts programs
4) ERIC Digests - a searchable database of scholarly articles on a range of education topics
5) Fight Crime: Invest in Kids - afterschool materials developed from a criminal justice point of view
6) International Bullying Prevention Association - resources on best ways to prevent bullying
7) National Endowment for the Arts - a wealth of information on arts and arts education opportunities
8) National School Boards Association - features strategies on how to engage school boards about afterschool
9) National Service Resources - tips and resources for volunteers and community service
10) National Youth Development Information Center - provides information for youth development workers
11) Institute for Youth Development - offers a range of resources emphasizing the importance of youth development
12) Tool Find - a searchable directory of youth measurement outcome tools organized by the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

Last but not least, I have posted links to some other blogs that you might find helpful as well. They are:

1) 79 Grant Writing Resources You Can't Live Without - grant writing tools and tips
2) ARTS Blog - a blog maintained by Americans for the Arts
3) Donor Power Blog - thoughtful insights about charitable giving
4) Prevention Works - a blog maintained by the National Crime Prevention Council
5) Simply Grant Writing - grant writing tools and tips
6) Technology in the Arts - title says it all
7) The Artful Manager - addresses issues of arts management
8) The Grantwriting Coach - grant writing tips

Happy Solstice and summer reading!

New Features Added to the Blog!

I wanted to point out that two new features have been added to the blog to help keep you current with all the happenings in the afterschool world. They are:

1) Links to other Blogs - There are a few blogs that are dedicated to afterschool issues or have implications for the work you all do for children and youth after school. Blogspot has made it possible for us to feature those blogs as another source of information for you. At the moment, there are only three listed but if you know of others, including your own, drop me a line at dmclaughlin@kunnusta.com.

2) New Media and Technology Section - As a result of a recent successful training on media and technology, we will be featuring links and other resources related to this important topic on the blog. Look for further updates and resources as this section is more fully developed.

Let us know what we are missing as we strive to provide content in this blog that will help you do your jobs.

New Changes to the Blog

After some reflection, Karyl has decided to recommend changes to the blog to make it more comprehensive. You'll see, as of today, that in addition to sustainability information and resources, we've added a Promising Practices section where you can find both links and posts in the areas of quality, workforce development and other areas to support your 21st CCLC efforts. We've also expanded the News Reel function to capture items of interest in those categories as well.

Let us know how you like it!

Deb