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August 2021
2021 Impact Afterschool Conference - Register Now!
This year's conference will be held in-person at the Holiday Inn located at 4800 Merle Hay Road in Urbandale, Iowa. A pre-conference will be held on Wednesday afternoon, September 22 and the conference will span one and a half days from September 23 - September 24.

Session Topics Include:
  • Action Planning
  • Utilizing AmeriCorps Members
  • Engaging Diverse Populations in STEM learning
  • Building Strategic Partnerships
  • Incorporating Service Learning
  • Incorporating Literacy Strategies
  • Building Leadership Skills
  • Hiring and Retaining Staff
  • Reviewing the New GPRA Measures
  • Implementing Effective Family Engagement
  • Sustaining Funding
  • ...and so much more!

Lodging Information:
A block of rooms are available at the Holiday Inn & Suites Des Moines-Northwest for $65. After the block is reserved, the special rate is subject to availability. To secure this special rate, call the hotel at (515) 278-4755 and mention the Impact Afterschool Conference or use the code S22 to book online.

If you have any questions, please contact Crystal Hall at chall@sppg.com. We hope to see you there!
2021 Impact Awards
Nominations Now Open!
Know an outstanding program, colleague or student that deserves an award? Nominate them for an Afterschool Champion or 21CCLC Stars Award! To fill out the the nomination form, please click the button below! Award nominations are due by Friday August 20, 2021.
Impact Vendor Registration
Have a service or information to display to conference attendees? Register to be an exhibitor at the 2021 Impact Afterschool Conference by clicking the button below!
Exhibitor applications are due by Friday September 10, 2021
Volunteer Iowa
9/11 Day of Service
For this 9/11 Day of Service, Volunteer Iowa and their partners are hosting opportunities to promote youth volunteerism for you to share with youth in your program. 

  • The Youth Virtual Volunteer Fair is an asynchronous opportunity to learn more about volunteer opportunities and organizations all around Iowa who are excited to meet new potential volunteers! You’ll also be invited to participate in our Pledge to Serve. Register for the event here: https://forms.office.com/r/M1pkC6H00b

  • Volunteer Iowa will be launching an essay and video contest event for youth ages 13-21. In either 500 words or less or a 1 minute video, speak on why volunteering and making an impact on your community is important to you. To learn more about participating, email Kamryn.ryan@volunteeriowa.org

Volunteer Iowa looks forward to honoring this 9/11 Service Day through these events and hopes you’ll join in!
Community Needs Assessment
The Iowa Afterschool Alliance has created a Community Needs Assessment to gauge the current status of afterschool across the state of Iowa. The results of this survey will help the IAA to:

  • Determine what before school, after school, summer, and other programming is available to Iowa's youth
  • Create a statewide map and directory of available programming
  • Understand how to grow our current services and add new services for the benefit of the network

We need all the help we can get. Please fill out this survey and let us know more about your program or programs in your area. This survey takes 5-10 minutes to complete. Programs who participate in the survey will have the option to be listed in our statewide directory at no charge- which helps us to direct families to your programs.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities has created quality Equity, Diversity and Inclusion educational resources, which are available for both members and non-members. Please check out recordings of past webinars and sign up for future opportunities here.
Professional Development Opportunities
2022 Foundations Beyond School Hours Conference
Beyond School Hours will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year! The 2022 conference will run from February 23-26 in Orlando, Florida. Participants can expect:

  • Hands-on workshops and pre-conferences led by national experts
  • Motivating keynote presentations and interactive discussions
  • Powerful networking opportunities and celebrations
  • Fascinating educational excursions
  • Premium exhibits unveiling the latest products and solutions

Registration is now open, and you can register here.
2021 National Family Engagement Summit
The 2021 National Family Engagement Summit will occur October 13-15 in Norfolk and will be hosted by Successful Innovations, Inc. in partnership with the National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement. There are options to attend in-personal or virtually. You can read more about this summit and register to attend here.
Out of School Time Professional Development Center
The Out of School Time Professional Development Center provides Out of School Time training to OST professionals. The classes provide in-depth curriculum and certificates. If you or your staff are interested in signing up for courses visit the Out-of-School Time website. Check out the entire course catalog here. 
Great Content on Y4Y!
You 4 Youth is a free online professional development site that is designed to support 21CCLC program staff, but is a valuable tool for any afterschool professional looking to build their skills! Recently, Y4Y has rolled out a whole module on literacy. Click here to register.
Afterschool Alliance Webinars
The Afterschool Alliance offers webinars on a wide range of topics, from policy and the new Every Student Succeeds Act, to STEM and Social-Emotional Learning. Find out more on their webinars website. 
Iowa Child Care Training Registry
Find professional development for school-age programming on the State of Iowa Child Care Training Registry on topics ranging from health and safety to developmentally appropriate programming. Find out more online.
National AfterSchool Association PD Resources
NAA provides afterschool professionals with resources to stay up-to-date on the latest topics in afterschool and summer learning.

Find out more on their website here. 
Resources for STEM Programming
The Center for the Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) provides background information that is useful for the development of STEM programming. Find out more on their website.
 
The Afterschool Tech Toolkit aims to empower afterschool professionals and educators with strategies and training so they can provide students with access to technology outside of classroom hours. It includes training modules on getting started, training staff, accessing technology and devices, and more. Take a look at the toolkit here.  
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