The Iowa Afterschool Alliance
Strategic Leadership Team
This month, the Iowa Afterschool Alliance would like to spotlight our Strategic Leadership Team!
Andy Ball, Jeff Capps, Steve Conlan, Chad Driscoll, Nicole Hansen, Vic Jaras, Diane Martens, Matt Ohman, Ryan Page, Lindsey Ritter, Stephanie Shavers, David Welter and Dawn Oliver Wiand all help the IAA make sure we are doing as much as we can to serve all of you!
These volunteers are an invaluable resource to growing and improving afterschool programming across the state. Their passion for helping Iowa's youth succeed is very clear, and each of them share a unique perspective and role within our Strategic Leadership Team for which we are unbelievably grateful for.
Thank you, IAA SLT, for all you do!
To nominate an administrator, student or program for the A+ Afterschool Award, please fill out this form.
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Host an AmeriCorps Member in Summer 2021! |
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It’s hard to believe, but it is time again to start planning for summer programming! For youth who had an unstable school year due to COVID-19, summer programs will serve as a crucial support in helping youth reestablish connections with role models and other students, in addition to catching up on lost learning. Summer programs will need extra support this year, and fortunately, the Iowa Afterschool Alliance has received a grant from Volunteer Iowa to support a portion of the cost of hosting an AmeriCorps Member or team of Members in summer 2021.
What the Summer Ladders AmeriCorps Member Will Do: The AmeriCorps Members will focus on building your program's capacity by developing high-quality lesson plans utilizing the Dimensions of Success (DoS) framework (www.thepearinstitute.org/dimensions-of-success). The AmeriCorps Member will also be responsible for implementing activities they have developed with high-need youth in your program. The Member is expected to serve a total of 300 hours over the summer.
Cost to Host a Summer Ladders AmeriCorps Member: The cost share to host a Member (the amount you will be responsible for as a host site) is $2,520 for the entire 2021 summer (300 hours of service). This calculates to a cost to the program of about $8 an hour! Each Member will receive a living allowance of $3,000 over the summer. The remainder of the cost per Member is covered by the Volunteer Iowa grant.
What We’re Looking for in Host Sites:
- Ability to supervise the AmeriCorps Member, including coaching and mentoring to meet program goals; approving time sheets; discipline; and role modeling good collaboration, communication, and leadership.
- Provision of strong staff orientation to the program, as well as on-going professional development throughout the service period.
- Commitment to evaluation.
- Commitment to ensuring a good Member experience.
To learn more and to indicate your interest, please complete this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SummerLadders21. The Iowa Afterschool Alliance will consider all interested programs and make our decision for host sites by mid-February 2021. Recruitment for Members will begin at that time. An answer of "No" on any question on this survey is not necessarily disqualifying. Please answer honestly according to the information you have at this time.
If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, please contact Britney Samuelson at bsamuelson@sppg.com.
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Focus Groups for
STEM Programming
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We need your input! The Iowa Afterschool Alliance is looking for 20 volunteers representing 21CCLC, non-21CCLC, and DHS licensed sites to share with us your thoughts about STEM programming in an online focus group.
The ideal participant would be the person at a site that coordinates programming and enrichments, including STEM programming, for the youth enrolled. This focus group will take place the second week of February with exact date and time to be determined based on the needs of the volunteers. Volunteers will be compensated for their time which we are estimating at being 60-90 minutes in length.
Interested parties should email Crystal Hall at chall@sppg.com to learn more and/or to register.
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2021-2022 STEM Scale-Up Programs
The Iowa STEM Executive Committee has selected 12 unique world-class programs for the 2021 - 2022 academic year! Applications for in-school and out-of-school educators (preschool - high school) are currently open through March 5, 2021. Any programs who apply and are accepted have access to use any of the 12 selected programs and the correlating curriculum for free!
Who can apply?
One of the priorities of the STEM Council is to achieve STEM for All! That means, any formal or informal Iowa educator is eligible to apply (libraries, after school clubs, public and private schools, 4H programs, museums, etc).
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It is time for the Iowa Department of Human Services to complete an updated Child Care Cost Survey to help determine the rates of child care reimbursement and to aid DHS in best supporting child care providers across the state of Iowa. The Iowa Department of Human Services is asking you to complete a survey reporting various costs you incur in providing child care.
The Iowa Department of Human Services is partnering with Iowa State University to undertake this project. This survey, which will be delivered by an Iowa State University email next week, will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
The following worksheets will help you gather the information that you will enter into the survey.
This video will give you a little more information. Please participate and help DHS understand the costs of providing high-quality care and education so that they can work to further access for all of Iowa’s children.
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Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
February is Black History Month, and the Iowa Afterschool Alliance encourages you to celebrate this month and all year long. Below are some resources and ideas for celebrating Black History with your youth:
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Social and Emotional
Learning Guides
The Davenport Community School District has developed Social and Emotional Learning Guides based on the Iowa Department of Education's social and emotional learning standards. These guides range from Kindergarten to 12th grade. You can view the guides below.
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Professional Development Opportunities |
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How to Incorporate a Peer Role Modeling Component for your STEM Program
An installment of the Million Girls Moonshot Webinar Series
Incorporating a peer role model component can boost the quality of your STEM program by encouraging youth, fostering teamwork, and developing leadership skills. Join us as we share our success stories and learn tips and tricks to getting your own program started. This webinar will take place on Wednesday, February 17th from 9:00-10:00AM!
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Million Girls Moonshot and PEAR Training Series
As an implementation partner for the Million Girl Moonshot Initiative, PEAR is thrilled to offer a three-part training series to all state networks and participating programs at no cost!
We invite program staff, network leads and/or coordinators to leverage the free Dimensions of Success (DoS) Program Planning Tool (PPT) during these guided, interactive sessions focused on creating authentic plans to support quality programming and maximize positive outcomes for youth and educators. Details about each session and a link to register are below.
Understanding Quality STEM Learning:
Empowering Networks and Programs using DoS
Tuesday February 23rd 3-4 PM ET (Deadline to Register: Friday February 19th)
Learning Goals:
• Map the implementation of quality STEM programming practices and positive youth
development by reflecting on current activities/programs
• Examine how STEM and social-emotional development (SED) are interconnected
and how the DoS tools/framework can support programs in elevating both
Imagining & Planning for Quality: Exploring Goals to Guide our Work
Thursday March 11th 3-4 PM ET (Deadline to Register: Monday March 8th)
Learning Goals:
• Reflect on areas of SED and STEM that are traditionally strong or challenging for
programs nationally and for your program/network specifically
• Create a vision and generate goals for strengthening STEM and SED in programming
using the DoS framework and tools as a guide
Creating Change: Leveraging DoS toward Continuous Growth
Tuesday March 30th 3-4 PM ET (Deadline to Register: Friday March 26th)
Learning Goals:
• Learn how to use the freely available DoS planning tool and related data collection tools
to grow and strengthen programming
• Discuss how to sustainably leverage data and planning resources to continue
strengthening STEM and SED in your program/network
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Beyond School Hours
Join Foundations, Inc. February 17-19, 2021 for Beyond School Hours -- the nation’s most popular education conference is going virtual! Attracting a diverse audience of thousands, from frontline staff and school leaders to philanthropic organizations and the U.S. Department of Education, the Beyond School Hours conference focuses on hands-on, interactive workshops on the topics that matter the most right now.
In this unique year, the conference theme is RESILIENCE -- with a special focus on preparing children for success, program fundamentals, supporting the support system, and youth engagement.
This year’s virtual conference provides a unique opportunity to extend the learning experience for a full year! After three intensive days of live workshops, the learning will continue with weekly follow-up webinars to help educators across the country keep up with the most current resources and strategies for adapting to our ever-evolving educational landscape.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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BOOST Conference & Online Professional Development
April 27 - April 30, 2021; Palms Springs, CA
Join the largest, most recognized and comprehensive global convening for after school, expanded learning, and out-of-school time professionals. Set in a retreat-like atmosphere, this annual, extraordinary event will rejuvenate your passion, boost your direction for quality programming and provide tools and resources that will inspire you to create change.
BOOST also provides free online professional development. Click here to check it out.
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