AFTERSCHOOL OBSERVER
JUNE 2022
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ADVOCACY
NORTH CAROLINA AFTERSCHOOL ADVOCACY AMBASSADORSHIP
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The North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs is proud to announce the launch of a new cohort of the Afterschool Advocacy Ambassadorship. Components of the North Carolina Advocacy Ambassadorship include:
- Identification and recruitment of OST program providers and stakeholders to participate in the Ambassadorship;
- Monthly [virtual or in-person] meetings to discuss advocacy strategies and best practices and to identify advocacy priorities for out-of-school time programs in North Carolina;
- Identification and cultivation of new champions who have access to key decision-makers statewide; and
- Quarterly meetings with state and local elected officials to discuss the "State of Afterschool" for North Carolina, including the statewide Lights On Afterschool Celebration in October of 2022.
This Ambassadorship is open to afterschool and summer program providers statewide that are currently engaging in afterschool advocacy efforts or want to learn how to advocate for afterschool. North Carolina Afterschool Advocates that apply and are accepted into the Afterschool Advocacy Ambassadorship will engage in monthly virtual sessions focused on a range of Program Advocacy Topics. Applications for the Afterschool Advocacy Ambassadorship can be submitted here. The deadline for applications is June 15th. Space is limited. Accepted advocates will be notified by June 29th. The Introductory Ambassadorship meeting will be scheduled for the week of July 11th.
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CONVENE
SYNERGY CONFERENCE 2022
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The Synergy Conference 2022 was a huge success! This year's conference featured over 40 virtual and in-person workshops and plenaries in Arts & Literacy, Closing Gaps, College & Career Readiness, Organizational Capacity, Public/Private Partnerships, Social and Emotional Learning, S.T.E.M., and Youth Development. We hope that all of this year's attendees, whether virtual or in-person, enjoyed the engaging keynote speakers, a dynamic range of workshop topics, and opportunities to network with providers from across the state.
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INFORM
NEW ALICE BRIEF: NEARLY HALF OF AMERICAN CHILDREN LIVE BELOW THE ALICE THRESHOLD IN THE US
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In early April, United for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) officially launched their ALICE in Focus: Children Data Dashboard and Research Briefs. United for ALICE's mission is to raise awareness around the group of families who are struggling financially but do not count as "low-income" due to their income being above the poverty level, which was set at $26,500 for a family of four in 2021 (The ALICE Wage Tool: 2021 Fact Sheet). The group has created ALICE measurements that accurately reflect the number of families considered ALICE both in partnering states and nationwide. This release is a part of United for ALICE's broader series to spotlight specific populations (with reports on veterans and people with disabilities coming later in 2022).
ALICE In Focus: Children concentrate on the number of children in the United States living in financial hardship. In 2019, nearly half of children (49 percent) in the United States were in households with income beneath the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival. This threshold includes the one in three children (33 percent) who are considered "ALICE above poverty" but still cannot afford necessities and the nearly 12 million (16 percent) who live below the federal poverty level. Nationwide, 36 million youth fall below the ALICE Threshold, with a high percentage of Black (70 percent), Hispanic (68 percent), American-Indian/Alaska Native (62 percent) children, compared to Asian (39 percent), and White (36 percent).
The ALICE Children Data Dashboard and Local Maps include a national and ALICE partner state look at the number and percentage of children in 2019 who lived in households that had income below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), above the FPL but below the amount for basic cost-of-living expenses (the ALICE Threshold), or above the ALICE Threshold.
To learn more about the report, please click here.
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INFORM
JUNE IS LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH
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Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated annually in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots and works to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) Americans. In June of 1969, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City staged an uprising to resist the police harassment and persecution to which LGBTQ Americans were commonly subjected. This uprising marks the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQ Americans.
Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia, concerts, and LGBTQ Pride Month events that attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that LGBTQ individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.
Federal and local policies and practices are increasingly acknowledging and focusing on LGBTQ youth and numerous national advocacy and other organizations are also giving greater attention to LGBTQ youth in their work. Encouraging greater acceptance and support for all youth including those who are or are perceived to be LGBTQ, will make communities, schools, and other settings safer, and better places for all youth.
To learn more about LGBTQ Pride Month and tools to support youth, click here.
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SUPPORT
NEW RESOURCES TO PLAN FOR SUMMER LEARNING AND MAKE THE CASE FOR AFTERSCHOOL
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Sharing the latest on COVID funds for afterschool or summer programs that support students' well-being and academic growth, preparing for summer 2022, and more. The latest updates and tools to help you advance partnerships between schools and afterschool or summer programs to support students' well-being and academic growth are available on the Afterschool Alliance's American Rescue Plan website. Here are a few of the newest resources to help you make the case for investments in afterschool and summer learning:
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INFORM
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATORS OF NORTH CAROLINA RESOURCES
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The Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) represents a network of outstanding environmental educators, individuals, and organizations who work together to accomplish their core mission: to build connections, provide professional development, and promote excellence in environmental education.
EENC is hosting an "Inquiry-based Outdoor Learning" workshop at Horizons Unlimited in Salisbury, NC on Saturday, June 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a fuller version of the content provided at the Synergy Conference 2022 and is worth 6 contact hours or 0.6 CEUs for teacher licensure. It's great for all educators who want to start using more inquiry in their teaching. The cost for this is $20.
Another great workshop opportunity that could support your audience to create a foundation in connecting Environmental Education to K-12 learning - "K-12 Guidelines for Excellence in EE" will be in Huntersville, NC at Quest at Latta Nature Preserve, Friday, June 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This cost is $20. This is worth 6 contact hours or 0.6 CEUs.
From the Office of EE and Public Affairs, managed by the Department of Environmental Quality:
To learn more, click here.
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SUPPORT
SUMMER LEARNING TOOLKIT
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The toolkit is designed to provide summer program providers with tools and tips to engage parents and caregivers in supporting literacy over the summer months, particularly parents with young children (Pre-K to 3rd Grade). This is even more important following two years of the pandemic.
The Summer Learning Toolkit includes:
- An orientation slideshow for program staff to understand the value of summer learning
- Talking points for program staff to effectively communicate with parents about summer learning
- A template to create a Summer Learning Action Plan so staff can continue to share the message all summer long
- Blogs for newsletters and websites
- Social media posts with photos and graphics (English and Spanish)
- Text messages (English and Spanish)
- Automated phone scripts (English and Spanish)
- A sticker template for Summer Learning Week
To learn more, click here.
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ADVOCACY
WHERE ARE COVID FUNDS SUPPORTING AFTERSCHOOL & SUMMER PROGRAMS?
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If you've been following the Afterschool Alliance's COVID work, you know they have been working to track how and where federal COVID relief funding has been tapped to support young people with comprehensive afterschool and summer enrichment programs. Three major funding bills - the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (2020), the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act (2020), and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act (2021) - provided billions of dollars to states and localities to support communities, families, and youth. The American Rescue Plan, in particular, directed significant funds to state education agencies and school districts to be used to support students' well-being and learning acceleration, naming comprehensive afterschool and summer enrichment and learning programs as evidence-based strategies to employ. State education agencies were directed to set aside funds for afterschool and summer, and school districts were given guidance to do so.
The Afterschool Alliance is pleased to unveil a new map illustrating where funds have been invested in comprehensive afterschool and summer enrichment programs. Thus far, they have gathered more than 100 examples and have representation from every state. For now, most cover state education agencies' use of funds, as those funds flowed first and had specific guidelines for investing in afterschool and summer. However, the larger portion of funds available to support afterschool and summer programs lies at the school district level and has yet to be expended in total.
To learn more, click here.
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SUPPORT
POWER OF US WORKFORCE SURVEY: CALLING ALL
YOUTH-SERVING PROFESSIONALS AND VOLUNTEERS
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Every person who works with young people is committed to helping them thrive. On athletic fields, in afterschool programs, in libraries, in faith-based institutions, youth-serving professionals and volunteers are making a difference every day. Through the Power of Us Workforce Survey, youth-serving professionals and volunteers can contribute to a national effort to explore, define, and elevate their profession. Take the survey today!
To take the survey, click here.
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ADVOCACY
AFTERSCHOOL ADVOCACY WEBPAGE AND ADVOCACY TOOLKIT
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The North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) has created an Afterschool Advocacy webpage. The webpage is a compilation of resources and opportunities related to afterschool advocacy. In addition to the webpage, NC CAP has also released the Advocacy Toolkit. This toolkit highlights a variety of ways to engage youth and adults in high-quality advocacy opportunities.
To learn more, click here.
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SUPPORT
LET'S SHOW THE NATION HOW NC DOES STEM IN AFTERSCHOOL
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The North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) is a part of the Million Girls Moonshot, helping out-of-school time programs as they increase the quality of STEM learning opportunities for young people, especially for underserved and underrepresented youth. Learn more here.
The Moonshot seeks to re-imagine who can engineer, who can build, and who can make. It will inspire and prepare the next generation of innovators by engaging one million more girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) learning opportunities through afterschool and summer programs over the next 5 years.
Every state is asking afterschool and summer programs to share more about how they do STEM. Please join this important effort! Your answers will help us to better understand how we can best support afterschool and summer programs statewide. The survey should take 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Everyone who responds will be entered into a drawing to win one of ten $100 Visa gift cards.
To take the survey, click here.
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INFORM
APPLICATION FOR THE K-12 SCIENCE STANDARD COURSE OF STUDY - STANDARDS WRITING TEAM (SWT)
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On behalf of the NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), the K-12 Science Team is excited to announce the start of the review and revision process of the NC Science K-12 Essential Standards. The process is guided by the Procedures Manual adopted by the NC State Board of Education in February 2022 and will emphasize communication, transparency, engagement, and stakeholder participation in all phases of this process.
A critical step in this process is to establish the Standards Writing Team (SWT). From October 2022 through April 2023, the SWT will work, in collaboration with the Data Review Committee, through the revision process to write/revise the standards following the process, template, and training provided by NC DPI.
NC DPI is seeking applications from a range of stakeholders with a variety of experiences and perspectives in the revision and writing of standards including K-12 educators from all grade levels, content areas, and resource specialists. They are also seeking applications from school and district leaders, educators from institutions of higher education, as well as content area professional organizations. A full explanation of the requirements for the SWT can be found in the SWT Scope of Work.
SWT applications are due by 11:59 pm on Monday, June 13th, 2022. All applicants will be notified of their selection status between Monday, June 27th, 2022, and Friday, July 1st, 2022.
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SUPPORT
3D PRINTER AND SOFTWARE WORKSHOP
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The UNCW Center for Education in STEM (CESTEM) has a new mobile 3D printer. Training is required to check out this item from CESTEM's Technology Loan Program. Don't miss out on the opportunity to be one of the first teachers to use this equipment! Click here to register, space is limited to 10 participants.
Are you interested in your students using a 3D printer to design solutions for problems? Consider joining CESTEM for this 3-day workshop and learn how to design and print 3D objects using the Prusa i3MK3S+ 3D printer.
In this workshop, participants will:
- learn 3D Modeling using TinkerCAD
- receive in-depth instruction for the 3D Printing Process and Hardware with an emphasis on troubleshooting
- explore Slicing Software
- create an implementation plan to integrate 3D printing with other curriculum standards
- practice unpacking and setting up CESTEM's Mobile 3D Printer
Dates: June 28-30
Time: 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Registration Fee: $30
Participants must attend all sessions and complete all components of the workshop to borrow CESTEM's Mobile 3D Printer and earn 1.5 CEU.
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PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
NC CAP WANTS TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR PROGRAM!
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The North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) would like to highlight program successes statewide. Tell us about your program and you might be our Program Spotlight in the next edition of the Afterschool Observer or on Social Media. Click the Program Spotlight below to be redirected to the updated survey link to tell us about your program. |
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SUPPORT
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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The Allen Foundation, Inc.'s priorities and policies are: (1) to make grants to fund relevant nutritional research; (2) to support programs for the education and training of mothers during pregnancy and after the birth of their children; (3) to assist in the training of persons to work as educators and demonstrators of good nutritional practices; (4) to encourage the dissemination of information regarding healthful nutritional practices and habits; and (5) in limited situations to make grants to help solve immediate emergency hunger and malnutrition problems. Applications are due January 15th, 2023.
Centene is offering general operating grants of up to $500,000 to organizations that fall within one or more of the following areas of focus: Health, Education, Children, and the Arts. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Discover is offering grants of up to $5,000 to nonprofit organizations working in the areas of education and literacy. Funding, donations, and sponsorships are intended to support programs and initiatives that meet the needs of various communities across the country, with a particular focus on communities where Discover employees live and work. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dogwood Health Trust seeks to dramatically improve the health and well-being of all people and communities of Western North Carolina. They are interested in projects that address one or more of their strategic priorities: Housing, Education, Economic Opportunity, and Health and Wellness and that align with their overarching commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. They also have interests in projects related to improving broadband access to support education and healthcare bridging rural divides, and addressing racial equity issues. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
The NC GlaxoSmithKline Traditional Grants provides grants of $25,000 and above to organizations to help meet the educational and health needs of today's society and future generations. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
The program provides training and technical assistance to juvenile justice and practitioners to assist them in meeting the needs of justice-involved LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit youth to ensure that contact with the juvenile justice system is rare, fair, and beneficial. Applications are due June 22nd, 2022.
The Duke Energy Foundation is committed to making strategic investments to build powerful communities where nature and wildlife thrive, youth can excel, and a talented workforce drives economic prosperity for all. These grants support programs that prevent summer reading loss, while also advancing energy, engineering, and environmental education. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
The Saxena Family Foundation is a privately funded, 501(c)(3) registered non-profit charitable foundation headquartered in Austin, TX. The Foundation awards grants and supports programs that have a particular focus on STEM education and around empowering women in the United States and in India. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
The United Company Foundation will provide up to $400,000 to support charitable organizations and philanthropic ministries providing assistance with food, shelter, clothing, education, youth programs, the arts, health, wellness, and improvising the quality of life in a community. Applications are due on August 31st, 2022.
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