The Y4Y Insider - May 2022 |
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Calling All Proud 21st CCLC
Program Leaders!
We would like to highlight your work at the VIRTUAL 21st CCLC Summer Symposium on July 19-21, 2022.
- Have you built a new or innovative program?
- Are you STEM stars?
- Have you gone the extra mile to ensure that students are healthy and well?
- Is inclusion your program vibe?
- Have you sent a record number of students to college?
The Department of Education looks forward to featuring student voices during the upcoming Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program Summer Symposium. Please complete the nomination form if you’re ready to prepare a 5- to 10-minute video of your 21st CCLC program highlighting:
- Something(s) that makes your program special
- At least three students giving their personal account of what your program or activity means to them
- Photos and/or videos that demonstrate your program or activity (family release forms mandatory)
Our team will host a webinar on May 18 at 1 p.m. EDT to further describe our needs and answer any questions you have. We can offer guidance on student interview questions or other creative direction as needed, but we’re betting you already have just the program tech guru in mind to make it something special! You can attend the webinar using the Zoom information listed below.
Meeting ID: 846 6413 8594
Passcode: 890358
In addition to the pre-recorded video, if you are interested in having your student or students attend a live session at the July Symposium to speak about your program or answer practitioner questions, let us know that too in the nomination form.
It’s all about the kids!
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This summer, you're reporting on new Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) measures, so accuracy is key. But running your summer programming “by the numbers” is just the start! Look to Y4Y resources to find room for respite, fun, and free-flowing ideas to keep students engaged. In this issue:
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Fiscal Refresher offers last-minute tips for reporting on the financial aspects of your program year.
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Fun on the Internet points you to new Y4Y resources you can use to help students remember how much fun it is to have the world at their fingertips.
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The Sky’s the Limit in your summer program! How can you use your knowledge of child and adolescent development to make the most of your activities?
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Even when your program is operating by the numbers, be sure you’re always putting Health First!
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Webinars
Knowing Growing Kids: Child Development in Your 21st CCLC
June 16 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time
To better serve our students, we need to understand their developmental needs. In this edition of LIVE With Y4Y! we’ll dive into child and adolescent development — a topic that aligns with our newly launched course on y4y.ed.gov. We’ll explore the theoretical foundations of child and adolescent development and how developmental theories directly apply to practice in out-of-school time. We’ll then use this information to identify instructional practices that support healthy child development and student learning.
Implementing Project-Based Learning with Y4Y
June 21 & 23, 2022, 1 – 3 p.m. Eastern Time
Student-led projects are the perfect way to tap into students' interests, develop cooperative learning skills, and make learning relevant and fun for students of all ages! Join the U.S. Department of Education's You for Youth (Y4Y) Technical Assistance team in this two-part series as we explore how to help students craft a driving question, facilitate research and work towards a culminating event, all while building students' knowledge and 21st Century skills. No matter your knowledge or experience, you’ll hear about exciting project ideas and learn best practices for facilitating student-led experiences!
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Gathering STEAM
Powering Your STEM/STEAM Initiatives
4-H Project Green Teacher Program Focuses on Gardening and Whole Child Nutrition
Research has shown that gardening with youth has significant impacts, including higher test scores, increased love of learning, better nutrition, and teamwork skills. 4-H Project Green Teacher, the school garden series for educators and others interested in school gardening, will return to The Ohio State University Columbus campus June 6-10. You can participate in-person or virtually for a nominal fee.
North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)
Check out April’s Watershed Chronicles, Reconnecting With Our Wetlands, highlighting a partnership between New Orleans Pontchartrain Institute of Environmental Sciences and the ReNEW Schools 21CCLC program in New Orleans for bringing wetland and watershed science investigative projects to middle school students living in the climate-vulnerable neighborhoods of New Orleans East.
CDC Museum Offers Numerous STEM Programs and Resources
The David J. Sencer CDC Museum Public Health Academy (CDCM PHA) offers in-person and online learning experiences. Content focuses on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s work in the interdisciplinary field of public health. Check out their:
New NOAA Ocean Literacy Resources
What will the future of aeronautics look like? Students are invited to help NASA envision innovative solutions to real-world aeronautical challenges by submitting an original art piece capturing their ideas. Submissions can take the form of a variety of art mediums — including digital art, models, comic books, essays, and stories.
Winners will earn the opportunity to have a NASA subject matter expert present to their classroom or school, and winning artwork may be featured on the NASA Aeronautics website.
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Family Resources
Family engagement is a legislated component of 21st CCLC programs. Y4Y wants to help you build your library of national resources to better serve your families.
Your families of students with disabilities may be concerned about relaxation of mask wearing and other COVID-related measures. You can direct them to a Parent Center in your state. These centers are a great asset for the families of students with disabilities. For a directory, see the Center for Parent Information and Resources.
Are your families still struggling to cover the costs of day care for their younger children? Share this article from ChildCare.gov, which offers links to many cost-relieving options.
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Did you know most Y4Y courses come with a “cheat sheet”? Check out the Implementation Planning Checklist in the “Tools” section of each course. You can use the checklist to pick and choose course sections to engage with if your time is limited.
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State Coordinators Corner
Planning Your Fall Trainings?
Post of the Month
Are you looking to share new Y4Y content with your state’s grantees? Feel free to share the below Post of the Month on your social media accounts:
Training of the Month
State coordinators don’t have to reinvent wheels! Y4Y is supported by the U.S. Department of Education under the Nita M. Lowey 21st CCLC program, and besides educating your grantees on its resources, we hope your office can make the most of Y4Y. Consider hosting a monthly online training using one of Y4Y’s Trainings to Go, perhaps asking seasoned program directors to present each month. Trainings to Go are PowerPoint presentations that include text for the presenter. They’re ready-made for online trainings! Watch here each month for topic ideas! This month, check out:
Nipping summer learning loss in the bud has never been more critical!
This summer, the only thing more important than academic gains for your students is social-emotional gains. A statewide rallying around this goal could kick off a summer of true healing.
Supporting Grantees on New GPRA Reporting
What has your state done to support grantees through reporting on new GPRA measures? Maybe you’ve posted the new measures on your website, but leaving too much interpretation to grantees may lead to a frenzied few months for your office. Check out these resources posted by various states to guide grantees to an easy interpretation of the changes:
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PowerPoint presentations (many from past, live trainings) providing an overview of changes, along with explanations: examples include Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin
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Recordings of online trainings and webinars: Colorado, Ohio
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New GPRA reporting template provided: New Hampshire
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Posting of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Implementation Guide or similar customized document: New York, Pennsylvania
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Inclusion in standard, annually updated comprehensive grant guidance document: Tennessee, Utah
As always, the best support you can provide grantees is access to your knowledge and experience. Keep that contact flowing!
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Voices From the Field
Inventive Program Ideas From Santa Fe 21st CCLC Practitioners
Santa Fe Public Schools operates 15 busy 21st CCLC program sites. Y4Y recently spoke with their new program director, William “Bill” Rodriguez, who’s also a fifth-grade teacher at Francis X. Nava Elementary. He was joined by two site coordinators — Jeri Lyn Salazar from Nina Otero Community School (grades K-8) and Bryan Cruz from Ramirez Thomas Elementary. Each shared some tremendous successes throughout their program.
Y4Y: Mr. Rodriguez, can you tell us about the size and scope of the Santa Fe Public Schools 21st CCLC program?
WR: Hello, thank you for having us on the podcast. Santa Fe Public Schools has a population of 12,125 students. The 21st CCLC in Santa Fe Public Schools serves approximately 1,000 students, spread out between 15 sites. These sites range from elementary, junior high, and middle schools. Districtwide, we have an English learner population of 31.5%. We have partnerships with local organizations such as Adelante, a housing program for homeless families, which prioritizes school sites closest to the housing, in this case, Nava Elementary. The students in the Adelante program are also prioritized in the 21st CCLC programs.
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Jeri Lyn Salazar is a gifted education teacher at Nina Otero Community School and site coordinator for 21st Century Programs.
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William Rodriguez is a teacher with 28 years of teaching experience and 20 years’ experience as a 21st CCLC site coordinator.
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Bryan Cruz is a bilingual teacher with seven years of experience in the field of elementary education between Mexico and the U.S. His passion is to teach and support the Santa Fe community.
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June 1 is National Go Barefoot Day. Inspired by a 2004 tsunami that left countless people in poverty, this day can be celebrated with a footwear drive and a frolic in the grass.
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June 14 marks the 245th Flag Day in the U.S. While a member of the Continental Congress, John Adams put forth a resolution on what to include in the first flag, but he never said what the arrangement of the 13 stars should be. Have fun researching the earliest flags. What you thought you knew about Betsy Ross and “her design” might only be a legend.
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June 19 marks the one-year anniversary of Juneteenth being identified as a national holiday. While the subjects of slavery and the tragic 2-year extension of that dark chapter are difficult to navigate with young students, you can discover ways to celebrate progress and commitment to greater equity in your community.
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June 23 is United Nations Public Service Day. Taking a cue from this international organization, consider how your students can use technology in the service of others.
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With reporting season upon us, remember the words of economist Tim Jackson:
“It is the accuracy and detail inherent in crafted goods that endow them with lasting value.”
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Topical Tool Kit
This curated tool kit focuses on partnering with the school day to support student learning. As students head into the summer break, your program can help them avoid the “summer slide,” especially in math and reading, where some may already lag behind. It’s important to partner with schools as they “hand off” learning activities to summer programs, families, and the students themselves.
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Disclaimer: This newsletter may contain links to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for the user’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to particular items is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, donation solicitations or products or services offered, on these outside sites, nor any organizations sponsoring the sites, whether financially or by website hosting.
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