February Newsletter at a Glance | |
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Program Highlight: Afterschool Day on the Hill
Get Involved: ND Policy Updates & STEM Next's 2025 Flight Crew Applications Open
Funding Opportunities: New York Life Foundation Aim High Grant & More!
Professional Development: Cypherworx & The Flourish Lab, STEM trainings/resources, & More!
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Afterschool Day on the Hill | |
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Afterschool leaders and students assembled at the North Dakota State Capitol Building on January 23rd for Afterschool Day on the Hill. Participants of this advocacy event engaged with legislators on the importance of out-of-school time programming and shared their stories in a variety of ways. Thirteen organizations hosted informational booths (a full list of participants can be found at the end of the article). Several programs held presentations for the public. Elementary schoolers from Jamestown showed off the robots they built and programmed for competitions. Students from Hatton demonstrated how to use a Cricut vinyl machine and gave their district legislators customized cups. North Dakota’s Gateway to Science encouraged creativity with a hands-on building activity. Tate Topa Tribal School’s 21st Century Community Learning Center impressed the crowd with a drum circle. Northern Plains Dance expounded on the impact of their program for children and adults. North Valley Extended School Project told their story of workforce development in the state. The wide variety of demonstrations emphasized the extent of afterschool program reach spanning interests and locations.
Afterschool Day on the Hill is also a unique, hands-on learning opportunity for students to understand more about the legislative process. Those in attendance had the opportunity to meet the governor and to listen in on a legislative session. Some students were even invited to sit with their legislator on the floor during session!
While no afterschool-specific bills have been proposed this legislative cycle, it’s still important to demonstrate the value that out-of-school-time programs provide. In addition to supporting students with opportunities to explore their interests and build skills, afterschool programs are a vital piece of workforce maintenance and development. Quality afterschool programs provide a valuable service to communities allowing parents to stay at work without worrying about their children. They also provide students with skill-building activities that help prepare them for the workforce. Eighty-nine percent of North Dakota parents say afterschool programs help them keep their job and ninety two percent say afterschool programs give them peace of mind while they are at work. Students who attend afterschool programs are more interested in learning, attend school more often, get better grades, and are more likely to graduate. Afterschool programs in North Dakota are largely federally supported and currently do not receive state funding.
Full list of programs that participated in Afterschool Day on the Hill:
- South Sudanese Foundation, Fargo
- Theo Art School, Bismarck
- Northern Plains Dance, Bismarck
- North Dakota’s Gateway to Science, Bismarck
- Tate Topa Tribal School’s 21st Century Community Learning Center, Fort Totten
- Child Care Aware of ND, Statewide
- Waterford.org, Statewide
- JSVC Valley City
- Northeast Education Services Cooperative, Devils Lake
- Hatton Extended School Project (ESP), Hatton
- North Valley Extended School Project, Grafton
- CREA Extended School Project (ESP), Bismarck
- North Dakota State Library
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Policy Updates
Federal Updates
- Afterschool Alliance is monitoring and updating information relating to the series of Executive Orders from President Trump on a wide range of issues, including several that impact federal agencies, regulatory processes and how they could affect local youth programs. Follow updates here.
State Updates
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Check out a list of childcare and afterschool-related bills we're tracking in North Dakota here: https://conta.cc/4h9KKvP
- Looking for information on how to advocate? Browse through our updated advocacy toolkit for tips on crafting your message, meeting with legislators, and more!
2025 ND Legislative Session Information: Sign up for policy-focused emails from Child Care Aware ND and ND Afterschool Network on early childhood and school age policy updates/issues/opportunities. This will be sent weekly (or more often as needed) during the 2025 ND Legislative session to provide bill tracking updates, opportunities to testify and to share your voice on matters relating to childcare and school-age programming.
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STEM Day at the ND Capitol: The North Dakota STEM Ecosystem is inviting organizations to register for STEM Day at the North Dakota Capitol on Monday, February 24, 2025. The event will be held in the Memorial Hall of the ND State Capitol Building and will showcase programs that provide STEM learning opportunities for students in the state. REGISTER TODAY
Each program should plan to bring examples of STEM activities for state legislators, officials, and other visitors to the capitol to explore. Participants are also encouraged to bring students who can share their passion for STEM with the visitors.
The event will kick off at 7:30 a.m. and close by 1:30 p.m. Stipends will be provided by the North Dakota STEM Ecosystem to offset costs associated with participation. The level of stipend is based on your distance from Bismarck:
- $350 for programs within 50 miles of Bismarck
- $600 for programs 50-100 miles from Bismarck
- $850 for programs more than 100 miles from Bismarck
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The application for STEM Next’s 2025 Flight Crew is now OPEN! STEM Next has launched a nationwide search for the Flight Crew— a group of youth advocates promoting the value of out-of-school STEM learning for all young people across the nation.
We encourage youth ages 13-18, with experience in afterschool and summer STEM learning and an interest in public speaking, to apply today. (Deadline is March 12th)
From April-December 2025, Flight Crew members:
- Act as a champion for OST STEM by sharing their first-hand, impactful STEM experiences beyond the classroom;
- Work with state leaders on relevant opportunities to advocate for OST STEM, create social media content and connect with media;
- Aspire to break down stereotypes and spark their peers' curiosity in STEM by connecting their STEM experiences to everyday life;
- Engage in leadership development opportunities, including public speaking, social media, and connections to mentors;
- Receive resume and interview coaching as well as access to scholarships and internships
Types of activities applicants should feel comfortable with:
- Making public appearances: Engaging audiences both online and in person.
- Recording video testimonials: Creating and sharing video content about your experiences and perspectives.
- Speaking at events: Presenting and interacting during various gatherings, both online and in-person.
- Writing about your experiences: sharing your journey through written Q&A’s or narratives.
Youth Should Apply Here
Questions about the application process?
Reach STEM Next’s team at flightcrew@stemnext.org.
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New York Life Foundation Aim High Grant: The New York Life Foundation created the Aim High grant program to help local community-based afterschool and summer learning programs support middle school students from low-income and disadvantaged communities with the critical transition to high school.15 one-year grants of $20,000 and 15 two-year grants of $100,000 will be awarded. Awardees must be nonprofit organizations serving middle school youth, with at least 75% of those served from families with low incomes. Programs can only apply for one of these grants. North Dakota is a priority state this year and will receive extra priority points on their application.
Application deadline: 5 p.m. EST, Friday, March 7, 2025
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The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant: The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation will consider grants for IRS-qualified non-profit organizations located within the United States. The Foundation aims to support organizations and programs for which a relatively small amount of funding might make a large difference. The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs. Awards typically range from $1,000 to $20,000. Requests received between November 11th (12:00am EST) and May 10th (11:59pm EST) are considered for funding during the Fall Award Round. | |
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Costco Charitable Giving & Grants: Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where they do business. Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
To apply for Costco support, organizations must meet the following general requirements:
- Must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
- Focus on supporting children, education, and/or health and human services
- Monetary requests only
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ND Afterschool Learning Platforms: Cypherworx & The Flourish Lab
Available for FREE starting in the 2024 – 2025 school year for all out-of-school time programs across North Dakota, Cypherworx and The Flourish Lab eLearning platforms are available for OST programs.
Check out the information session recording to learn about how your program can access the trainings, suggested learning pathways based on staff roles, alignment with ND Quality Standards for Out-of-School Time Programs, and opportunities to join communities of practice to connect with peers across the state.
Contact Kristin.Knorr@k12.nd.us for information on how to access the training platforms!
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Museum of Science Boston Free High-Quality Curricula for PK-8
The Museum of Science’s YES program offers free PK-8 engineering and STEM curricula designed to inspire students with hands-on challenges connected to their lives and communities. With 12 engaging, standards-aligned units, this collection emphasizes equity-oriented, socially engaged learning to help every student see themselves as an engineer and passionate problem solver.
📥 Download free curriculum guides or purchase materials kits here: https://bit.ly/4izQsrR
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Mental Health First Aid
Various Options from February - March | Virtual
Mental Health First Aid from National Council on Wellbeing teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults. You'll build skills and confidence you need to reach out and provide initial support to those who are struggling. You'll also learn how to help connect them to appropriate support. Offered free if you live or work in North Dakota. Learn More
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STEM Equity Learning Community
Spring 2025 | Learn more here!
The STEM Equity Learning Community is designed to equip OST program managers, administrators, and site directors so that more equitable learning spaces are available for Black, Indigenous, and Latina girls (and gender-expansive youth). Covered topics include: education equity & STEM, best practices in delivering STEM programming, and expanding how we understand bias.
The 2-hour, virtual STEM Equity Learning Community sessions are scheduled from February to June on the second Thursday of each month at 10 am Pacific | 11 am Mountain | 12 pm Central | 1 pm Eastern.
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NAA 2025: People, Potential, Possibilities
March 9-12, 2025 | Nashville, TN
Registration is open for the National AfterSchool Association Convention. Attendees can look forward to a packed agenda filled with inspiring sessions, innovative workshops, and ample networking opportunities. The convention will feature OST professionals like you who will share insights and strategies to enhance your programs and support your professional growth. Learn More
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Ready, STEM, Go!
Save the Date May 7-8, 2025 | Virtual
Hosted by six statewide afterschool networks, including ND Afterschool Network, all out-of-school time staff are invited to attend the 3rd annual Ready, STEM, Go virtual conference to learn about STEM-related topics, tools, and strategies and connect with peers from across the state and country. Registration will open soon for this FREE, virtual conference.
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We equip North Dakota afterschool programs with the tools and support to expand program quality, build leadership capacity, and ensure access to afterschool programs for all youth in their community. | | | | |
