|
Building Quality with Afterschool Professionals
at Boys & Girls Club of the Rogue Valley
|
|
Definitions of Expanded Learning Opportunities Word of the Month
Affirm:
To acknowledge, respect, value, and support someone's full identity and self--including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, experiences, ideas, beliefs, etc.--and to encourage the development and exploration of who they are.
|
|
Celebrating Oregon's Leaders
Next Generation Leader Award
The National Afterschool Association (NAA) recognizes individuals each year who are committed to the mission of the afterschool field and creating long-lasting impact through program design, professional development, and influence within their local communities. NAA picked leaders age 30 and under from around the country who are active in the afterschool community, demonstrate NAA core competencies with a focus on professional development and leadership, possess passion for the afterschool profession and for their work as an emerging afterschool leader, have a clear purpose in their efforts to support others beyond their program and their immediate peers, and show persistence in their work to grow as a leader in the field of afterschool. We are excited to announce that two Next Generation Leaders hail from Oregon! Both of this year's Oregon Winners will be at the OregonASK Partner Meeting on January 10th to share a little bit more about their journey and work.
RSVP Here to join us.
|
|
Stephanie Haas
Stephanie's tenure in afterschool programs began when she was fresh out of undergrad in 2012. As a Jesuit Volunteer/AmeriCorps member, Stephanie was matched with a SUN (Schools Uniting Neighborhoods) Community School program in Portland, Oregon. In her role as SUN Site Coordinator, Stephanie worked with community partners, fellow educators, and volunteers to design and implement afterschool and summer programs in a Title I elementary school. Shortly after her year of volunteering, Stephanie was hired as the Associate Director at
Portland Tennis & Education (PT&E), which exists to strengthen youth, inspire families, and build communities that reach their potential. PT&E's vision is to create access to a fair learning and playing field for Portland's underserved youth, and they do so through year-round, tuition-free academic, athletic, and life skills programs. In her nearly six years at PT&E, Stephanie has worked tirelessly to teach in the classrooms and on the court, direct and develop the programs, connect with community partners and supporters, and execute necessary administrative tasks for the benefit of the program.
Stephanie has a true passion for out-of-school education, in particular supporting the academic and athletic needs of underserved youth. She has developed programming that incorporates the interest of schools, families, and youth to ensure it is engaging and supporting their needs. Stephanie created the Family Council and many surveys and assessments for youth and families in order to collect feedback and develop programs based on the community's needs. She also goes above and beyond to stay connected to the neighborhood community, playing tennis with the parents, volunteering at the school, attending kids' award ceremonies and sports events, and exploring the beautiful Northwest. Stephanie pairs these relationships with knowledge from trainings, like NAA and OregonASK conferences, to deliver excellent programming. She is constantly looking for ways to develop and share in educational circles, including going back to school for her masters, attending classes and trainings, and working and speaking at afterschool and summer program conferences.
|
|
|
|
Aiko Sato
Aiko was in afterschool for all of elementary school - but she was never a fan and she frequently got in trouble which was a huge bummer for her parents because they really really needed it. A lot of her work has been reflective on her experience as a student, and trying to make that time and space fun and engaging for kids who might be like her. Aiko's work in coaching other staff has been to help gain a little insight into those situations, so that they can create meaningful connections with all of their kids. Most teachers never forget their inner child, but Aiko and hers are business partners. Aiko feels that the afterschool field is great because it's in the education field but thrives through creating a culture with the kids, families, community. It's a fairly unique opportunity. She is a first generation American and college grad, so everything she has learned in life is a swirl of both in and out of school experiences, and she thinks we can build that mix in afterschool as well to achieve a holistic experience. She see teachers succeeding in that intersection too, as we expand on the definition of education and educators.
Aiko worked with Champions summer programs, was an assistant and teacher, and now works full time as the Field Coach and Program Manager for over 14 programs in the Portland Metro Area. She has been inspiring and leading quality in after school for Champions for 6 years and is currently midway through her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Teacher Leadership. In 2016, she was recognized nationally by KCE Champions for Quality among sites from all over the country. Aiko was one of only a few directors who were recognized out of the hundreds of programs Champions operates around the country. Since then, Aiko has continued to lead, inspire, and grow. She has earned her BA in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Portland State University, she supports and manages 3 large programs as Program Manager, and she was a third time presenter at this year's OregonASK's annual conference. Aiko was chosen to be the shining star of the OregonASK video on Professional Development in 2019.
|
|
|
|
Show up to Day at the Capitol on
January 15th!
On January 15th, OregonASK will be showing up at the Capitol in Salem, and we need your help! We will be sharing our
Quest for Quality
stories with Legislators during Legislative Committee Days. But we can't do this without our important partners--YOU!
We need you to share your successes and the direct impact that laws, funding, and advocacy have on your program. As we discuss the work of the Supporting Student Success Act and share the final data from our Access and Equity Report, we hope to share the reality of afterschool today from a program perspective. We want to help decision-makers remember the greater reason behind policies being created in Salem - our youth & communities.
So, will you help? If you are interested in showing up to Day at the Capitol,
fill out
this form
. If you are not able to be here in person to support, we encourage you to reach out to us about specific topics you'd like us to discuss with legislators.
Our new legislative session begins in February and we are excited to hit the ground running into the new year! If you have any questions, please reach out to Bethany Thramer.
|
|
January is National Mentoring Month!
Mentoring is a critical component in young
peoples' lives, helping them make the decisions and
connections that lead to opportunity. Afterschool & summer programs are a key place where mentoring relationships are developed and grow to support youth in unique and dynamic ways. Did you know:
- 1 in 3 young people are growing up without a mentor outside their family. That's 9 million young people without a mentor outside their family to walk alongside them through their journey.
- At a time when much of the focus is on what divides us, MENTOR research shows that there is something the majority of Americans agree on: mentoring relationships are powerful tools for connection and are critical to our country's future.
- More than 80% of adults agree with government investment in mentoring, and more than two-thirds are already mentoring or willing to consider it.
|
The Final Afterschool Access & Equity Report is Almost Here!
From small programs to large communities, we have searched the state to collect data and answer questions about accessible, equitable and inclusive environments for students and families. We have enjoyed the process of administering hundreds of surveys and holding dozens of meaningful focus groups to hear from YOU! Thank you again to everyone who has contributed to our research. Our team has been hard at work processing and analyzing the data to provide an in-depth, synthesized report outlining access and equity in Oregon. We hope to provide statewide programs and communities with tools and resources to address challenges and barriers students and families face. This work is important, and our goal is to support statewide expanded learning opportunities through the report.
We are so excited to share our results with you! The final report will be making its debut at our annual Day at the Capitol on January 15th. We will be bringing this report to legislators and hope to have your support as you share your experiences and barriers that this report will be addressing.
For now, make sure you read our
Interim Report. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please reach out to
Juan Soto.
|
|
Service Learning 101 Webinar has been rescheduled
Service Learning: A combination of structured learning and service to the community that promotes personal development and civic responsibility. Includes structured time for students to plan service projects beforehand, and time for personal reflection after the project is complete.
If you have ever asked yourself "Is Service Learning right for my program? Where would we even begin?"--you're in luck! OregonASK is partnering with Service Learning Specialist Julie Rogers Bascom of the
National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC), to offer a webinar on
Thursday,
January 23rd, 2020
. This was previously scheduled for December 10, 2019 so if you missed out last time make sure you sign up! Participants will learn about the service learning framework, be introduced to the IPARD (Investigation, Planning, Action, Reflection, and Demonstration) process, understand how to support youth voice, review project examples, and learn about future opportunities their program could implement.
The webinar will kick off at
10:00 am PST.
OregonASK will be offering professional development credit through the Oregon Center for Career Development at Portland State University, 1 hour of Set 1 in Learning Environments and Curriculum (LEC) to submit to the Oregon Registry after attending.
Register Now for FREE!
|
|
Are You 2 Weeks Ready?
OregonASK is teaming up with Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) Agencies around the state to have community conversations about natural and man-made emergencies. Did you know that you need to be prepared for at least two weeks at a time? Don't know where to start?
Our
2 Weeks Ready Campaign community conversations will be held around the state, and you are invited! We will be meeting with child care providers, school age programs, and community members to understand what resources and barriers exist to prevent them from being two weeks ready. After our community conversations, we will be creating a report to announce our findings along with steps to take towards being prepared. Our goal is for all programs to prioritize children's' safety and be ready for anything to happen.
Save the date to join the community conversation in
Washington County on
January 28th from 7-8 pm.
Sign up here.
We are currently creating our calendar of community conversations, and your area might be next! Keep your eyes peeled for dates rolling out in your county soon. Learn more about the
campaign here, and contact
Kassy Rousselle with any questions.
|
|
Mind the Gap Spring Conference April 17th & 18th
Our Spring Mind the Gap Conference in coordination with Oregon Association for Education of Young Children is
April 17th-18th, 2020
at Linn-Benton Community College. We will be focusing on all things summer and building inclusive practices! If you need ideas and inspiration for summer learning, don't want to miss this opportunity. We will be releasing more information in the coming months, so stay tuned.
Are you looking for specific professional development for your program? We would love to come out to your site and work with you directly to provide exactly what you need! If interested, please fill out this Request for Training and we will contact you shortly. Make sure to check out our training brochure to see what we are offering, and keep an eye out for new content coming in 2020! If you have any questions about training, please contact Leilani Larsen.
|
|
2020 Save the Dates!
January 15th - Afterschool & Summer Legislative Day at the Capitol
January
23rd
- Service Learning Webinar
January
28th
- 2 Weeks Ready Community Conversation
February 3rd
-
March 6th:
Oregon State Legislative Short Session
April 10th - OregonASK Partner Meeting
April 17th & 18th - Mind the Gap Spring Conference with ORAEYC & OregonASK
June 5th -
OregonASK Partner Meeting
|
|
