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Working Together to Support Afterschool & Summer Opportunities
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Hooray! The 2019 Oregon Afterschool Conference was a success!
The conference took place at
Chemeketa Community College on November 2nd with over 400 participants, presenters, volunteers and staff on
hand to make it a memorable day.
Afterschool professionals traveled from around the state to attend an eventful, fun-filled day of Professional Development starting with a
keynote presentation from Dr. Kendra Coates, discussing the power and potential of a growth mindset.
The nearly 40 different sessions, ranged from topics in mental health to STEM to program
management
/leadership.
If you have any highlights from the conference, please share them with us! Email
Helene Hancock
with any photos and takeaways we can pass along to the rest of the afterschool world. Check out our conference website to see more photos form the day.
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Waving Farewell to a National Afterschool Champion:
Bill White's Afterschool Legacy
On October 9th, William S. White, the former president, CEO and board chair of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation passed away. Bill White created a legacy that has improved, and continues to improve, the lives of children, families and communities across our nation. With
Bill's leadership, a once-small federal funding stream of $1 million grew to more than $1 billion, due in large part to a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Education and the Mott Foundation. A handshake between White and U.S. Education Secretary Dick Riley led to the establishment of this incredibly successful partnership, which has provided tools, resources, and opportunities to tens of millions of kids through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program.
Bill was honored by The Council of Michigan Foundations for his leadership through a video created to showcase his profile in philantrhopy and leadership in the world of afterschool.
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From Risk to Opportunity
The hours immediately after school lets out, when parents are likely not available to supervise, are the prime-time for juvenile crime. Over the past 20 years, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a group consisting of law enforcement leaders from across the country, have relied on high-quality afterschool programs to provide supportive, stable, and enriching environments with caring adults that keep children and youth out of trouble and safe, while supporting their academic success, and social and emotional development.
Looking at Oregon....
Todos Juntos of Clackamas County
offers a wide range of services and supports to more than 1,800 K-12th graders and families at nine schools. Students in the program, which include youth who are identified as at-risk by school counselors and referred to the program by the Clackamas County Juvenile Department, are able to take part in programming that is tailored to their needs. Students learn what their emotional triggers are, how to manage conflict, how to treat others with respect, and work on building meaningful relationships with one another as well as learning to work in a team.
Way to go, Todos Juntos!
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Engaging Families Using Computer Science
As one of our five components to quality, we know the importance of authentically engaging families in afterschool and the entire education system. STEM Next is bringing light to this important issue through the lens of technology. They launched The Family Engagement Project to elevate the critical role of families in supporting youth, particularly youth who are
under-represented in technology, to pursue and persist in computer science. Some tips they
offer through this project include empowering students and parents to discover their own resources, being intentional and inviting students with disabilities to participate, encouraging girls, and changing the stigma about competition.
To read more about Computer Science for All,
click here
.
Our Access and Equity Report will have resources to support family engagement but in the meantime, check out resources for the
Hour of Code
coming up in December!
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Digging Into Data on Access and Equity
Our own Katie Lakey presented on a panel at the Oregon Child Care Research Partnership and Oregon School Readiness Research Consortium's Researchers Roundtable on October 10th at Chemeketa Cellars. She shared information from the Access and Equity Report and answered questions related to OregonASK's research. Click here to learn more about Oregon Child Care Research Partnership.
Thank you to everyone who has participated and provided feedback throughout our Access and Equity Report process!
We hope that by hearing directly from youth, families, and programs that we can make a stronger case for more resources and support in providing expanded learning opportunities in communities across Oregon.
Our Access and Equity Data Design Work Group met for the final time on Thursday, October 24th to review further research and data. The group enjoyed the mapping software, ARC GIS, showing layers of data collection and analysis from around the state. There was conversation around the importance of quotes from focus groups as well as the process for coding focus group data. The biggest takeaway from both focus group and survey data that some families and students, particularly those from non-dominant groups, are experiencing cultural barriers that impede their participation in afterschool programs. As a result, the group discussed and prioritized types of resources focused on supporting programs within equity initiatives.
The final report will be released in January of 2020, but in the meantime,
make sure to check out our
Interim Report here!
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Showcase Your Program's Commitment to Wellness!
Now Accepting applications for the Oregon 2020 Afterschool Wellness Award!
This award highlights the connection between school and afterschool programs, and the promotion and implementation of wellness activities. Two Afterschool Programs will be awarded the Oregon Afterschool Wellness award this year and receive $1,000 to further wellness efforts, statewide recognition, and a banner and p
laque for their program.
These School Wellness Awards are a financial partnership between the Oregon Department of Education, the Nutrition Council of Oregon, and the Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council to
provide financial support directly to exemplary practice programs.
OregonASK is excited and thankful to have been part of this work in adding the afterschool specific award to the existing wellness awards.
To complete an application and learn more about the awards,
head over to
Oregon Wellness Awards
.
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The Importance of Afterschool Meals
Academic outcomes are directly related to child nutrition, and the Afterschool Alliance says, "The combination of afterschool programs and suppers is a win-win." More than 1.3 million children benefited from afterschool suppers at school and community-based programs on an average weekday in October 2018. That was a 10.4% increase from the previous year, according to the annual
Afterschool Suppers: A Snapshot of Participation report, released this month by the Food Research & Action Center
(FRAC). Although this increase shows that more students are receiving afterschool meals, there is still work to be done to increase participation further.
Child Nutrition Reauthorization is currently being considered by Congress and provides an opportunity to streamline eligibility requirements to allow more children to receive afterschool meals. For more information, r
ead the
FRAC Report here
.
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Serve Local Food in Your Program!
Oregon's Farm-to-School and School Garden Network has been ready to expand since
House Bill 2579
passed this summer. This program awards non-competitive grants to school districts across Oregon, reimbursing them for buying locally grown and processed food. School districts are also able to apply for separate competitive grants to fund school gardens and educational activities, teaching students about agriculture. With the passing of the bill, more funding is available to programs--now is the time to apply!
Grant applications are due on November 15th. To learn more about ODE grants, click here
.
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Don't Forget About our
Day at the Capitol: January 15th, 2020
OregonASK will be sharing our Quest for Quality stories with Oregon Legislators this winter, preparing to join legislators in Salem on January 15th during Legislative Committee Days. This January visit will be just a few weeks before the Legislative Session as committees review the work done since July and final decisions and rules being enacted. This plays a larger role in implementation of Supporting Student Success Act, and we look forward to making a difference on statewide level. We hope that many programs will be able to join us in sharing what makes you unique in providing Quality expanded learning opportunities.
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2019-20 Save the Dates!
January 10th - OregonASK Partner Meeting
January 15th - Afterschool & Summer Legislative Day at the Capitol
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
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