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 NJ Afterschool Action
News, Policy and Research
from NJSACC
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Welcome to NJ Afterschool Action!
|  This has been an eventful month for New Jersey
afterschool programs.
The new state budget includes cuts that will dramatically change the
landscape
for kids statewide. School funding reductions are already creating new
demands
on afterschool programs. Programs that operate in schools after the
school day
end are being asked to pay rent for the first time. As municipalities
cut their
budgets, locally funded afterschool programs are jeopardized. New Jersey
After
3, a nonprofit organization which supports a Statewide network of
evidence-based afterschool programs, saw their state funding cut from
$10
million to $3 million. At the same time, I've been excited to see more and
more
afterschool programs offering comprehensive and creative learning
opportunities
this summer. Children are benefiting from special programs and
partnerships
that take advantage of longer days and less school-related pressures to
engage
kids in everything from engineering to the arts. Across the state dedicated and inventive
afterschool staff
members are finding new ways to respond to fiscal challenges while doing
their
best every day for children. They inspire me to keep working to
strengthen New
Jersey's network of afterschool communities. I hope they inspire you to
stay
involved as well. Today, we are needed more than ever. *****
 I also wanted to share with you an exciting, no-cost resolution called the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights. Our friends at NJ Audubon have been working with legislators on both sides to raise awareness about how important it is for children to experience the great outdoors. An excerpt from the resolution: Every child has the right and should have
opportunities to:
Explore the woods; climb a tree
Run through a field; build a fort
Splash in the water; catch a fish
Explore a city park; turn over a log
Sleep out in a tent; gaze at stars
Follow a trail; listen to bird song
Play in the mud; hold a frog
Plant a garden; eat locally grown food
Play in the rain; follow animal tracks
Be alone in nature; share it with a friend
Celebrate NJ's habitats; embrace our natural
heritage!
Please consider reaching out to your legislators and ask them support the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights. Let's also extend our thanks to the sponsoring legislators, Assemblyman Peter J.
Barnes III, Assemblywoman Denise M. Coyle and Assemblyman Scott Rudder
for shining a spotlight on this issue. Click here to find your legislator. Read. Learn. Get involved. Together we can make a difference. Diane Genco |
| 2010 Summer Reading Program | Children
Urged to
"Makes a Splash - READ!" and Teens to
"Make Waves at Your Library" and Adults
Can "Water Your Mind - READ" at their local
public library
Children
and adults of all
ages from 454 public libraries throughout New Jersey have the opportunity to
participate in their public library's
summer reading program, which is administered
by the New Jersey Library Association, supported by a grant from the New
Jersey
State Library.
The 2010 summer reading theme is water, and kids will "Make
a Splash - READ!" with artwork by
children's book illustrator Henry Cole. The teen theme is "Make Waves at Your
Library" with artwork by illustrator Ursula Vernon. This year, for the
first time, adults have their own summer
reading program with the theme "Water Your Mind - READ!"
"Economic
considerations are
forcing many New Jersey families to cancel vacations and cut back on
other
activities this summer," said Norma Blake, NJ State Librarian. "The Summer Reading Program at their local
library is the creative solution to what those budget-wary parents and
their
energetic children and teens need."
Pirate Day at Roselle Public Library (2009)  |
Research
shows that children who read during the summer
perform better when school resumes in the fall. Kids and teens are
participating in summer reading fun at their local libraries in growing
numbers.
Click here to learn more
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Afterschool Matters Features "Nana for a New Generation"
| New Jersey's Denise Sellers, Executive Director of Haddonfield Child Care, contributed an article in the latest edition of
Afterschool Matters. She writes about how her afterschool program fulfills a role similar to that of her own Nana, who loved and cared for an entire neighborhood of children.
Afterschool
Matters is a national, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to
promoting professionalism, scholarship and consciousness in the field
of afterschool education. Published by the National Institute on
Out-of-School Time with support from the Robert Bowne Foundation, the
journal serves those involved in developing and managing programs for
youth during the out-of-school time hours, in addition to those engaged
in research and in shaping youth development policy.
Click here to download a copy of Afterschool Matters.
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Mark Your Calendars for "Building Connections", NJSACC's Annual Afterschool Conference
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This year NJSACC will once again host the NJ Annual Afterschool
Conference. "Building Connections" will focus on
the importance of introducing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Math) into afterschool programs.
Building Connections: NJ's Annual Afterschool Conference
When: November 12th and 13th, 2010
Conference Fees:
Members: $236 / 2 days $136 / 1 day
Non-Members: $271 / 2 days $171 / 1 day
Fee includes conference materials, continental breakfast and lunch
buffet.
Conference Location and Accommodations:
The Marriott Princeton Hotel and Conference Center at Forrestal
100 College Road East, Princeton, NJ 08540
Room Rates: $149 per night
Room Reservations:
Reservations must be made by individual attendees directly with Marriott
reservations at
(800) 228-9290 or (609) 452-7800.
Room reservations must be made on or before Friday, October 30, 2010.
When you call make sure to mention the NJSACC Conference and the dates
of the conference in order to receive the conference rate.
Please Note: Full conference program will be posted at www.njsacc.org in
early September in a downloadable format. CONFERENCE PROGRAM WILL NOT BE MAILED THIS YEAR -
ONLY AVAILABLE IN DOWNLOADABLE FORMAT.
Registration will be online only.
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| Registration Opens for Lights On Afterschool | Registration
is open for the 11th annual Lights On
Afterschool on October 21, 2010!
More than
one million Americans celebrate Lights On Afterschool at 7,500+
 events nationwide. Register now and
be part of this important effort to call attention to the importance of
afterschool programs that keep our kids safe, inspire them to learn and
help working families.
Click here to access the registration form.
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Afterschool Alliance Updates Issue Brief on Summer Learning
| The Afterschool Alliance released an updated issue brief entitled "Summer: A Season When Learning is Essential" using
recently-released data from the America After
3PM Special Report on Summer. This issue brief contains all you need to  know to make
the case for summer learning programs.
The "Summer:
A Season When Learning is Essential" Issue Brief delves into the
various ways in which summer enrichment activities can benefit children
and includes new America After 3PM
data to support the case for increased resources for summer
learning programs. This timely, enhanced issue brief also provides an
updated list of exemplary summer programs, new quotes from parents,
statistics on summer nutrition, key outcomes from quality summer
learning programs and much more.
Click here for the Summer Learning Issue Brief.
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Newark Museum Offers Hands-On Learning to Afterschool Programs
| The
Newark Museum provides a range of engaging learning experiences for young people at
the M useum during out-of-school time. In addition to hands-on, enriching activities at the Museum's Newark location, Museum educators are available to travel to afterschool programs.
All programs offer hands-on teaching to connect with art, history, science, and literacy and are conducted by professional
Museum educators. Programs are available for all age groups from kindergarten through 8th grade.
More information is available on the Newark's Museum website.
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Thank you so much for reading this edition of NJ Afterschool Action. We always want to hear from you, so please send your questions, comments, and ideas to action@njsacc.org.
Sincerely,
Diane Genco
New Jersey School Age Care Coalition
This newsletter is a part of the New Jersey Afterschool Network, the policy arm of NJSACC. The Network builds lasting public support for quality afterschool programs across New Jersey. Led by a public-private partnership, the network enhances public awareness and support; offers guidance for parents, providers, and advocates; strengthens relationships with policymakers, funders, practitioners, and parents, and shares best practices in the field. |
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