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Greetings!
Holy Cannoli Batman! Is it really time for the next newsletter? It feels like we just enjoyed July's! Summer is going too fast. Make it stop! Before the rest of summer rushes by, be sure to take a few moments to get in the know about out of school in our region.
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APOST Request for Proposal: Quality Capacity Grant, Fall 2011!
The APOST Quality Capacity Grants represent our effort to demonstrably provide more funding for out-of-school time programs and to help programs realize that a continuous quality improvement process should be the hallmark of how programs approach doing their best to serve children, youth, families and communities. If you are an out-of-school time provider committed to increasing the quality of essential elements which include the practices of appropriate structure and management, supporting positive connections, assuring safety and health, and providing engaging, intentionally-designed activities...then click here for the APOST Quality Capacity Grant, Fall 2011 RFP.
Application deadline is September 27, 2011.
For more information, contact Joe Welsh at jwelsh@uwac.org or 412.456.6740 .
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APOST Committees: It's not too late to jump on board!
The call went out to the entire OST Community and many of you responded! During the last week of June, folks from all over the OST community attended The APOST Professional Development & Technical Assistance, Standards, Communications & Advocacy, and Positive Youth Development Committee Kick-off Meetings to learn about the goals of each and determine where their expertise would best fit.
Participation on the APOST Committees is still open to all and you are encouraged to attend the next round of scheduled meetings.
To learn more, please contact Aimee LeFevers at (412) 456-6876 or alefevers@uwac.org. |
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For Your Review...APOST Best Practices in Career Development
APOST has recently begun a series of work sessions called the "Best Practices in the Focus Areas." The goal of this work is to provide a simplistic set of ACTIONS (not to be confused with objectives or learning outcomes) youth will participate in when attending an OST program which identifies itself as delivering the one or more of the following focus areas:
· Academics
· Arts & Culture
· Athletics & Recreation
· Career Development
· Youth Leadership
· Service Learning
· Social Development
· Health & Wellness
We kicked off the series with the focus area of Career Development. The call was put out via www.afterschoolpgh.org and several providers came together over a series of 3 sessions to develop the best practices. The best practices then went through an expert review process with Brandeis University-The Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Now it's your turn to review the Best Practices in Career Development and give your feedback. But, before you do so, please take the time to read about the goals and purpose of the process.
Best Practices Goals & Purpose
Career Development Best Practices
Once you've reviewed the Best Practices in Career Development, please email me at alefevers@uwac.org with your feedback. You can also provide feedback by joining the conversation on the AfterschoolPGH Blog . Feedback will be accepted from July 26 through August 26th.
The Best Practices in Career Development will then be reviewed for approval by the APOST Standards of Practice Committee.
Stay tuned for the next steps in the roll-out process of the Best Practices in Career Development!
For more information contact Aimee LeFevers at alefevers@uwac.org or 412.456.6876. |
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WIRELESS NEIGHBORHOODS ADOPTS NEW NAME AND ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY
Effective July 15, 2011, Wireless Neighborhoods, a Pittsburgh nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of afterschool programming, became the Neighborhood Learning Alliance. This change represents a dedicated effort on behalf of our Board of Directors to bring the organization's name into alignment with our mission while embracing our successful history of service to Pittsburgh's lower-income and African-American community.
In many ways, this alignment is a long time coming. While "Wireless Neighborhoods" represents the roots of our early efforts to bring broadband services to lower-income neighborhoods, many people suggested over the years that the name did not accurately represent the lion's share of our work to help professionalize afterschool program services across the city. In recent years, again under the leadership of our Board, we have brought our mission, vision and core tenets into alignment with the work of the organization. The new logo and name truly represent the final steps in our journey to organizational self-actualization.
We will miss Wireless Neighborhoods and ask in advance for your indulgence over the next year or so if we pick up the phone and "Wireless..." accidentally slips out. I think we all agree, however, that the new name better reflects our mission and better positions the organization to be a leader in the city's efforts to create high-quality afterschool programming and supports.
Join us as we usher in the Neighborhood Learning Alliance era, and retire an old friend, Wireless Neighborhoods.
For more information, please contact Stephen MacIsaac, Executive Director, at 412-363-1914 or macisaac@neighborhoodlearning.org or visit us online at www.neighborhoodlearning.org.
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Kick off the new school year by attending the first of three Youth-Driven Programming workshops!
as he increases our knowledge about what youth-driven programming is and how we can all do it better. Afterschool providers serving children of all ages are welcome to attend. More information is available by clicking here.
When: Wednesday, August 31, 9:00 - 12:00
Where: The University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development, 400 N Lexington St., Pittsburgh PA 15208
Registration is free, and participants are eligible to receive PQAS and/or Act 48 professional development hours. Register online at www.bit.ly/ydpworkshops
Please contact Milena Nigam at mkn11@pitt.edu with any questions.
In youth-driven programs, youth have a voice, that voice is heard, and it matters! |
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Latest News
Want to know the latest and greatest in what's happening in afterschool in our region?
For more recent headlines, click here to read the latest news. |
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Contact Us
We look forward to hearing from you! Please click here to contact us. If you would like to submit something for consideration for an upcoming newsletter, please email us at support@afterschoolpgh.org by the last Tuesday of the month. |
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Inspriration
"Your spark can become a flame and change everything. "
E.D. Nixon (1899-1987);
American civil rights leader
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