WWW.AFTERSCHOOLPGH.ORGApril 2012  

Afterschool Activity Banner

Greetings!

 

What happened to March? Did anyone see it go by? Can you believe this is the APRIL edition of the AfterschoolPGH newsletter?! Slow down and take a few minutes to check out all that's happening in the APOST community and beyond...including funding opportunities, job openings, professional development trainings, advocacy activities and current OST research/resources. Don't forget to celebrate the newest APOST Quality Campaign Members! 

Get Active with APOST! Upcoming Opportunities to Get Involved:

 

 

 

APOST SYMPOSIUM SERIES:  THE BIG REVEAL - DATA COLLECTION & PROGRAM EVALUATION TOOLBOX

 

APRIL 17, 2012

9:00-11:00 AM

IBEW  5 Hot Metal Street  Pittsburgh, PA  15203  FREE Parking!


Please click here for the flyer.

 

You've heard the buzz and caught some updates about it over the past 18 months...but now it's complete and ready to be used! Join us as we introduce you to the collection of tools and support materials for afterschool programs to design and implement effective data collection and program evaluation practices. We promise it won't be your typical panelist presentation!

 

As always, everyone is welcome to attend, but we know that Executive Directors will be especially interested in the Toolbox!

 

Click Here to Register.

 

Please note that the program will start promptly at 9:00. Continental breakfast provided.

  

 

APOST Committees Invite You to...One-Day Shopping Spree! 4/27 

Please click here for the flyer.


Shopping Pass Good on April 27th, 12:30-2:30
The Zone 5217 Butler St Pittsburgh 15201
Free Parking!


Special Offer! Receive an update from all Committees including accomplishments & future goals.  Shop for a Committee that's just the right fit for you! Satisfaction guaranteed.  Bring in the shopping pass and receive lunch on APOST!


CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

 

DRUM ROLL, Please......Congratulations to the APOST Quality Campaign Members:

They have committed to a continuous quality improvement process based on the Action Plan they created as a result of completing the APOST Quality Self-Assessment. As APOST Quality Campaign members, they pledge to participate in APOST activities that will contribute to the increasing the quality of programming in the areas of: Structure & Management, Positive Connections, Safety & Health and Activities

Campaign Membership Benefits Include:

  • Public visibility as an afterschool provider dedicated to quality programming
  • Use of APOST Logo on all written and marketing materials
  • Eligibility for APOST Quality Capacity Grants
  • Priority preference for exclusive opportunities

To view the APOST Quality Campaign Member-Letter of Commitment, click here.

 

Interested in how your organization can become an APOST Quality Campaign Member?  Click Here.

 

Join us for the next Quality Campaign Orientation on Thursday, May 10th 9:00am - 12:00pm at the Penn State Cooperative Extension.


Click here for directions.


Please click here for the flyer.


CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

 

For more information and any questions, please contact Aimee LeFevers at alefevers@uwac.org or 412.456.6876 

 

BECOME AN APOST PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROVIDER

 

APOST is dedicated to providing quality professional development & technical assistance to aid in the development of well-trained and supported youth worker professionals. Based on this commitment, we welcome you to apply to present a workshop(s) through the APOST Professional Development program that will meet the needs, development, education and care of children and youth. Wondering how to present your workshop through APOST? Click here to read on for more information... 

 

If you have questions at any time, please feel free to contact Aimee LeFevers, APOST Quality Campaign Director, at 412.456.6876or alefevers@uwac.org OR Jennifer Engel, APOST PD & TA Committee Chairperson, at 412.231.2377or engel@sarahheinzhouse.com.


APOST PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY: Apply Now for the "Child and Youth Care: Basic Course"

APOST is happy to announce that it will be sponsoring and offering scholarships to the Child and Youth Care: Basic Course for the 3rd consecutive summer! Our host, The University of Pittsburgh, welcomes colleagues from the APOST community to participate in experiential learning that includes the following topics:

  • Introduction to Professional CYC Practice
  • Professional Ethics and Regulation
  • Guidance Techniques
  • Assessment and Documentation
  • Communication
  • Developmentally Based Programming
  • Relationship Development
  • Group Work
  • Activity Development and Leadership
  • Supervising Children and Youth
  • Cultural Diversity

This 54 hour course introduces practitioners to basic concepts and skills in professional child and youth care. The classes are based on competencies for practice included in state and national CYC credentialing requirements. Upon completion of this course, participants will be prepared to take and pass the CYC Certification Exam. Scholarships are available but limited.

 

Click here for the Application.

Click here for the Supervisor Acknowledgement Form

 

Admissions and scholarships will be considered on a rolling basis.

 

If you have questions regarding the process, please go to the AfterschoolPGH Blog post titled "Summer Institute Basic Course in Child and Youth Care Application Process Questions and Comments."


AFTERSCHOOL ADVOCACY  

For more resources and the latest information about afterschool advocacy, please click here.

 

The APOST Communications & Advocacy Committee Invites You To A "Take Your Legislator To Afterschool" Information Session


Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Greater Pittsburgh Afterschool Peer Network Meeting

12:00 - 2:00PM at Eastminster Presbyterian Church 

 

Now, more than ever, it is critical that the Afterschool community reach out to local legislators and community leaders to make sure they understand the powerful impact of afterschool programming. What better way to do that then to invite them to your program?! They will see first hand that afterschool programs inspire learning, keep kids safe and help working families ...a message they need to carry with them when making policy decisions that affect our youth.

 

Join us and we'll provide you with all the information and resources you need to plan a "Take Your Legislator to Afterschool" day at your program site.

 

For more information, contact Aimee LeFevers at alefevers@uwac.org or 412.456.6876

 

APOST Afterschool Advocacy Ambassador Program

 

Please click here for the flyer.

 

YOU play an important role in the healthy positive development of youth on a daily basis, right? YOU help children create, learn, dream, solve, cope, care, grow...and so much more, right? YOU understand that your OST program plays a major role in the lives of all the youth and families who depend on it, right? BUT...does the general public, our policymakers, community leaders and other decision makers understand the importance of OST to youth and communities at large? Not quite. It's time for you to become a CHAMPION of OST and advocate on behalf of the youth and families who benefit!

 

If you are interested in becoming an APOST Advocacy Ambassador, please contact Aimee LeFevers at 412.456.6786 or alefevers@uwac.org.


2012 Lights On Afterschool Poster Contest

Submission deadline: May 1, 2012

The Afterschool Alliance's (AA) Lights On Afterschool poster contest is officially underway. Afterschool program participants are encouraged to submit artwork that celebrates afterschool programs and conveys the importance of keeping the lights on after school.

The winning poster design will be printed on 70,000 posters send to Lights On Afterschool celebrations across the country. The winning artist also will be featured on the AA website, blog and in the Afterschool Storybook.

 

Click here for contest details and submission guidelines.

 

 

 

Important Survey Worth Your Time (REALLY!)
 
Youth Arts Programming Survey - We need your voice!
 
The 10th, 20th, and 50th respondents to this survey will receive $100 American Express Gift Card

Dewey & Kaye is conducting a survey to find out more about how youth program providers incorporate the arts into their programming.   We are doing so on behalf of DreamMakers Ventures Program that engages youth in building their thinking about their future through exposure to music, arts and language.  Your participation in this survey will help them better understand the types of arts programming that youth providers may be interested in.  The survey only takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. Please CLICK HERE to begin the survey.  All answers will remain confidential and are only reported in the aggregate by Dewey & Kaye. Thank you in advance for your participation!

 

 

New Afterschool Research and Publications

 

Serving Healthy Meals Can Be Challenging in After-School Programs

 

"Healthy Eating in Out-of-School Time"

 

Afterschool Programs Improve Attendance, Behavior and Coursework

 

Afterschool Programs that Follow Evidence-Based Practices to Promote Social and Emotional Development Are Effective. 

 

Continuous Quality Improvement in Afterschool Settings: Impact findings from the Youth Program Quality Intervention Study. 

 

Afterschool in Action: How Innovative Afterschool Programs Address Critical Issues Facing Middle School Youth

  

Please click here for more afterschool research and publications.

 

Grants and Funding Opportunities
  

Newly Available and Upcoming Deadlines:

 


 

J-Serve 2012 Micro-Grants - Deadline 4/22 

 

Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes - Deadline 4/30 

 

Pittsburgh CARES Youth Engaged in Service Mini-Grants - Deadline 5/4 

 

Support for Music, Education, and Grassroots Organizing Programs -Sparkplug Foundation - Deadline 5/9

 

Entertainment Software Association: Grants for Youth Programs Deadline 5/15

 

Awesome Foundation - Pittsburgh 

 

Please click here for more grants and funding opportunities.

 

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.
Upcoming Events
Time is of the Essence, Act Now!  

  

4/11 MANY Webinar: It's Time to Prove It: How to Demonstrate Whether Youth Programming Works

 

4/12 APOST Communications and Advocacy Committee Meeting

 

4/13 Special Opportunity! 21st Century Cohort 6A Proposal Submission Tips

 

4/14 Pitt PlayAPalooza

 

4/17 APOST SYMPOSIUM SERIES: The Big Reveal - Data Collection and Program Evaluation Toolbox

  

4/18 Greater Pittsburgh Afterschool Peer Network Meeting (GPAPN)

 

4/23 Youth Engaged In Service Professional Development: Pittsburgh CARES Youth Programs & Grants

 

4/23 Youth Engaged In Service Professional Development: Service Learning 101

 

4/23 -26 The Play Project is coming to Pittsburgh
 

4/23 - 25 Global Youth Service Day - Youth Changing The World 

 

4/24 Youth Engaged In Service Professional Development: Reflections and Other Ways to Evaluate Program Success

 

4/24 Youth Engaged In Service Professional Development: Beyond the Service Learning Basics - Taking Your Work to the Next Level

 

4/24 - 25 Links to Learning Part II 

 

4/26 Urban Leagues 11th Annual National Achievers Society (NAS) Induction Award Ceremony  

 

4/27 APOST Committees Invite You to...One-Day Shopping Spree!

 

5/2 - 3 Afterschool for All Challenge  

 

5/8 - 9 Keeping Our Children Safe:  Strategies for Schools and Communities Conference, Harrisburg 

 

5/10 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: APOST QUALITY CAMPAIGN ORIENTATION 5/10 - BECOME AN APOST QUALITY CAMPAIGN MEMBER!

 

Please click here to learn about these and other exciting upcoming afterschool events in our region.

 

 

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.
Inspriration


"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."


Mark Twain (1835-1910);
[Samuel Clemens] humorist, essayist, novelist

Your Information is Important! 

Please be sure to review your program listing to ensure all details are up to date.  Click here to search for your program.  If you have any updates, we are happy to help!  Just email us at support@AfterschoolPGH.org.  
 

Program information is brought to you by SPARC
SPARC Afterschool Logo
strategic initiave of 3rc