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About
the Afterschool Advisor | |
The Afterschool Advisor is a publication of the Iowa Afterschool Alliance for practitioners seeking resources to improve, sustain, and develop their afterschool program. |
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Impact After School Registration is Still Open!
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Save the Date for the 3rd Annual
Impact After School Conference
April 23-24, 2015
Ramada Tropics Resort & Conference Center
5000 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines, IA 50322
REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!
Guest rooms will be available at the Ramada for $55 per night (April 22 and 23, 2015). To secure this special rate, call the hotel at
515-278-0271 and mention the Impact After School Conference to make your reservation by April 1, 2015.
We are now accepting nominations for our Afterschool Champions and Outstanding Afterschool Student Awards! For more information, and to submit a nomination, click here.
Thank you for your interest in the Impact After School Conference! We are looking forward to another amazing conference this year!
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Central Iowa Regional Forum on the
Iowa Afterschool Opportunities Directory
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The IAA has hosted a number of meetings across the state to share this new tool to identify afterschool opportunities exclusively with program providers like you. We would like you to join us to be a leader in this project! We've already completed our initial outreach events in Eastern and Western Iowa, and will be concluding our Central Iowa outreach with the Central Iowa Regional Forum, taking place on April 23rd during the Impact Afterschool Conference. This will be a chance to share results of the data collected through our Central Iowa and statewide outreach, as well as facilitate discussions around the use of the data. Please visit our website for more details and updates, and contact us if you have any questions about the directory. An R.S.V.P. will be required, so please keep an eye out for more information soon. |
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12 Tips for Integrating Academic Enrichment into your Afterschool Program
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 Megan Green, Manager of After-school Programs at the Center for the Collaborative Classroom (formerly the Developmental Studies Center), recently wrote a blog post that shares her insight on how to make enrichment activities more successful in afterschool programs. Some highlights of her post include: #2 Explore existing interests#5 Timing is everything#9 Facilitate more. Talk less.#12 Share what excites you!To read the full blog post, click here.
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New report: Afterschool is a vital weapon in the battle against childhood obesity
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The Afterschool Alliance (national) just released a special report titled Kids on the Move: Afterschool Programs Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity. Below are some highlights of their important findings:
"Parents' views about the role of afterschool programs in improving kids' health and physical fitness are overwhelmingly positive:
- Parents report that nearly three-quarters of afterschool programs provide kids with food and beverages, and a decisive 81 percent of parents are satisfied that the food served is healthy.
- 80 percent of parents agree that afterschool programs should offer opportunities for physical activity, and 80 percent of parents with a child in an afterschool program report that the program does just that-this marks an improvement of four percentage points since 2009!
- 84 percent of parents with a child in an afterschool program that offers physical activity are satisfied with both the amount and the variety of physical activity offered.
- It's especially important to African-American, Hispanic, and low-income parents that afterschool programs provide healthy food and opportunities for physical activity.
With afterschool program participation higher than ever, it's clear that afterschool can be an important weapon in the battle against childhood obesity and physical inactivity." Read more, here!
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Free Online Learning with Prizes!
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 Clever Crazes for Kids features quizzes and games designed in cooperation with the University of Cincinnati, and awards $500 cash prizes every week to the afterschool program with the highest average score! Top-scoring kids also earn $10 gift cards. Read the official rules and learn more about these free and interactive games here. |
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Professional Development Opportunities
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The Iowa Afterschool Alliance keeps a calendar of opportunities regularly updated on our website. Visit it at http://www.iowaafterschoolalliance.org/resources/.
Dimensions of Success STEM Observer Training
Available once monthly; please contact Indira for more information
The IAA is seeking individuals across the state who are interested in observing afterschool STEM programs using the DoS tool. To ensure tool validity, observers must participate in a two-day online training via webinar. Thanks to funding from the Noyce Foundation, this training is provided at no charge.
If you are interested in becoming a DoS observer, please contact Indira at iblazevic@sppg.com to register!
Teaching Sexual Health Education to Students with Special Needs Training
April 1st or June 23rd; 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.; West Des Moines
EyesOpenIowa is pleased to announce we will be hosting a series of training son teaching sexual health education to students with special needs. Receiving quality, accurate and comprehensive sexual health education is the right of all students. EOI believes in providing quality trainings to ensure students receive this valuable education in a way that is medically accurate and free of bias.
To learn more about these trainings, click here or contact Bobbie Jo Sheridan at BobbieJo@EyesOpenIowa.org.
Blank Park Zoo Educator Workshops
Various dates and locations
Mark your calendar for this school year's educator workshops facilitated by the Blank Park Zoo! The workshops are good for one hour of Drake University or license renewal credit and teachers will be eligible to schedule a free classroom animal program. One spring workshop remains:
- April 17/18 - Wonders of Water
More detailed information and registration forms may be found on the zoo's website.
2015 Iowa Impact After School Conference
April 23-24, 2015; Des Moines, Iowa
Join other Iowa afterschool professionals for two days of networking, learning, collaborating, and just plain having fun! This year we're moving to a larger venue to accommodate this successful event. Be sure to attend in 2015. You won't want to miss it!
Register online today at http://bit.ly/IMPACT15REG.
2015 BOOST (Best of Out-of-School Time) Conference
April 28 - May 1, 2015; Palm Springs, CA
The BOOST Conference is one of the largest, most recognized, and highly comprehensive professional development opportunities in the country, convening over 2,300 professionals who work with and serve youth in the out-of-school time hours. This all-inclusive conference supports After School Education & Safety (ASES) Programs, 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) Programs and High School ASSETS programs.
Set in a retreat-like atmosphere, this extraordinary event will rejuvenate your passion and boost your direction for quality programming.
Community Youth Concepts Spring Training: Youth Voice and Engagement
May 8, 2015; 9-11:30 a.m.
Research shows that quality programs incorporate youth input at both activity and organizational levels. This workshop emphasizes the importance of offering real choices and meaningful participation to youth and nurturing youth leadership. The workshop focuses on providing meaningful choice and opportunities for youth input at all levels.
EyesOpenIowa Webinar, Commencement: The Beginning. Prepping our Seniors for CollegeMay 5, 2015; 12:00-1:30 p.m.
This webinar will provide ideas to empower seniors around health literacy and increase their self-efficacy as they graduate from high school. Topics include; consent, STD prevention, substance use, communication, locating services and much more.
CryptoClub Summer 2015 Leader Training Workshop
June 25-27, 2015; University of Illinois at Chicago
Cryptography, the science of secret messages, is an intriguing STEM topic and an important application of mathematics. CryptoClub is a 16-20 hour afterschool curriculum designed to teach cryptography and mathematics to students in grades 6-8. It uses games, treasure hunts, and other informal activities to engage students in learning cryptography and applying middle-school mathematics. The CryptoClub curriculum has been developed and tested with support from the National Science Foundation.
Click here for more details!
Ongoing
Short online courses are available for afterschool and summer program staff through You for Youth, a website originally developed by the U.S. Department of Education for 21CCLCs. Courses cover topics like Project-Based Learning, Aligning with the School Day, STEM, and Strengthening Partnerships. Each course takes less than an hour and is available 24/7. All courses are accessible by the public!
New Literacy Content on Y4Y!
You 4 Youth is a free online professional development site that is designed to support 21st CCLC program staff, but is a valuable tool for any afterschool professional looking to build their skills! Recently, Y4Y has rolled out a whole module on literacy.
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Grant Opportunities
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Pathway to Financial Success Grants
Is your high school ready to start a financial literacy program? Discover has the grant for you! They have set aside $10 million to aid high school sin teaching students about their financial futures.
Learn more and apply on their website!
McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation
Application Deadline: April 15, 2015
Grants in amounts up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of $30,000 over three years to fund programs that nurture the intellectual, artistic, and creative abilities of children from low-income households. The Foundation considers proposals that foster understanding, deepen students' knowledge, and provide opportunities to expand awareness of the world around them.
Click here for more information and to apply.
The Libri Foundation Books for Children Grants
Application Deadline: May 1, 2015
The Libri Foundation is a nationwide non-profit organization which donates new, quality, hardcover children's books to small, rural public libraries in the United States. In general, county libraries should serve a population under 16,000 and town libraries should serve a population under 10,000 (usually under 5,000) in a rural area with a limited operating budget and an active children's department.
For more information and to apply, visit their website.
Dollar General Youth Literacy Grants
Application Deadline: May 21, 2015
Youth Literacy Grants provide funding to schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading.
Grant funding is provided to assist in the following areas:
- Implementing new or expanding existing literacy programs
- Purchasing new technology or equipment to support literacy initiatives
- Purchasing books, materials or software for literacy programs
Click here for more information and to apply!
"From Failure to Promise" K-12 Educators Grant
Application Deadline: June 31, 2015
How would $500 help you move students/youth "from failure to promise" in literacy, math, science, or technology? To support educators, Dr. C Moorer & Associates, Inc., will award several $500 mini-grants in 2015 to community-based organizations, libraries, or schools with creative ideas for adopting and using "From Failure to Promise" in their curriculum.
Find out more and apply here.
Wells Fargo Corporate Giving
Wells Fargo's Corporate Giving focuses on Community Development, Education, Human Services, Arts and Culture, Community Engagement, and Environment.
Costco Grants
Costco Wholesale specifically focuses on programs supporting children, education and health and human services and is committed to supporting charitable and community activities in the markets where they do business. For information on their donation and grant opportunities, visit their charitable giving website.
Child & Adult Care Food Program
The federal "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act" program provides meals and snacks for school-age youth in afterschool programs. Find out more by visiting the Iowa Department of Education website.
Iowa Grants Guide Online
The Iowa Grants Guide is a web-based directory of Iowa grant-making organizations. Program information only is provided; grant applications are not. Click here for the Iowa Grants Guide
FindYouthInfo.gov Federal Funds Search Engine
Click here to search federal grant opportunities with a tool that lets you filter results by topic, such as Afterschool, Positive Youth Development, or Service Learning.
Spark Grant Finder Tool
This online tool locates national and state-specific grants for physical education, afterschool, early childhood and coordinated school health programs. Search for grants here.
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The Iowa Afterschool Alliance seeks to improve access to high-quality afterschool programs for all Iowa children, youth, and families through policy and partnerships, practice support and outreach and engagement.
To contact the IAA:
Michelle Rich, Iowa Network Coordinator
mrich@sppg.com
515-237-0328
2910 Westown Parkway, Suite 302 West Des Moines, IA 50266
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