The Afterschool Advisor
April 2016
Register Today for Impact 2016!
Impact After School Conference logo
Join afterschool professionals in Iowa from all areas and levels of expertise - administrators, directors, front-line staff, educators, out-of-school time partner organizations, and others - for our 4th Annual Conference on April 28 and 29, 2016 for a day and a half of professional development and networking.  

This year, we are also offering optional afternoon pre-conference sessions beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27. Check out all the details on the registration page.
 
Afterschool Professionals Week

There are an estimated 850,000 afterschool professionals in the US and the week of April 25, 2016 is your week! Serving over 120 million children and youth in afterschool programs across the country, afterschool professionals deserve a shout-out for the great work you do each and every day.

Join the Iowa Afterschool Alliance and the National Afterschool Association in celebrating Afterschool Professionals Week by using the hashtag #heartofafterschool and visiting the website www.heartofafterschool.org to learn more.

New IAA Advocacy Guidance Released
There are many ways you can advocate for your program and your students every day of the year. In fact, it's critical that you advocate for your program with local, state, and federal decision-makers to ensure you are able to be a much-needed support for your community's children, youth, and families. New Advocacy Guidance has been released by the Iowa Afterschool Alliance that can help you in your advocacy efforts, from formulating your messages to daily activities for advocacy.

To check out the new Advocacy Guidance, visit the Policy Page on the Iowa Afterschool Alliance website.  
New Summer Funding Guide
The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), in collaboration with the White House, Civic Nation, and U.S. Department of Education has released a new guide to help state and local leaders identify the most promising funding streams to support summer opportunities and to show how innovative states, districts, and communities have creatively blended public and private funding to develop programs, services and opportunities to meet the needs of young people during the critical summer months.

Find out more here
Rich and Grant Call for More Rural Afterschool
In a Saturday, April 2 op-ed in the Des Moines Register titled, "Rural kids need, deserve afterschool opportunities," Michelle Rich of the Iowa Afterschool Alliance and Jodi Grant of the Afterschool Alliance out of Washington, D.C. call for greater investment in rural afterschool programs. Citing the Afterschool Alliance's recent data from their America After 3PM study, Rich and Grant make the case for making sure Iowa's children and youth, no matter where they live, have opportunities for academic support and enrichment outside of the school day.

Read the full article here
CryptoClub Great for Middle Schoolers over Summer
A typical CryptoClub program lasts about 16-20 sessions and uses games, treasure hunts, and other informal activities to engage students in cryptography, meaning encryption, and mathematics. It applies topics from the middle school curriculum, such as decimals and percents, division with remainder, common factors, negative numbers, and pattern recognition. It also includes computer cryptography games and other activities from the CryptoClub website.

To find out more visit the CryptoClub website here.

For information about upcoming Leaders trainings, go to the Professional Development section of this newsletter.
First Children's Finance Can Help!
First Children's Finance provides financial and business-development assistance to quality child care businesses - including centers, preschools and homes - and building partnerships that connect these vital businesses with the resources of the public and private sectors. They offer a variety of services, including business training in budgeting, marketing, and staffing and personnel; business consulting services; and a loan fund program.

For more information on First Children's Finance, visit their website at http://www.firstchildrensfinance.org/.
Follow IAA on Facebook for Latest Updates
Facebook Follow the Iowa Afterschool Alliance on Facebook at www.facebook.com/iowaafterschoolalliance for the latest updates on the Every Student Succeeds Act (formerly No Child Left Behind), PD opportunities, IAA activities, and grant opportunities. Expect an update on an issue of interest every day! You can also follow us on Twitter by following @iowaafterschool.
SEDL Resources for Afterschool
Looking for resources on how to run a high-quality program? SEDL, an affiliate of the American Institutes for Research, has no-cost resources on lesson plans, practitioners' guides, and training toolkits. Visit the National Center for Quality Afterschool here: http://www.sedl.org/afterschool/.  
Iowa Literacy Blog
The Iowa Reading Research Center (IRRC) applies current research for the development and dissemination of best practices in literacy so that every child in Iowa will achieve reading proficiency. The IRRC has resources for programs and parents on reading and writing that can be valuable in implementing literacy in your programs and with families.

Follow the Iowa Reading Research blog for literacy-specific content.
Professional Development Opportunities
The Iowa Afterschool Alliance keeps a calendar of professional development opportunities on our website at http://www.iowaafterschoolalliance.org/resources.  

Out of School Time Professional Development Center
The Out of School Time Professional Development Center provides Out of School Time training to OST professionals. The classes provide in-depth curriculum and certificates. If you or your staff are interested in signing up for courses visit the Out-of-School Time website. Check out the entire course catalog here
 
Literacy Content on Y4Y!
You 4 Youth is a free online professional development site that is designed to support 21CCLC 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. Click here to register.

2016 Impact After School Conference 
April 28-29; 2016; Des Moines, IA
The premier out-of-school time conference in Iowa, Impact After School is back for its fourth year! Join the Iowa Afterschool Alliance for two great days of learning, networking, and having fun! This year, the conference is also hosting two simultaneous pre-conferences. Be sure to check out all the details on the registration page.

Register online today!

BOOST (Best of Out-of-School Time) Conference
 
April 26-29, 2016; Palm Springs, CA
The BOOST Conference is the largest, most recognized and comprehensive global convening for after school, expanded learning, and out-of-school time professionals. Set in a retreat-like atmosphere, this annual, extraordinary event will rejuvenate your passion, boost your direction for quality programming and provide tools and resources that will inspire you to create change.

Register online at http://www.boostconference.org/.

CryptoClub Summer Leader Training Workshops
July 18 - 20, 2016 and July 26 - 28, 2016; Chicago, IL
The workshops will provide background in the mathematics and cryptography content and give leaders a chance to experience CryptoClub games ad activities while discussing pedagogical issues of leading a program. No prior experience necessary to train as a leader.

For more information, visit www.math.uic.edu/CryptoClubProject.

Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children Early Care and Education Fall Institute

September 29-October 1, 2016; Altoona, IA
For more information on IAEYC, visit their website at http://www.iowaaeyc.org/.   
Grant Opportunities 
Along with various other resources, the IAA maintains a list of grants that afterschool programs may access. Check out our Resources Page on our website www.iowafterschoolalliance.org/resources for more information.