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Attend a Listening Session in Your Area in August and September
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We need to hear from you!
The Iowa Afterschool Alliance is seeking input from afterschool and summer providers, as well as advocates of high quality afterschool and summer learning opportunities, on how to increase the quality and availability of out-of-school time programming across the state. These intimate conversations will help inform the development of a state report on afterschool and summer to be released on October 20, 2016 at the Summit on Advancing Academic and Social Outcomes for Iowa Children and Youth hosted by the Iowa Afterschool Alliance and partners.
- Monday, August 29, 2016; 10:00 a.m. to Noon; Host: Siouxland Human Investment Partnership, Location Northwest AEA Room F, 1520 Morningside Ave., Sioux City, IA 51106
- Tuesday, August 30, 2016; 10:00 a.m. to Noon; Location TBD - Burlington
- Thursday, September 1, 2016; 10:00 a.m. to Noon; Host: Oelwein Schools, Location TBD - Oelwein
- Tuesday, September 6, 2016; 10:00 a.m. to Noon; Location TBD - Des Moines area
- Thursday, September 15, 2016; 10:00 a.m. to Noon, Host: Southwest STEM Hub, Location: Southwestern Community College, Creston
Details will be provided as they become available. Please watch our website at www.iowaafterschoolalliance.org for more information.
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Save the Date for IAA Legislative Events in 2017!
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Attend a legislative event at the Iowa Capitol hosted by the Iowa Afterschool Alliance in 2017 to show lawmakers your love for afterschool! The IAA will host an Afterschool Snack the afternoon of Valentine's Day, Tuesday, February 14, then a legislative breakfast on the morning of Wednesday, February 15. More details regarding these events will be released in the coming months.
 Afterschool Snack: Valentine's Day, Tuesday, February 14; 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. Come show your love for afterschool and bring your program youth! The IAA will coordinate Capitol tours and provide a snack for all in attendance.
IAA Legislative Breakfast: Wednesday, February 15; 7:00 - 9:00 a.m. Visit with your legislators about the importance of afterschool and meet your fellow afterschool advocates in the Legislative Dining Room on the ground floor of the Capitol. Iowa Afterschool Alliance staff will be on-hand to help you meet with your legislators.
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STEM Active Learning Toolbox PD Series
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You are invited to join the STEM Active Learning Community Partners (a committee of the Governor's STEM Advisory Council) for a
STEM Active Learning Professional Development Workshop in the Northwest, North Central, Northeast, and Southeast STEM Regions.
During these active, hands-on workshops, the STEM Active Learning Community Partners Group will feature a series of trainings in which afterschool professionals will have a chance to transform a STEM lesson with the Harvard-based "Dimensions of Success" (DoS) Program Planning Tool. Each participant is required to submit a STEM lesson plan before the workshop.
At the end of the workshop, participants will leave with:
- a high-quality STEM activity to use at your own program or organization
- an understanding of the DoS Planning Guide that measures STEM quality in active learning (out-of-school time) settings
- a free, online resource that aligns with DoS to serve as additional professional development
- increased confidence in facilitating STEM activities!
Participants will receive a $50.00 stipend for attending the workshop and submitting a revised STEM lesson plan after the workshop. Attendance is limited to 50 participants!
All trainings are from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 Buena Vista University Dows Memorial Union, Building 2 610 W. 4th St. Storm Lake, Iowa 50588 Thursday, September 8, 2016 Hawkeye Community College Tama Hall, Rm. 102 1501 East Orange Rd. Waterloo, Iowa 50704 Monday, September 19, 2016 University of Iowa Kirkwood Regional Center, Rm. 118 2301 Oakdale Blvd. Coralville, Iowa 52241 Monday, September 26, 2016 ISU Extension 4H Youth Building Room 1020 1259 Stange Rd. Ames, Iowa 50010
Register on The Iowa Children's Museum website, here.
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Professional Development Day for Iowa's Afterschool Leaders
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Please join the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Afterschool Alliance
as we convene afterschool leaders for a day of professional learning and networking. All afterschool professionals are invited and encouraged to attend! The day will be comprised of six breakout sessions. They include: - Developing a High Quality STEM Activity
- Community Partnerships for Sustainability
- Culturally-Responsive Afterschool Program Strategies
- Effective Budgets for 21CCLC Programs
- Full-service Community Schools 101
- Literacy Development in Afterschool Programs
Registration is required for this event. The cost to attend is $15 to cover meals. Please register online here.   
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Volunteer Management Training Series
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Volunteer Centers of Iowa, in partnership with the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, is pleased to announce an online volunteer management training series that begins on September 14, 2016.
The Volunteer Management Training Series includes six sessions:- Understanding Volunteering: Exploring the Heart of the Volunteer Sector
- Planning: Building A Solid Foundation
- Recruiting and Placement: Matching Volunteer Skills with Service Needs
- Training and Orientation: Achieving Service Excellence
- Supervision: Maximizing the Volunteer Experience
- Evaluation: Improving Results Using Data and Feedback
The series runs from September 14 through November 22, 2016. The cost for all six sessions is $125. United Way-funded partners receive a 50% discount on registration.
Click here for a flyer with series details.
Click here to register online.
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Southeast STEM Region Seeking Innovative Proposals
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 In support of inspiring youth to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council is piloting the Southeast Iowa STEM Innovation Fund, a financial resource pool available to organizations with ideas for innovative STEM programs that show promise for supporting this goal. The intention of this fund is not to support past or current STEM scale-up programs with additional resources, but rather serve as an incubator for STEM activities outside of current or past Iowa STEM Council programming.
Awards will range from $500 (minimum) up to a maximum of $10,000 per award. Applications for the STEM Innovation Fund will be accepted August 3- September 16. Matching funds are not required, but strongly encouraged.
Organizations eligible to apply for the Southeast STEM Innovation Fund are Iowa's public and private educational institutions, home school associations, and Iowa-registered nonprofit organizations in the 17 counties in Southeast Iowa (Benton, Cedar, Clinton, Des Moines, Henry, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Louisa, Muscatine, Scott, Van Buren, Wapello, and Washington).
The following are examples of ideas for Innovation Funds: - School competitions
- Summer camps
- Educator/volunteer professional development
- A "student STEM corp"
- Pre-service educator support - conferences, etc.
- Higher ed. + K-12 minglings
- Parent engagement
- Work-based exposures, working with business
- Mentoring system
- STEM events
- Networking opportunities
- Curriculum development or STEM activity design and pilot
- After school programs
- Programming for underserved students
For more information regarding this funding opportunity, click here. |
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National Afterschool Association Launches the Expert Hub
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The NAA Expert Hub is now live! This new service will help afterschool and expanded learning programs connect with vetted experts for projects and training programs. NAA member organizations can use the NAA Expert Hub to find experts at no cost.
The NAA Expert Hub is designed to: - Offer afterschool, out-of-school time (OST), and expanded learning programs and communities a quick, reliable and affordable way to connect with experts to enable organizational learning and development and address critical short-term needs.
- Provide expert professionals with an easy way to learn about rewarding short-term opportunities with our member organizations and demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
- Play a critical role in improving program quality and connecting and growing the field of afterschool and expanded learning programs and providers.
- To learn more about the process through which organizations can list projects and connect with experts, click here. You can also view a video of an introductory webinar here.
- If you would like to apply to be listed as an expert, please do so here.
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Child Care Assistance Program Changes
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What is the Child Care Assistance Program? Child Care Assistance (CCA) is a program available to the children of income-eligible parents who are absent for a portion of the day due to employment or participation in academic or vocational training. Assistance may also be available for a limited period of time to the children of a parent looking for employment.
What are the changes? The changes include:
- Moving from a 6-month to a 12-month certification period
- Allowing for temporary changes in work, education and training activities
- Allowing more time for job search activities for families currently receiving Child Care Assistance
- The new Child Care Assistance Plus (CCA Plus) Program
- A higher payment rate for QRS Level 5 child care providers
The Iowa Department of Human Services has made a video for parents outlining these new rules. Parents may access the video using the following link: https://dhs.iowa.gov/child-care.
How can you help?
Please share information about the changes with families in your program that may be on the CCA Program. Here is a document that provides a ¼ sheet handout that you can give parents in your program. The handout provides an overview of the changes to the Child Care Assistance Program and information about the recorded video.
For more information from the Child Care Division of the Iowa Department of Human Services, please visit their website at http://dhs.iowa.gov/node/1003.
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Grants Available to Educational Organizations
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The Voya Foundation supports nonprofit organizations addressing a variety of community needs and resources. The foundation maintains the following two giving priorities:
- Financial education: The Voya Foundation is especially interested in programming that empowers individuals, particularly young people and minorities, to take control of their financial futures through education, financial literacy, and financial planning.
- Children's education: The foundation is committed to supporting and improving education for youth in kindergarten through grade 12, especially children in underserved areas or facing economic disadvantages.
Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) organizations. All funding requests must be submitted online; the foundation does not accept hardcopy or mailed proposals. Grants are awarded at $2,500 and above. Find out more about this opportunity online.
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U.S. Congressional Staffed Briefed on Rural Afterschool Programming
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On July 26th, a U.S. Senate Afterschool Caucus briefing on "Afterschool in Rural America" highlighted research and experiences from providers that demonstrates how rural parents not only view afterschool programs as a support system for children's academic growth, social development, and overall health and wellness, but how they also regard programs as a critical resource for working families.
An audience of Congressional staffers and representatives from national organizations heard from an expert panel about why the demand for afterschool programs in rural America is even greater than the overall national demand.
To read more about this meeting, visit the Afterschool Alliance blog here.
For more information on the Afterschool in Rural America report by the Afterschool Alliance, visit their America After 3PM website.
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Great PD Opportunity for Early Grade Educators
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The Iowa Afterschool Alliance is co-sponsoring the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children (IAEYC) Early Care and Education Fall Institute September 29 - October 1, 2016 at Prairie Meadows Conference Center in Altoona, Iowa. This conference is a great professional development opportunity for afterschool leaders and staff that serve early elementary grades.
Topics of interest for school-age afterschool and summer providers include:
- Grant Writing
- Active Investigation
- Supporting Dual Language Learners
- Powerful Mentoring Interactions
- Poverty Simulation
- Family Engagement
- Teaching Science through Inquiry
- Much More!
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Afterschool Grants to be Released in September
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Something to look forward to in the new school year! 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant funding will be released for a new round of competition in September 2016. Be on the lookout for information via the Iowa Afterschool Alliance.
Once again, the IAA and the Iowa Department of Education will host several grant workshops to prepare organizations to submit a proposal for funding. Mark your calendars for September 22, 2016 in Davenport, Iowa, for one of these workshops in conjunction with an all-day professional development mini-conference.
For more information on 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding, visit the Iowa Department of Education website.
Interested in being a grant reviewer or facilitator? The Iowa Department of Education relies on a peer review process to recommend proposals for funding. Potential reviewers or facilitators must complete an application and submit it to the Iowa Afterschool Alliance for consideration. Reviewers receive a $150 stipend, facilitators receive a $200 stipend. Applications will be released with the grant RFA. If you are interested, please let Michelle Rich know at mrich@sppg.com.
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Follow IAA on Facebook for Latest Updates
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 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.
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SEDL Resources for Afterschool
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Looking for resources on how to run a high-quality progr am? 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/. |
| Professional Development Opportunities |
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.
Great 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. Afterschool Alliance WebinarsThe Afterschool Alliance offers webinars on a wide range of topics, from policy and the new Every Student Succeeds Act, to STEM and Social-Emotional Learning. Find out more on their webinars website. Iowa Child Care Training RegistryFind professional development for school-age programming on the State of Iowa Child Care Training Registry on topics ranging from health and safety to developmentally appropriate programming. Find out more online.
Professional Grant Development Workshop
September 15-16, 2016; Iowa City, Iowa
You will learn the fundamentals of grant writing that will allow you to reach the top of competitions, such as: presenting a compelling Need Statement, navigating the world of grant procurement, understanding proposal writing guidelines, preparing for the evaluation process, and searching for foundation and corporate giving opportunities.
Once you finish this workshop, you will be fully prepared for the entire grant application process and have a head start toward success!
Cost for the workshop is $535. Click here to register online.
Iowa 21st Century Community Learning Centers Mini-Conference
September 22, 2016; Davenport, IA
Join your Iowa afterschool peers at this professional development opportunity in Davenport. Session topics include partnerships for sustainability, developing high quality STEM activities, budgeting, literacy, and more!
Cost is $15 to cover lunch. Register online here.
Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children Early Care and Education Fall Institute
September 29-October 1, 2016; Altoona, IA
This conference is a great professional development opportunity for afterschool leaders and staff that serve early elementary grades.
Topics of interest for school-age afterschool and summer providers include:
- Grant Writing
- Active Investigation
- Supporting Dual Language Learners
- Powerful Mentoring Interactions
- Poverty Simulation
- Family Engagement
- Teaching Science through Inquiry
- Much More!
Beyond School Hours Conference
February 22 - 25, 2017; Atlanta, GA
Get big ideas for immediate results. Take home skills, tools and a renewed passion for improving learning outcomes for young people across the entire day.
For more information and to register, visit the conference website at http://www.foundationsinc.org/beyond-school-hours-xx.
National AfterSchool Association Convention
March 19 - 22, 2017; Dallas, TX
NAA's Annual Convention delivers exceptional learning and networking opportunities for every participant. With inspirational keynote speakers, more than 150 engaging workshops and unique networking events, Convention is the premier event for afterschool and out-of-school time professionals. - See more at: http://naaweb.org/attend#sthash.M2U3vxZB.dpuf
For more information and to register, visit the convention website at http://naaweb.org/convention.
Iowa Impact After School Conference
Save the Date! April 27 & 28, 2017; Des Moines
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