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New Resources: Explore Afterschool Quality
Recently, the National AfterSchool Association published a series of focus briefs describing the state of afterschool quality. High quality afterschool programs can help close the achievement gap and show significant promise for improving long-term outcomes such as high school graduation and post-secondary enrollment rates, as well as college and career readiness. Parents want to know their children are learning and safe afterschool-NAA's new resources offer the tools for afterschool programs to meet the high expectations of parents and community members.
The briefs highlight why afterschool quality matters and reveal the progress made by the afterschool field in identifying, measuring and implementing quality practices, as well as in promoting professionalism among staff. In addition, the series offers strategies for all programs to boost quality to help fully realize afterschool's potential to inspire learning and keep kids safe and healthy, and calls on public and private funders to invest in efforts to improve program quality and professional preparation.
After you dig into these new resources, be sure to spread the word! NAA has created a toolkit to make sharing simple.
Click here for more briefs and resources from the Afterschool Alliance, and to subscribe to the Afterschool Snack.
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Day at the Capitol:
Join the Conversation
OregonASK is pleased to support another year of the Oregon's Afterschool and Summer Learning Day at the Capitol on April 28, 2015. This year, the Day at the Capitol will focus on STEM and Summer Expanded Learning Opportunities. Register and please join us in the Capitol Galleria. We start at 9:00am and will help create meetings throughout the day for you to meet with your Legislator and raise awareness about expanded learning opportunities that are offered in afterschool and summer. There are several important bills that are in the house Ways and Means Committee that support funding for afterschool and summer programs.
Believe us... your legislators do want to hear from you - they want to know what you think and we want your voice to be heard as we educate our Oregon Legislature. We will help arrange meetings, provide support and materials for you to be successful in your meetings. Take a look at the Oregon Children's Agenda page 4 Expanded Learning!
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Arts Education in Oregon: Standards Released for Public Review
by Nancy Carr
It has been a while since there have been columns or articles about arts education in our Oregon Schools. I am talking about the inclusion of such courses, considered academic by the U.S. Dept. of Education, as dance, music, theatre and visual arts, and now media arts. In 2014 the National Cores Arts Standards were made public, the result of 3 years of work by the national arts organizations and SEADAE. SEADAE is the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education - state consultants across the nation. This group, now called NCCAS or National Coalition for Core Arts Standards, was comprised of actual individuals teaching in the arts disciplines, creating the 2014 set of arts standards for dance, media arts, music, theatre and visual arts. They are currently working on cornerstone assessments models to accompany the standards. You can see those new national standards at nationalartsstandards.org.
In response to these new national standards, Oregon created teams of experts to review these standards, and decide whether to adopt the national standards in Oregon, or create adjusted standards specific to our state. After much deliberation, on March 9, 2015 discrete standards created by expert teams for dance, media arts, theatre and visual arts went up for public review. That review closes at 12:01 am on April 4. If you have expertise in one of these disciplines, please go to oregonarts.net and complete a survey on your arts discipline.
Read the FULL article on Art Education Standards here!
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Schwarzenegger and National Leaders Urge Congress to Keep After
School Funding
 From the Schwarzenegger Institute, written by Matthew Kredell
Former Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger led a National After-School Summit at the University of Southern California on March 24 to call for a unified voice telling Congress not to terminate federal funding for after-school programs and to announce that he's launching a movement for every student to have the opportunity for the adult supervision and life-enrichment these programs provide. "After-school programs protect our single-greatest resource - our kids," said Schwarzenegger, the Governor Downey Professor of State and Global Policy at USC. "We know students in these programs are statistically more likely to graduate from college and less likely to get arrested for crimes they may commit if they drift around on the streets." The USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy, which is housed in the USC Price School of Public Policy, After-School All-Stars and Afterschool Alliance co-hosted the conference. They brought together leaders from local and state government, law enforcement, technology, business and philanthropy to spotlight that Congress is considering $1 billion in cuts to after-school programs currently attended by 10 million children. Afterschool Alliance estimates that there are another 20 million kids who would participate if the programs were available to them.
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Fuel Up to Play 60 Grant Funding: Up to $4,000/School
 Fuel Up to Play 60 grants for up to $4,000/school are available to support healthy eating and physical activity initiatives. Student wellness and health are important for academic achievement. Nutrition and physical activity throughout day and throughout the year help students to be their best. Connecting in and out of school activities and healthy messages is important for student wellness. Talk with your school wellness or nutrition team about completing an application to bring resources and equipment to your school and out of school time programs for recess, school and afterschool meals, farm to school, summer meals and other wellness activities.
Grant funding applications through Fuel Up to Play 60 are open April 21-June 16, 2015.
Visit www.FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn ways to support wellness for your school and programs. Check out the free ideas for activities under the Educator Tools/Resources tab. Questions? Contact Crista Hawkins, [email protected] or 503-229-5033.
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Senator Merkley Speaks in Support of STEM and Afterschool
 OregonASK wants to thank Senator Merkley for once again speaking out in support of STEM in Oregon.
As the Senator notes, today, too many of our kids are not getting the resources they need to pursue their own paths to success. And that's particularly true in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, fields - despite the fact that today, our economy and our world are intertwined with technology more than ever before. Recently, the Senator introduced the STEM Education for the Global Economy Act, which would invest in STEM activities that spark interest and passion in kids. With the bill, the senator hopes to ensure that we can recruit and retain the high-quality, high-impact educators who make a big difference in the lives of Oregon's kids. Senator Merkley has also signed on as a co-sponsor of the After School for America's Children Act, which amends the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program under part B of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Read more about the Act here. Thank you, Senator Merkley, for supporting Oregon's children! |
The Mythos Challenge: Sign Your Students up Now!
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OregonASK Roadshow Trainings in Medford, Newport and Bend
Medford: May 2
Behavior Management: Transitions and Time Fillers
Time: 9am-noon
Location: MSD Education Center
Cost: FREE
Register for the training HERE. See the flyer HERE
Bend: May 9
Exploring the Engineering Design Process with School Age Youth
Time: May 9, 1:00-4:00pm
Location: Riverbend Community Room
Cost: FREE
Register for the training HERE. See the flyer HERE.
Teaching Successful Science Lessons in Afterschool
Time: 9am-noon
Location: Riverbend Community Room
Cost: FREE
Register for the training HERE. See the flyer HERE
SciGirls Curriculum Training for School Age Programs
Time:10:30am-5:00pm
Location: East Bend Library
Cost: FREE
Register for the training HERE.
Newport: May 16
Teaching Successful Science Lessons in Afterschool
Time: May 16, 2015 9am-Noon
Location: Hatfield Marine Science Center
Cost: FREE
Exploring the Engineering and Design Process with School Age Youth
Time: May 16, 2015 1:00-4:00pm
Location: Hatfield Marine Science Center
Cost: FREE
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OregonASK Roadshow: OGCP Forums in Bend, Umatilla, Newport, Klamath Falls, and Medford
Oregon Girls Collaborative Project will be convening forums around the state with a focus on addressing issues of equity, access and quality as we provide programs and educators with the tools to serve more girls.
Read more about the forums and register HERE |
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Resources & Opportunities
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2015 Summer Food Service Program Planning Survey
If you worked with a SFSP program in the past, or plan to work with one in 2015, Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon would greatly appreciate hearing about your experiences and challenges so they can target their outreach and develop and guide resources. The survey should take about 5-10 minutes to complete and can be accessed here.
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Better Together: A Resource Directory for Afterschool System Builders
The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) has created a helpful tool to support afterschool system building efforts. "Better Together: A Resource Directory for Afterschool System Builders," is a comprehensive directory that identifies over 50 organizations that offer resources and tools on afterschool system building. Staying on top of the ever-evolving list of national organizations and their work can be daunting, and this directory is a one-stop shop for information on the leading afterschool tools, information, and resources.
Download the Directory HERE |
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Funding Opportunities
The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust's mission is to enrich the quality of life in the Pacific Northwest by supporting nonprofit organizations that seek to strengthen the region's educational and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways. The Trust considers educational projects offered in both formal and informal settings.
Due June 1, 2015
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