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Dear Afterschool Advocates:
We hope your summer is going well. Our office is as busy as it has ever been which is great! It means afterschool, out-of-school time and expanded learning opportunities are progressing! Thank you all for what you do for Kansas Kids!
First, hats off to the team of people in our office. Michelle Wilson manages communications, conferences /trainings and clock hour credits and many other items crucial to keeping the Network moving forward. Rachel Willis works with the 21st CCLC consultant at the Kansas State Department of Education and grantees across the state. Kevyn Gero began her graduate studies at KU but continues on with the Network to assist with public relations and communication. Amanda Kulp serves as another graduate student currently working on data collection and marketing. Keil Eggers has come back for the summer to try to chart a path for the Kansas Consortium on Youth Voice.
Most recently, we all celebrated science, technology, engineering and math as guests watched young people investigating trebuchets. Thank you to the Greater Kansas City YMCA for allowing us to share in the excitement as children learned through discovery. A special note of appreciation goes to the visitors who came to help us celebrate - KSDE, United Way, Youth Volunteer Corps, Kansas Department for Children and Families, Kansas State University Olathe, Johnson County Education Research Triangle, Johnson County Community College, and UKan Teach. We were also grateful for staff members from Senator Moran's and Representative Yoder's offices for taking the time to join our celebration. Excitement around STEM (and STEAM, adding agriculture and art) continues in Kansas.
Stories are important to help tell the story of afterschool, summer camps, and other youth development work. If you are doing something special, please share it with us.
Have a great summer,
Marcia Dvorak, Director
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STEM and Equity Conference a Success!
On June 25, 2013, forty five afterschool facilitators, trainers, and related personnel attended the Nurture Your STEM Activities with Gender Equity Conference, facilitated by Maryann Stimmer, Senior Manager for STEM Programs, and Ben Dworken, Coordinator for STEM Programs, of the Educational Equity Center at FHI 360. The professional development conference was sponsored by the Kansas Enrichment Network, and it was held at the Kansas State University - Olathe complex. The day-long conference offered hands-on training on two National Science Foundation-funded, evidence-based curricula, After-School Science Plus and After-School Math Plus. Through engaging and interactive activities, conference participants explored how afterschool programs can offer youth from underrepresented groups in science and math opportunities to engage in STEM. Training facilitators led participants through hands-on inquiry based activities in math and science, and participants came away with research, strategies, and experiences that they can immediately implement in afterschool programs. Perhaps most importantly, participants left the conference with an awareness of equity issues in STEM, as well as strategies for implementing curricula that can help "level the playing field," for students from groups that are underrepresented in science and math. In the words of a conference participant, "Excellent activity ideas, and innovative thoughts/approaches to get kids to think differently. And on a budget!!" By Amanda Kulp Kansas Enrichment Network staff |
| Funding Opportunities
To improve the health and health care of all Americans
Keeping Music Alive in Our Schools
Deadline fast approaching
CVS Caremark is committed to building healthier communities
Dollar General Literacy Foundation's grant programs help improve the lives of people of all ages in many different communities
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2013 Kids Count Data BookThe 2013 KIDS COUNT Data Book was released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Data Book, which is updated yearly, provides information on child well-being in four areas: Economic Security, Health, Education, and Family and Community. Growing up in poverty is one of the greatest threats to healthy child development. Poverty and financial stress can impede children's cognitive development and their ability to learn. It can contribute to behavioral, social and emotional problems and poor health.
The federal poverty definition consists of a series of thresholds based on family size and composition. In calendar year 2011, a family of two adults and two children fell in the "poverty" category if their annual income fell below $22,811. Poverty status is not determined for people in military barracks, institutional quarters, or for unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children). The data are based on income received in the 12 months prior to the survey.
In 2011, there were 134,000 children (19%) in Kansas that were living in poverty.
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| Lights On Afterschool
Help keep the lights on after school. Celebrate Lights On Afterschool on Oct. 17, 2013!
In America today, 1 in 4 youth- 15 million children- are alone and unsupervised after school. Each October, 1 million Americans and thousands of communities nationwide celebrate Lights On Afterschool to shine a light on the afterschool programs that keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families.
Host an event that works for your program and celebrate your support for afterschool programs. Register your event with Afterschool Alliance and share how you are celebrating Lights On Afterschool! www.afterschoolalliance.org.
Please contact any of us at the Kansas Enrichment Network to let us know what event you are planning, if you have any questions or need ideas for an event.
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Upcoming Events
Kansas Green Schools and Environmental Education Conference: Connecting Community Through Environmental Education
July 26-27 in Newton, KS (Pre-conference workshop
July 25)
Join Kansas Association for Conservation and
Environmental Education for an educational adventure in the heart of the Flint Hills. Get inspired as Keynote Speaker Stephen Ritz describes how his school garden grows student jobs, academic excellence, and better health. Network with teachers, school staff, natural resource professionals, community-based educators, and all who work to expand opportunities for children and adults to learn about and experience nature. Connect with new resources and build community partnerships that will support and enrich your environmental education efforts. Learn to think outside the box, and develop new leadership skills for your school and community EE programs. Diversify your teaching methods with new community resources, technology tools, and hands-on activities. Venture behind-the-scenes with area school and community outdoor education programs to experience nature in new ways. Earn a graduate credit while exploring community connections at the pre-conference workshop. Enjoy a fun and unique professional development experience, including meals, evening entertainment and KACEE hospitality for a very affordable registration fee. We look forward to sharing this adventure with you!
Visit http://www.kacee.org/kansas-environmental-education-conference-0 for conference information and register today.
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Out of School Conference on October 8, 2013
in Wichita, KS
Want to engage youth in long-term, structured learning-environments that address their interests and help develop their physical, cognitive, social and emotional skills and abilities? This one-day conference sponsored by K-State Research and Extension 4-H and Kansas 21st Century Community Learning Centers highlights hands-on curricula that adapt easily for out-of-school settings.
This conference is open to anyone - certified teachers, afterschool program directors, community or faith-based afterschool providers, summer recreation providers and extension agents.
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Communities for Change 2013 on Oct. 23-25 in Omaha, NE
nFocus Solutions' 4th annual Communities for Change leadership symposium, October 23-25 in Omaha, Nebraska, is a premier annual conference for nonprofit, school, city government, educational institution and community decision-makers who are focused on making a positive impact on complex youth development and education issues. Communities for Change 2013 features a variety of networking opportunities, sessions and workshops on top-of-mind education and youth development issues, including: Breaking the Iron Cage - Helping People in Poverty Move Forward, a workshop on understanding poverty issues and their effect on youth and families by Dr. Donna Beegle, author of See Poverty...be the Difference, and Why the Early Years of Life Matter: The Role Early Education Plays in Youth Development, a session ledby Dr. Sam Meisels, Executive Director of the Buffett Early Child Institute. Dan Cardinali, president of Communities in Schools, will join the speaker line-up to discuss dropout prevention strategies. To learn more about the Communities for Change 2013 agenda and to take advantage of an Early Bird rate and group discounts, visit nFocus.com/communities-for-change today.
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| Health
Summer Snacks As Easy As 1-2-3
Introducing SPARKfamily.org
Join America's Leading Brands in Helping Families and Schools Reduce Obesity
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Articles
Education Week- July 8, 2013 Afterschool Snack |
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The Necessity of Youth Voice
By: Keil Eggers
Founder, KCYV
Throughout their adolescent years (ages 12-18), youth are told time and time again, implicitly and explicitly, that they "are not ready" to make important decisions or contribute fully to their community until their eighteenth birthday. The signals that youth receive from society engender a sense of disenfranchisement and powerlessness; few outlets exist for the natural creativity and energy of youth. For example, politicians make many important decisions that affect youth via educational policy, but youth cannot vote until they are eighteen. This deficit of youth voice, defined by the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse as "refer[ing] to the ideas, opinions, involvement, and initiatives leadership of young people," is slowly being reduced due to the efforts of a variety of innovative individuals and groups nationwide. For example, the National Service-Learning Clearing House, the FreeChild Project, 4-H, and local/state-wide groups like the Kansas Consortium for Youth Voice support an increase in youth voice by providing resources, training, or the platform for youth self-management.
Although youth voice practice has gained much traction for increasing youth engagement in educational and afterschool settings, the changes it causes in the mindset and attitude of youth is arguably more important. An environment where adults work with youth rather than for youth creates a space for youth to learn the skills vital to democracy and to being a member of their community. Raising youth voice and treating youth as equal partners is critical to positive youth development, empowerment, and healthy youth-adult relationships. Youth are ready, but are you ready to give them the necessary opportunities?
Below are three easy ways to increase youth voice. If you have any questions or would like to know more about the Kansas Consortium for Youth Voice and its mission, please contact us!
- Evaluate your program's level of youth voice. Is youth involvement lacking? Is it tokenism, consultation, or representation? (Refer to Hart's Ladder: http://ksyouthvoice.org/general/harts-ladder/) Brainstorm how you could move up the ladder.
- Ask: "Where are youth taking initiative and showing leadership within my program?" Find these bright spots and expand opportunities to underrepresented youth.
- Be honest with yourself and with whom you work. Part of building youth-adult relationships is offering honest feedback and raising awareness.
Contact information:
Email: ksyouthvoice@gmail.com
Facebook: Kansas Consortium for Youth Voice
Twitter: @ksyouthvoice
Website: ksyouthvoice.org
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Youth Opportunity- August 5-9, 2013
Positions are still available for campers (ages 10-14) for the 2013 Kansas 4-H Environmental Leadership Camp (ELC), to be held August 5-9, 2013, at Rock Springs 4-H Center. Complete information, an agenda, and the cost ($275 for 5 days/4 nights) along with on-line registration instructions may be found by clicking on the "4-H EVENT REGISTRATION" button on the Kansas 4-H Home Page and following the link for ELC: http://www.kansas4h.org/
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Free Webinar: Strengthening Physical Activity and Nutrition Programs in Afterschool
July 24, 2013
2:00 p.m. EDT
Join this webinar as they introduce the afterschool and summer learning field to the Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Standards in Out of School Time, the first-ever comprehensive national nutrition and physical activity standards for K-12 out-of-school programs, and 2013 BOOST Conference Exhibitors Healthy Kids Out of School, an initiative that offers resources to provide healthy foods and increase physical activity. Guest speakers will also discuss how to take advantage of funding through USDA child nutrition programs.
Register for the webinar here!
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Marcia Dvorak, Director
(785) 864-9665
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