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| Congratulations YMCA-Truman Elementary |
The Iowa Afterschool Alliance would like to congratulate the YMCA afterschool program at Truman Elementary as the winner of the Fall Directory Giveaway!
For questions about this giveaway or the Directory, please contact Michelle Rich at
[email protected]
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Lights On Afterschool Proclamation!
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Governor Branstad proclaimed October 22nd as Lights on Afterschool Day in Iowa, a celebration of all things afterschool! Altoona Campus Kids Klub, Volunteer Iowa, The Chrysalis Foundation and Iowa Afterschool Alliance witnesses this important event. The national Lights on Afterschool Day is celebrated on October 23rd.
Pictured Above: Governor Branstad signing the Lights on Afterschool Iowa Proclamation
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Thanks for Making Lights On Afterschool a Success!
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Below are pictures of the October 22nd Lights On Afterschool event at
Altoona Campus Kids Club. Check out the twitter hashtag
#lightsonafterschooliowa to view other Lights On Afterschool events across Iowa.
As stated by the National Afterschool Alliance, each year, millions of people across the country unite for Lights On Afterschool. The event celebrates programs that keep kids safe, support student success and help working families. This event showcases the ability for afterschool programs to teach youth new skills and inspire them to achieve.
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Deadline Approaching for Iowa's 21st Century Community Learning Centers 2016 Funding Cycle
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The 2016 Request for Applications (RFA) has been released and is available on the Iowa Department of Education website, here. Important dates are listed below:
October 30, 2015
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Letter of Intent Due: you must submit a letter of intent to be considered for the grant competition. If you are unsure about whether you will be submitting a full application, still submit a letter of intent to ensure your final eligibility. The link to submit a letter of intent is
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JGTBX7T
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)/Technical Assistance Webinar
Thursday, November 12, 9:00-11:00 AM
Online via Adobe Connect
To access the webinar room, click on "Enter as a guest".
To join the conference line for audio: Call: 1-800-444-2801: Participant Code: 2895301
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December 11, 2015 -
All applications are due to the Iowa Department of Education by 4:30 p.m. CST.
For more information on the 21CCLC Grant Competiion, please contact I
ndira Karic at
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| October is National Youth Justice Awareness Month |
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Jonathan McClard was a teenager who planned to pursue a career in medicine. When
he was sentenced for a crime he committed as a minor, his dreams came to a standstill. As he was overwhelmed by his circumstances 17-year old Jonathan took his own life. This is one of the many tragic stories of teens being sentenced to a crime they committed as a minor.
This month is National Youth Justice Awareness Month. The Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) is a national organization that focuses on ending the practice of incarcerating youth under the age of 18.
CFYJ raises awareness of the impact of incarceration on young adults in the justice system.
To learn more about CFYJ
click here
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Prevent Bullying Year-Round
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What is Bullyi
ng?
The definition of bullying varies from source to source but most agree that an act is defined as bullying when:
- A behavior that hurts, humiliates, or harms another person physically or emotionally.
- The person that the behavior is targeting has difficulty stopping the action directed at them.
- There is a real or perceived "imbalance of power" which means that the student with the bullying behavior has more "power" either physically, socially or emotionally.
- Repetitive behavior, sometimes a single incident, that varies in severity or arises from a pattern of behavior.
1) Listen to the Child
2) Talk with the Child
3)Support and Empower the Child
4) Know the Law and Policy
5)Think through who else may need to be involved
To learn more about getting involved as well as to receive classroom tool-kits, visit
pacer.org
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Spotting High Quality STEM
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The Iowa Afterschool Alliance is using Dimensions of Success (DoS), an observation tool that pinpoints twelve indicators of STEM program quality in out-of-school time. It was developed and studied with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) by the Program in Education, Afterschool and Resiliency (PEAR), along with partners at Educational Testing Services (ETS) and Project Liftoff.
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 to you and you keep your certification which you can use at your own program.
This is your chance to become part of a growing network of active learning STEM experts in Iowa!
If you are interested in becoming a DoS observer, please contact Indira Karic at [email protected] to find out more and register! |
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Community Champion: Campfire Before and Afterschool Program
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Camp Fire Before and Afterschool program recently participated in Building Blocks for S.T.E.M. which is a curriculum developed through a joint partnership with Samsung, Scholastic, and Camp Fire National Headquarters. Camp Fire believes that young people shape the world. They offer opportunities for young persons to find their spark,lift their voice, and discover who they are.
Building Blocks teaches kids about careers in Science, Engineering, Technology and Math.
Nominate Your Own Community Champion!
If you know a program, st
aff member, or volunteer
who is making an impact in the out-of-school time community,we are currently taking
nominations
. We will highlight them in our newsletter and send them a congratulations letter!
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| Highlights from The 2015 Coaches Challenge |
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The Coaches Mentoring Challenge is a friendly competition among the coaches from the Big 10 and Big 12 college conferences across America. In Iowa, the coaches that have signed in support of the Coaches Challenge are Rick Fox (Drake), Mark Farley (UNI)
Coa
ch Kirk Ferentz (UI), and Coach PaulRhodes (ISU). The challenge ends November 30th and the winner will be announced in early December.
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2015 Iowa Nonprofit Summit
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The Iowa Nonprofit Summit provides high-quality training for nonprofit leaders who are focused on operating a successful nonprofit program: capacity building, excellence in nonprofit and volunteer management, leadership development, financial and board management, and other topics.
Save the date Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10, 2015. This conference offers essential learning opportunities for nonprofit and volunteer professionals.
Register online
here
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Expanding Opportunities for Rural Students
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Congressm
an Dave Loebsack held a series of round-tables
throughout Iowa this month to discuss his legislation, the Restructuring Underutilized Resources for Adv
ancing Learning (RURAL) Act. Loebsack made stops in rural communities across Iowa including Tipton, DeWitt, Eldridge, Washin
gton.
He was
joined
by school administrators, principals, teachers and other supp
ort staff.
The purpose of the RURAL Act is to establish an Office of Rural Education Policy in the Department of Education as well as make
modification to Federal Law to improve rural schools. To learn more about the details of the bill, visit the
Library of Congress website.
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Join the Iowa Afterschool Coalition
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The Iowa Afterschool Coalition unites organizations and individuals in support of afterschool programming across the state of Iowa. We realize that afterschool programs are a necessity to Iowa's economic and social well-being.
Afterschool assists the community by keeping kids safe, helping working families and cultivating student success.
Please join us in supporting afterschool
programming in the state of Iowa by joining the Iowa Afterschool Coalition. By joining, you agree to support the Iowa Afterschool Alliance's mission and vision, communicate critical messages regarding the need and impact of afterschool programs in Iowa and understand that the IAA may call on you to take specific actions to further the mission of the coalition.
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Save the Date for Impact 2016!
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Joins us for our 4th Annual Impact After school Conference!
April 28 - 29, 2016.
Ramada Tropics Resort & Conference Center
5000 Merle Hay Road
Des Moines, IA 50322
Stay tuned for more information on the 2016 agenda and registration in the coming months on
our website. We hope to see you next spring!
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We want to hear from YOU!
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The Iowa Afterschool Alliance wants to hear from you. Do you have any suggestions for the Afterschool Advisor?
This short survey
wi
ll
provide us with suggestions to improve the quality of our newsletter.
We strive every day to promote afterschool and support our afte
rschool providers.
Please let us know how we can better support YOU!
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| 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
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Blank Park Zoo Educator Workshops
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 licence renewal credit and teachers will be elligble to schedule a free classroom animal program. The following dates and topics are scheduled:
November 6/7, 2015
- Habitats and Adaptations
November 20/21, 2015
- Conservation: People and Animals
January 15/16. 2016
- Wild Genes
February 19/20, 2016
- Climate Change
April 15/16, 2016
- Wonders of Water
All academic year workshops are held at Blank Park Zoo on Friday evenings and all day Saturdays.
More detailed information and registration forms may be found on the zoo's
website
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Catwalk for College
Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center November 10th, 5:00-8:00pm
This event, held by the Whyld Girls program of Children and Families Urban Movement, will educate local professionals on its goal to develop youth and establish prioritization of academic and life goals.
To purchase tickets,
click here
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Click2Science
Webinar Wednesday; November 18th 1:00pm CST
Be prepared to discuss what makes a quality STEM activity. This webinar will provide you with tools and strategies you and your staff can use to improve STEM programming.
Bullying and The Brain: Webinar
EyesOpenIowa; December 2nd 12:00-1:00pm
This webinar will focus on how bullying affects the brain of both the bully and the person being bullied. They will take a look at the science behind bullying and new approaches to prevent it. To register, visit
EyesOpenIowa
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How Kids Learn V Conference
December 10;
Berkeley, California, 8:00am-4:00pm.
Afterschool and summer programs are perfectly positioned
to promote young people's social and emotional skills. These skills are also part of the 21st Century Learning Skills.This confrence will focus on the research and practice of these things ensuring that all young people have access to learning opportunities. View more about the conference
here
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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.
Beyond School Hours:Every Minute Matters
March 9-11, 2016; Dallas, Texas
Get big ideas and use them for your programs! The ideas will be presented via:
- Hands-on workshops and pre-conferences led by national experts
- Motivating keynote presentations and panel discussions
- Fascinating educational excursions
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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.
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