For Earth Day 2021, Foundations, Inc. is teaming up with Mizzen by Mott to host a Twitter Chat for the afterschool field. #EarthDayAfterschool will take place on April 22 from 7pm-8pm EST. The event aims to engage afterschool, summer and OST professionals in conversation with leading content providers in STEM, environmental sustainability, climate change and youth environmental leadership. The conversation will be framed around 5-7 questions. Invitees include the afterschool field, summer and youth development programs and youth leadership initiatives, Mizzen STEM partners and organizations that are dedicated to the health and sustainability of the environment.

Northern Arizona University is seeking elementary and middle grade Out-of-School Time STEM practitioners to participate in a study of effective practices for emergent bilingual learners, Native American learners, and learners who are experiencing physical disabilities. We ask for three years of experience for participation in these focus groups.

AzCASE is celebrating Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week on April 19-23, 2021, to recognize, appreciate and advocate for those who work with young people during out-of-school hours.

We are joining this effort because we believe Afterschool Professionals make a profound difference in the lives of young people. We encourage you to join us in thanking the afterschool professionals in your programs. The week is marked by celebrations and public relations efforts encouraging appreciation and support for all the afterschool professionals who make a profound difference in the lives of young people. Afterschool professionals deserve appreciation for all that they do to enhance education, promote physical and emotional health, provide a safe environment and expose youth to new experiences. We are so grateful for you!

As part of our Summer Planning Focus on Tuesday, April 20th, AzCASE invites you to attend a session on Explorations in Computer Science for K-8. In this session, participants will learn about and explore free resources to support students learning computer science. No computer science background is required, just a passion for sharing this critical skill with the youth with whom you work. Various block-based programming environments will be explored along with ideas to unleash youth engagement, creativity, and self-expression!

Janice Mak joins us from the Data Science Academy U Arizona. She also serves on several boards, including the Arizona State Board of Education, Computer Science Teachers Association, and the National Science Teaching Association Technology Advisory Board, and is the chair of the Arizona Department of Education's technology task force.

We are excited to be partnering with Arizona Town Hall for a virtual Future Leaders session of the 'Creating Vibrant Communities' series! We are inviting the high school students and aspiring leaders in your program to join us on Thursday April 29th at 3:30 PM to learn about, discuss, and weigh in on crucial policy issues. Youth can find more information and register using the link below!