April 2020

Monthly News and Updates

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EBB Goes Digital: Online & Offline Activities to keep the fun and learning going! The question has been asked, "what happens when out of school time is all the time?" We are proud that the organizations that partner to bring Excel Beyond the Bell to our schools have partnered to help answer this question using our digital platforms in support of families and youth as a part of our collective mission. Please click here to visit the website on Mondays for weekly postings of resources, experiments, projects, creative ideas, live activity links, and more to bring Excel Beyond the Bell fun wherever our youth are! We hope that these activities help keep everyone moving, thinking, growing, and having fun together.

MoCo Reconnect MoCo Reconnect partners continue to keep youth and their families engaged through virtual programming. For families without access to laptops and internet, efforts are being made to ensure that they have the tools necessary to stay engaged during the COVID-19 pandemic.    MoCo Reconnect has been providing virtual case management and other support services to all program youth. During this time, outreach and connections happen through phone calls, texting, social media and other apps. We applaud the creativity and dedication of the MoCo ReConnect partners during this unprecedented time.    The MoCo ReConnect Navigator conducts a virtual support group daily from 1:30-2:30 pm. All MoCo ReConnect youth are invited to all SMYAL virtual programs which are detailed  here. You can also  click here  to visit our Navigator's MoCo Reconnect FB page.

Elijah Wheeler & Jillian Copeland

The Sound of Collaboration Podcast In this episode of The Sound of Collaboration, our guest is Jillian Copeland, Founder and Executive Director of Main Street Connect. Click here for a video clip where Jillian shares her inspiration behind creating Main Street Connect. Click Here to hear the full podcast.

Public Health Program Manager Jade-Ann Rennie

Public Health: Covid-19 Update Johns Hopkins University data indicates that COVID-19 has claimed upwards of approximately 40,000 lives in the United States. While government, public health, and health care agencies are working tirelessly to reduce both the incidence and death rates of the novel coronavirus, there are still alarming incidence and death rates attributed to this virus among African Americans.    According to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), African Americans are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 as they account for approximately thirty percent of COVID-19 related deaths in the nation. An alarming statistic since African Americans account for approximately thirteen percent of the US population. Contributing factors for this statistic include, but are not limited to, underlying health inequities such as diabetes and asthma and the fact that African Americans occupy jobs that are deemed essential during this pandemic, thus making it impossible for them to participate in social distancing.     It is essential that we work as a collective to reduce both the incidence and death rates due to COVID-19, especially among vulnerable populations. For more information on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please  click here .

Community of Practice The Youth Development Community of Practice wants to hear from people who have attended at least one training or workshop. We would like to understand the impact of trainings provided and understand barriers that may have prevented people from attending with the intention to limit or remove barriers where possible. Please click here to participate in our survey. Your feedback will help us ensure that we meet your professional development needs and make trainings more accessible to you. This survey should take less than 5 minutes.

Community of Practice workshop participants