Register Today for Impact After School Conference!
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Impact 2020 will be better than ever! Join 200 of your peers from across the state at this premier learning and networking event in Des Moines on April 1-3. You will enjoy our new venue and learning about topics that range from social and emotional learning, STEM, program management, family engagement, and much more.
For more information on Impact 2020, contact Crystal Hall at
chall@sppg.com
.
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Afterschool Snack at the Capitol
Register!
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Advocates save the date and register! The IAA Afterschool Snack at the Iowa State Capitol is scheduled for Wednesday, February 12, 2020 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. This is your chance to speak with our legislators regarding the importance of afterschool programs to our communities. Please join us and bring youth! The IAA can assist with covering transportation costs if that is a barrier to bringing students from your program.
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Host an AmeriCorps Member this Summer
The Iowa Afterschool Alliance has received a grant from Volunteer Iowa to support a large portion of the cost of hosting an AmeriCorps Member or team of Members in summer 2020.
What the Summer Ladders AmeriCorps Member Will Do:
The AmeriCorps Members will focus on developing high-quality lesson plans for the host program utilizing the
Dimensions of Success (DOS) framework.
The AmeriCorps Member will also be responsible for implementing activities they have developed with high-need youth in your program. The Member is expected to serve a total of 300 hours over the summer.
Cost to Host a Summer Ladders AmeriCorps Member:
The cost share to host a Member (the amount you will be responsible for as a host site) is $2,504 for the entire 2020 summer (300 hours of service). This calculates to a cost to the program of about $8 an hour!
Each Member will receive a living allowance of $3,000 over the summer. The remainder of the cost per Member is covered by the Volunteer Iowa grant. The host site is not responsible for FICA or Worker’s Compensation. Each Member tracks their own time using a common time tracking system provided through the grant.
What We’re Looking for in Host Sites:
- Ability to supervise the AmeriCorps Member, including coaching and mentoring to meet program goals; approving time sheets; discipline; and role modeling good collaboration, communication, and leadership.
- Provision of strong staff orientation to the program, as well as on-going professional development throughout the service period.
- Commitment to evaluation.
- Commitment to ensuring a good Member experience.
To gauge interest in hosting an AmeriCorps Member or team of Members, the IAA asks interested programs to complete a short online survey at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SummerLadders2020
.
An answer of "No" on any question is not necessarily disqualifying. Please answer according to your best knowledge at this time. If your program hosted AmeriCorps Members last summer, you are welcome to apply again this year.
For questions regarding this opportunity, please contact Britney Samuelson at
bsamuelson@sppg.com
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At the quarterly Central Iowa Out-of-School Time (CIOST) Network meeting held in December, the OST Enrichment Coaches hosted a guest speaker from
Volunteer Iowa
who shared strategies for topics such as volunteer recruitment and management. Follow
this link
to see the great resources that Volunteer Iowa has collected. We love the Volunteer Recognition resources!
Coaches Corner is a monthly spotlight of Out-of-School Time best practices. These resources are compiled by the Central Iowa Enrichment Coaches: Hannah Morz, Mallory Riesberg, and Theresa Slaughter. Learn more about the Central Iowa Out-of-School Time Initiative here:
ciostinitiative.org
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Nominate an Afterschool Champion or Star!
Each year the Iowa Afterchool Alliance celebrates contributions of individuals, organizations, and youth in the field of afterschool programming through the Afterschool Champions and 21CCLC Stars Awards. The following awards are now open for nominations:
- Advocate of the Year
- Afterschool Innovator
- Collaboration Award
- Principal of the Year
- Friend of Afterschool Award (Policymaker)
- Outstanding Afterschool Students
- 21CCLC Literacy Improvement
- 21CCLC STEM Achievement
- 21CCLC Youth Community Contributions
- 21CCLC Attendance
- 21CCLC All Around
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Grant Opportunities
Central Iowa Community Garden Mini Grants
Community gardens play a critical role in supporting high-poverty or food desert neighborhoods. If you are a nonprofit organization and have a community garden, want to start a community garden, or own an area of land managed and maintained by a group of individuals to grow and harvest food crops for non-retail, personal or group use, consumption or donation, apply for a mini-grant!
This mini grant opportunity is provided by United Way of Central Iowa in partnership with
Eat Greater Des Moines.
Applicants for the mini grants must be located in Polk, Dallas, or Warren County and serve the community as a nonprofit organization. All proposals by 5:00 p.m. on February 17, 2020. Click
here
to learn more about this opportunity.
Youth Service Zone Grants
Funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service,
Youth Service America's (YSA) Youth Service Zone grants
offer organizations and schools an opportunity to work collaboratively to increase the youth volunteer rates in their community.
Collaboratives of 3 organizations leading efforts in communities, regions, or states with at least 100,000 residents are eligible to apply. Each zone will receive a grant of $15,000 ($5,000 to each of the 3 collaborative leaders) to support program activities.
Click
here
to learn more and apply by March 27.
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Professional Development Opportunities
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Volunteer Screening Training
The Burlington Community School District's PIECES afterschool program and the Iowa Mentoring Partnership are providing a
FREE
volunteer screening training on February 14th from 9:00AM to 3:00PM in Burlington.
The Screening Applicants for Effectiveness (SAFE) training curriculum was developed by the Friends for Youth mentoring program in California. The SAFE workshop provides staff with tools to immediately improve volunteer screening. Participants learn:
- The purpose and relevance of screening volunteers
- Information on perpetrators, victims, and dynamics of abuse
- A holistic approach of informed intuition and red flags and recommended tools and process.
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Iowa STEM Scale-Up Programs: 2020-2021 Application Now Open
Since 2011, the Iowa STEM Council has vetted high quality STEM programs available to Iowa educators in formal and informal education settings. The
2020-21 Scale-Up Program menu
has been released and educators can
apply
now through March 2nd. The Scale-Up program menu ranges from coding programs to integrated mathematics, agriculture projects, STEM career exploration, and more. Learn more about the Iowa STEM Scale-Up Program
here
.
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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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Great 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.
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Afterschool Alliance Webinars
The Afterschool Alliance offers webinars on a wide range of topics, from policy and the new Every Student Succeeds Act, to STEM and Social-Emotional Learning. Find out more on their
webinars website
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Iowa Child Care Training Registry
Find professional development for school-age programming on the State of Iowa Child Care Training Registry on topics ranging from health and safety to developmentally appropriate programming.
Find out more online
.
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National AfterSchool Association PD Resources
NAA provides afterschool professionals with resources to stay up-to-date on the latest topics in afterschool and summer learning.
Find out more on their website
here
.
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Resources for STEM Programming
The Center for the Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) provides background information that is useful for the development of STEM programming. Find out more on their
website
.
The Afterschool Tech Toolkit aims to empower afterschool professionals and educators with strategies and training so they can provide students with access to technology outside of classroom hours. It includes training modules on getting started, training staff, accessing technology and devices, and more. Take a look at the toolkit
here
.
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Beyond School Hours Conference
February 26-29, 2020; Orlando, FL
The nation's premiere conference for educators and leaders serving K-12 students in school, afterschool, summertime and beyond.
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National AfterSchool Association Convention
March 15-18, 2020; Washington, DC
Please join the 2,300 members of our community at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center for four days of networking, learning and inspiration: special events, workshops, daily keynotes and an interactive Learning Expo all designed to meet the needs of the developing professionals and emerging and current leaders of afterschool. Come to NAA convention and leave saying, "I've found my people!"
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BOOST Conference
April 28 - May 1, 2020; Palms Springs, CA
Join the largest, most recognized and comprehensive global convening for after school, expanded learning, and out-of-school time professionals. Set in a retreat-like atmosphere, this annual, extraordinary event will rejuvenate your passion, boost your direction for quality programming and provide tools and resources that will inspire you to create change.
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Impact After School Conference
April 1-3, 2020; Des Moines, Iowa
The annual Impact After School Conference is back for its eighth year at a new location! Join over 200 of your afterschool friends for this fun and engaging conference focused on high-quality enrichment programming.
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