It is with deep sadness and appreciation that we share about the amazing legacy of Founder/ Executive Director of My Voice Music, Ian T. Mouser. Ian was pursuing his dream of cycling across the United States when just four days into the ride, on the morning of October 14, a pickup truck collided with his bicycle on U.S. 70 just outside Safford, Arizona.

A deeply compassionate and creative person, Ian dedicated his life to using music to heal — touching the lives of over 14,000 young people. Words cannot do justice to this incredible person whose kindness, strength, and vision will continue to be a bright light for so many of us.

We were honored to have worked alongside Ian for years, having him join in for Afterschool Days at the Capitol, annual conferences, and most recently in sharing his passion in our Inspiring Student Dreams All Year Round video.

If you are interested in knowing more about Ian's story or sharing your own connection, see his story on Breaking Cycles or share using the tags #IanMouser @MyVoiceMusic.

It was a pleasure to share time with participants from around Oregon and 7 other western states during our annual Fall Oregon Afterschool Conference. We were excited to have 370 people join from across the country for our 2 day Open Minds, Open Spaces virtual conference. From Oregon, we saw 151 participants and presenters attend one of our three conference days. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us and we hope to see many more at our (tentative) in-person spring symposiums!

What we heard from participants:

Was this your first conference? Join us November 19th for a New to OregonASK Partners Welcome from 10-11:30am- RSVP HERE. We will share a little more about our work as a network and how to get connected with OregonASK and partners across the state.

If you were not able to celebrate with the rest of the country on October 28th, join in this month to share your appreciation for afterschool and summer by sharing out your best pose in the Light Bulb Challenge and sign up to join next week's Q&A with NASA Deputy Administrator and Astronaut Pam Melroy on November 8th.

Also, a special thanks to Governor Brown for the 2021 Oregon Lights On Proclamation.

Check out our Training Calendar for upcoming opportunities or book a training for your program from our Training Request page.

Discover SCIENCE with Dr. Bear is a STEM-focused program that brings preventative health activities to elementary age children and their families, using hands-on, brains-on, art-focused activities in a variety of settings. The program has been introduced to the DC Public Library System (DCPL), Girl Scouts of Greater New York, and NYC Edge. The program takes place during out-of-school Time (OST), and focus on personal, family, and community health and introduce science concepts by making a personal connection to wellbeing. Earn $25 per program for participation in training and evaluation! Register HERE for FREE

Any youth can have a rough day in afterschool or other expanded learning program, but sometimes it is more than that. This series will explore inclusion, building a sense of belonging, powerful partnerships, respectful accommodations and understanding the why of behavior. Plan to join this 6 week series for 2 hour weekly sessions starting January 26th. The series will cost $160 and scholarships are available for licensed program staff through OCCD.

November 3rd at 12:00pm Sign Up Here

Designed for 6th through 10th grade students, Possible Futures helps students set the stage for career connected exploration and discovery to come. Students chart a path to success by building employability skills and identifying personal strengths. Join this series to learn how to use JFF’s free Possible Futures (PF) Engineering and Design curriculum unit to introduce students to careers that require an engineering mindset. Part 2 of Possible Futures Engineering and Design curricula emphasizing engineering mindset.

Looking for new computer science and engineering activities? The IF/THEN® Collection is a

free digital library designed to inspire the next generation of girls to pursue STEM careers and

features activities and videos of real women STEM professionals. Join us as we explore

resources in the IF/THEN® Collection to promote computer science and engineering in

afterschool programs. Register HERE for Free

Don't forget that as part of Million Girls Moonshot, partners such as National Girls Collaborative and Mizzen by Mott are providing access to hundreds of quality STEM resources you can access directly from your device. Download Mizzen HERE!

The Oregon Department of Education, the Nutrition Council of Oregon, the Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council, and OregonASK are teaming up to reward exemplary School & Afterschool Programs for creating and sustaining a culture of wellness for youth and staff. With consideration to the current circumstances, this years’ wellness award committee has chosen to simplify the application. The gathering of the required information and completing the application is expected to take 1-3 hours. Application materials and resources are HERE on the ODE Wellness Awards webpage. Make sure to complete the application before January 31, 2022. Thanks to Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council who provides the cash award and a recognition banner for each winner!

Don't forget to take advantage of OregonASK's Jobs Board to help connect staff with opportunities. See the Listings page, plus more, HERE.

Find our previous Monthly Newsletters Online HERE and make sure to visit OregonASK.org for more local resources!

November 10th: Equitable STEM & CTE Committee RSVP HERE

November 19th: OregonASK "New" Partners RSVP HERE

December 3rd: OregonASK Partner Meeting RSVP HERE