After-School Bulletin | January 21, 2019
Numbers Count! The Importance of Data Sharing in Afterschool
 
To successfully advocate for our afterschool community and necessary resources, data sharing is now nationally recognized for helping to drive those important messages home.
 
So how can we ensure that more students have access to high quality afterschool programs? In a collection of recently released resources (including a policy brief, infographic, video, and summer blog series), the Data Quality Campaign demonstrates how school-community collaboration and data sharing can improve afterschool program quality, and above all, help students reach their full potential.
 
Become informed!  Read more here! 
Study: Park & Rec Programs Offer 'A Real Difference in Communities'
 
Results of a new survey released by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), "2018 Out-of-School Time Report," highlights the multitude of ways that local park and recreation before school, afterschool, and summer programs are positively impacting the lives of children and their families.  
 
With nine in ten park and recreation agencies offering afterschool services, millions of children across the country are benefiting from safe and supportive places to spend time outside of school.
 
But this is not without its challenges. Four in five park and recreation agencies experience difficulties providing training opportunities for their staff. Funding limitations prove to be the greatest hurdle agencies have to overcome, with roughly half of agencies either unable to pay for additional personnel to cover current staff in training or unable to cover the cost of the training program itself. 
 
Learn more about the survey's findings in "NRPA's 2018 Out-of-School Time Report."   
 
Afterschool Alliance: New  School Safety Report Has Benefits, and a Negative

In March 2018, following the tragic school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, President Trump appointed U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to lead a Federal Commission on School Safety. The secretary was joined on the Commission by Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen; this group was charged with providing meaningful and actionable recommendations to keep students safe at school.
 
Last month the Federal Commission on School Safety presented their final report to the president. According to the Afterschool Alliance, the report positively recognized that supporting the social and emotional well-being of students and enhancing physical building security is essential to the safety of students.  
 
The Alliance cited among the report's positive atrributes that social-emotional learning was recognized for combating bullying, increasing student engagement, and improving school safety. For every student currently in an afterschool program, the parents of two more would like programs for their kids. Making the nation's schools safer will take investments.
 
However, the Alliance said it was " deeply troubled" by the report's recommendation to rescind the Department of Education and Department of Justice Joint Guidance on School Discipline. The School Discipline Guidance was issued specifically to protect students of color, students with disabilities, LGBTQ students, and other vulnerable populations, to ensure safe and equitable learning environments for all children and youth.  
 
Honda Grant Deadline is
Feb.1, 2019
 
The American Honda Foundation is seeking applications for funding to support youth education in STEM subjects.
 
Grants are available for up to $75,000 if applicants submit their requests by Feb.1, 2019.
 
For details, read more here. 

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Afterschool is Essential to Social, Emotional, Academic Learning, Says Aspen Center Study
        
The Aspen Institute's National Commission on Social Emotional and Academic Development's final report was released this week, and afterschool is a key recommendation!   
 
Drawing on input from more than 200 scientists, youth and parent groups, educators, and policymakers, the Commission's final report, "From a Nation at Risk to a Nation at Hope," seeks to accelerate and strengthen efforts to support the whole learner in local communities through recommendations for researchers, educators, and policymakers. 
   
The report indicates that expanding access to afterschool and summer learning programs are critical pathways for developing the whole child.  
 
 
Quest for the Best: MAA 
Calls for Presenters for Spring Conference in May       
The Michigan AfterSchool Association (MAA) has issued its call for presenters to submit proposals for its Spring Conference on May 6, 2019 at the Kalamazoo Radisson Downtown.
 
The annual conference, expected to attract 400-600 after-school administrators and practitioners, is a professional development event for the Michigan out-of-school time community, including teachers, on-site staff, administrators, child care providers, and parents.
 
This year's conference theme is "Quest for the Best in the Out-of-School Time" field. The MAA asks presenters to consider how after-school can transform student outcomes when submitting proposals. Proposal topics may include project-based learning, technology and social media, fine arts, scientific experiments, outdoor activities and more.
 
The goal of the conference is to provide participants with hands-on, engaging, and innovative programming and activity ideas, networking opportunities, and affirmation of the importance of establishing rich, supportive environments and high quality services for youth and their families during the summer months.  
 
Participants have the opportunity to earn State Continuing Education Clock Hours. A maximum of two (2) presenters per proposal are offered the following: Complimentary conference registration; and Continental breakfast and lunch on May 6th. Other services available for presenters include:
·     Handout duplication of one double-sided page when camera-ready copy (with, if applicable, appropriate copyright approval) is received by April 5, 2019. Presenters are encouraged to include an email address on handout materials so they can disseminate additional information to participants electronically.
·     Audiovisual/presentation equipment: microphone(s) where warranted, LCD projector (for use with your laptop computer), cart and screen. Other equipment may be available upon request.  
 
If you are interested in being considered as a presenter, please complete the  Presenter Proposal Form by February 4, 2019.    
 
You will be notified of the status of your proposal by February 22, 2019.
 
General registration for the conference opens in February and session room planning will occur after that.   
  Call for Exhibitors
 
Reserve your spot for one of MAA's 25 exhibitor booths at the 2019 MAA Spring Conference. To do so, fill out this registration form. Use your corporate or organization credit card to pay, or send a check to the Michigan AfterSchool Association office.
 
To complete your registration, please send MAA your organization logo by emailing it to the  Michigan AfterSchool Association at info@miafterschoolassociation.org.
 
 
Start Off the New Year, and Begin Planning Your Summer Program Today 
 
While the New Year has just begun and we are firmly in winter's grasp, now is actually a great time to start planning for your summer programs.
 
To assist in this process, the Wallace Foundation has released two new resources to help organize your thoughts and kick-off your first steps into creating a summer filled with engaging opportunities for your participants.
 
Read this article from the Afterschool Alliance's Afterschool Snack and then access important resources to help you plan. It includes: "Getting to Work on Summer Learning, Second Edition"; and "The Summer Learning Toolkit."  
 
Boys & Girls Clubs Offer Valuable Art Experiences for Pre-Teens, Wallace Foundation Finds  
        
A new study of the Boys & Girls Clubs' Youth Arts Initiative shows promising results on the experiences of Tweens.
 
Commissioned by The Wallace Foundation, the report, titled "Designing for Engagement: The Experiences of Tweens in the Boys & Girls Clubs' Youth Arts Initiative," finds that large, national, multi-disciplinary organizations can offer high-quality arts programming that attracts and retains tweens.
 
It provides growing evidence that arts education can add value to a child's life.  
 
However, The Wallace Foundation recognizes that not every child has access to the rich experiences and opportunities that arts education has to offer. To address this issue, The Wallace Foundation, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of America, launched the Youth Arts Initiative to improve and expand exposure to arts learning for underserved youth. Read more about it here.