Afterschool Quality Standards Project

Quarterly Newsletter

Truman Pierce Institute

January - March 2024

Spotlight on the Standards

In these two articles, Matthew Bowerman shares strategies that administrators, program leaders, teachers, and staff can use to safely and effectively help a student in crisis de-escalate. The goal of these strategies is for the student to stay in the learning space or return to it as soon as possible to reinforce the message that even though you struggle, you still belong.

STEM ACTIVITIES

Hosting an Innovators Day to Boost Elementary STEM Learning

by Lisa Hockenberry

Lisa Hockenberry, a digital learning coach and former 2nd and 3rd grade teacher in Texas, shares her keys to success for hosting a dedicated day for students to explore STEM activities that foster 21st century learning and excitement across grade levels.

These ideas can be tweaked to work in afterschool programs over the course of a week or as an opportunity for family engagement in the form of a STEM Family Night event.

Staff Support

Afterschool Training Toolkit

from the National Center for Quality Afterschool

This toolkit offers FREE online training resources for afterschool staff and focuses on how to use promising practices to build students' academic skills through fun and engaging activities. Program leaders and site coordinators can download free pdf guides that can help them facilitate professional development for the four content areas of the toolkit: literacy, math, technology, and the arts.

Rural Technology Fund Education Grants

Working to empower future technology leaders and narrow the digital divide between rural and urban areas

• Average grants range from $500 to $2,500.
• Larger amounts considered for projects whose impact reaches large groups of students.
• Grant applications are reviewed and awarded every 30-60 days.

The Rural Technology Fund typically selects rural tech projects that:

• Help introduce and teach students about computer technology. This includes computer science, programming, robotics, engineering, and design.
• Teach students to solve real-world, human service, and community impacting problems using computer technology.
• Are conducted by schools in rural or high-poverty areas.
• Are designed to reach multiple students within a school, equitably.
• Help establish ongoing student interest groups like maker spaces and coding clubs.