THE Y4Y INSIDER

DECEMBER 2022

Free Online Professional Learning and Technical Assistance for Nita M. Lowey 21^stCentury Community Learning Centers

This special edition of the Insider features the year’s “greatest hits” from Y4Y, gift-wrapped just for you. Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season!

Topical Tool Kits

Each virtual “gift basket” bundles Y4Y tools on a selected topic so you can download and customize them with ease. See what topics are available!

Y4Y Tech Tip: Don’t Miss Out!

Check out some of the most popular Y4Y content:

Feel-Good Forum

“The best thing about being a teacher is that it matters. The hardest thing about being a teacher is that it matters every day.”

—Todd Whitaker

Family Resources

Help families keep their children safe online by sharing tips and free resources from Common Sense Education. Materials are broken down by age group and provide activities families can use to help children navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.

State Coordinator’s Corner

Ask for help: If you’d like Y4Y technical assistance in the spring or summer of 2023, submit your request now!

Save time: Download and customize a Y4Y Training to Go PowerPoint for your next training or presentation.

Offer grantees a free subscription: Post or email this message: You can subscribe to the monthly Y4Y Insider for creative program ideas, STEM/STEAM resources, virtual learning opportunities, and more. It’s free from the U.S. Department of Education’s You for Youth Technical Assistance Team, and it's especially for 21^st CCLC programs. Go to y4y.ed.gov, select News and Views, and subscribe. Then invite your staff to do the same!

Voices From the Field

These quotes are from our 2022 interviews with program leaders and subject matter experts. You can access all interviews on the Y4Y Voices From the Field page.

“Collective brilliance leads to collective impact.” Sara Morales, Associate Director, New Mexico State University 21^st CCLC Program [Read or Listen]

“Each and every one of us (educators included) needs to find ways to exercise our curiosity and wonder muscles every day.” Sarah Johnson, Environmental Education Specialist [Read or listen]

“I always tried to reach their hearts before reaching their brains.” Kathy Manley, Teacher, on human connection and resiliency [Read or Listen]

Gathering STEAM

Try the Marshmallow Challenge

Which student team can build the tallest structure using only spaghetti sticks, tape, string, and one marshmallow? This team-building activity is stimulating and fun for all age groups. Plus it helps everyone see there are many different ways to approach a problem or challenge!

https://www.marshmallowchallenge.com

Bacterial Blitz

Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine finally answered the age-old question, “How are E. Coli and other bacteria able to move ?” Explore how bacteria and other microorganisms evolve over time and try some bacteria-focused experiments.

https://gosciencegirls.com/germ-science-experiments

Life on Mars

No, we’re not talking about the David Bowie song! New research suggests evidence of water beneath Mars’ south polar ice cap. Let your students join in on this out-of-this-world discovery by conducting Mars-related activities compiled by NASA.

https://mars.nasa.gov/classroom/pdfs/MSIP-MarsActivities.pdf

Blog Sampler

Creative Program Ideas

What’s On Your Bookshelf?

Making sure children have books of their own is more important than you might think.

The Sky’s the Limit

At each stage of child and adolescent development, new horizons await exploration.

The People Prize

People and relationships matter when you’re recruiting students, staff, and community partners.

Nurture Resilience

Each time you help students believe in themselves and their ability to learn and grow, you’re nurturing their resilience.

Jan 4 is World Braille Day – Introduce the Braille alphabet and have students write their names in Braille. Share the amazing story of Louis Braille, who was only 15 when he invented the braille code. Invite students to brainstorm ideas for inventions to help people with blindness or low vision.

Jan. 16 is Civil Rights Day/MLK Jr. Day – Discuss the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., take a virtual visit to the National Civil Rights Museum, and explore ways to integrate Dr. King’s life lessons into program activities.

Jan. 16-29 is the Australian Open – Have students do research online and create a travel brochure with fun facts about “the land down under” the equator — its languages, cultures, geography, and climate. (January is Australia’s hottest month!)

Jan. 27 is International Holocaust Memorial Day – This day is dedicated to remembering the persecution faced by Jews and other oppressed peoples during WWII. Use resources from the National Archives to discuss persecution in age-appropriate ways. Invite students to write a message to someone who’s been persecuted or have them reflect on what it means to learn from the past.

Webinar Archives

Online Learning

12 single-topic webinars

3 multi-webinar series

Browse for available topics.

23 courses

13 Click & Go’s

4 Quality Program Quickstarters

Go to y4y.ed.gov and select the Learn tab to see what’s new!

Featured Download/Link

Where Does My Time Go?

Use this Y4Y tool to identify ways to make time for yourself. Make 2023 your year!

Visit Our Website

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