SHARE:  

December Newsletter at a Glance

Program Highlight: Arts in Afterschool Funding in Action at Minot's 21CCLC Program

Get Involved: Afterschool Day on the Hill Registration Open + Sign Up for Policy Emails

Funding Opportunities: Youth Stop Hunger Innovation Grant, ALDI Gift Cards, and More!

Professional Development: Cypherworx & The Flourish Lab, Blending & Braiding Webinar, and More!

Program Highlight

Arts in Afterschool in Minot

The Minot 21st Century Community Learning Center (21CCLC) serves 1400 students each year and has been providing out-of-school time programming for 25 years. Arts in Afterschool funding from the ND Council on the Arts and ND Afterschool Network has opened a door for the program to expand creative expression using media that may otherwise be unavailable to students. 


Margi Lee is the Education Coordinator at the Taube Art Museum in Minot and has worked with the 21CCLC program for longer than she can remember. The Taube Art Museum partners with the Minot 21CCLC to provide half-hour lessons to students, rotating schools each week. With the use of grant dollars, they have purchased art supplies like paint crayons and air-dry clay. These are not just free-floating art supplies; they are used intentionally. Afterschool art educators provide targeted lessons leading students in activities inspired by the work of real artists. They strengthen art appreciation skills with a short lesson on the artist and send students home with an informational handout to share in addition to their project. Ultimately, the goals of the programming are to enhance conversations around art with both child and parent and to teach that art is an important way to communicate. 


One benefit of the Taube art programming is extra practice in critical thinking. Lee shared one example of a student who was disappointed that there was no purple paint during a project. Lee prompted the student to think a little deeper and use their problem-solving skills to create purple using the colors they did have. Lee also discussed how she’s seen students who may struggle in the classroom thrive in a creative environment. One way of ensuring success is leading projects that are accessible and engaging for all ages from kindergarten to fifth grade. A recent project focused on the work of John James Audubon, famous for his Birds of America illustrations. Using air-dry clay purchased with Arts in Afterschool funding, students sculpted their own birds based on these illustrations. Other recent projects that used Art in Afterschool funding include drawing the Tree of Life by Gustav Klimt on black paper using metallic markers, designing individual stamps inspired by Peter Max, and using paint crayons to learn about abstract art by Wassily Kandinsky.

Students are excited to bring their learning from afterschool into their home. After discussing John James Audubon, sculpting birds, attaching feathers, and even naming them, students were eager to hear that they could take their work with them. The demand for art supplies indicates the energy students have for creativity. Lee fields student questions on where to locate more materials like air-dry clay and paint crayons. An added bonus of using unique materials coupled with routine practice is that students who may not want to participate in projects or claim that they’re not talented enough to do something find that art isn’t so scary. Art in Afterschool funding allows programs like the Minot 21CCLC to purchase materials that the average classroom teacher may not have, opening a whole new world for students. The Taube is a proud partner of the afterschool program and their teachers are making a name for themselves. Lee says that she’s often identified as simply 'Taube,' not her own name; she’s perfectly fine with that. 


While funding for the Arts in Afterschool program for the 2024-2025 school year has already been allocated, be on the lookout for information for next year! Read more about projects funded here. 

Get Involved

Afterschool Day on the Hill Registration Open


The North Dakota Afterschool Network invites out-of-school time programs working with youth ages 5 - 18 to Afterschool Day on the Hill! Showcase your program to legislators and state agency representatives by sharing the ways you are positively impacting youth, families, and communities across ND. Join us to fill Memorial Hall with students, staff, and other out-of-school time advocates to show how essential afterschool is to North Dakota. Whether you can join us for the whole day or just a part of it, everyone is welcome!


Booth spaces to showcase your program available on a first come, first served basis. Find more details and register now here. Travel reimbursement is available for 21st Century Community Learning Center program sites.

2025 ND Legislative Session Information: Watch for updated comprehensive analysis and legislative solutions to be announced SOON. Sign up for policy-focused emails from Child Care Aware ND and ND Afterschool Network on early childhood and school age policy updates/issues/opportunities. This will be sent weekly (or more often as needed) during the 2025 ND Legislative session to provide bill tracking updates, opportunities to testify and to share your voice on matters relating to childcare and school-age programming.

ND Afterschool Policy Resources + Email Sign Up

Funding Opportunities

Youth Stop Hunger Innovation Grants: Twelve $2,500 grants will be awarded to cohorts of youth in the United States between the ages of 5 and 25 years old who are looking to fight hunger in their community by addressing its root causes, while also engaging other youth in volunteerism. Applications open through December 8!

Youth Garden Grant: Since 1982, the Youth Garden Grant has supported school and youth educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life for youth and their communities. In early 2025, 50 organizations will be awarded $500 in funding for their youth garden program. Any organization in the United States or US Territories planning a new or improving an existing garden program that serves at least 15 youth between the ages of 0 and 18 is eligible to apply. Deadline to apply is December 13th!

ALDI Community Gift Card Program: ALDI supports two main areas for gift card funding to assist in food costs.

  • Children’s Health & Wellness: Organizations and causes that support and invest towards improving the physical, social, and emotional wellbeing of youth, 0-18, through supplemental in or out of school programs, annual programs or one-off events.
  • Food Insecurity: Organizations committed to increasing access to nutritious foods and reducing food insecurity.

ALDI accepts applications between March 1st – December 15th each year.

Walmart Spark Good Local Grant: Each year, Walmart U.S. stores, Sam’s Clubs and Distribution Centers award local cash grants ranging from $250 to $5000. These local grants are designed to address the unique needs of the communities where they operate. Spark Good Local Grants are awarded through an open application process to eligible organizations operating locally and directly benefiting the service area of the facility from when they are requesting funding. The current application timeline is from Nov. 1 - Dec. 31.

Regional Workforce Impact Program Grant: The ND Dept. of Commerce is now accepting applications for the Regional Workforce Impact Program (RWIP) grant, aimed at addressing critical workforce challenges across the state. The application period is open through January 21, 2025. The grant supports community-driven solutions to issues like talent attraction, workforce retention, and infrastructure investments. Eligible applicants include North Dakota-based organizations such as economic development groups, cities, and childcare centers.

Costco Charitable Giving & Grants: Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where they do business. Applications accepted on a rolling basis.


To apply for Costco support, organizations must meet the following general requirements:

  • Must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
  • Focus on supporting children, education, and/or health and human services
  • Monetary requests only

Professional Development

ND Afterschool Learning Platforms: Cypherworx & The Flourish Lab


Available for FREE starting in the 2024 – 2025 school year for all out-of-school time programs across North Dakota, Cypherworx and The Flourish Lab eLearning platforms are available for OST programs.


Check out the information session recording to learn about how your program can access the trainings, suggested learning pathways based on staff roles, alignment with ND Quality Standards for Out-of-School Time Programs, and opportunities to join communities of practice to connect with peers across the state.


Contact Kristin.Knorr@k12.nd.us for information on how to access the training platforms!

Access Info Session Recording

Mental Health First Aid

Various Options from September - December | Virtual

Mental Health First Aid from National Council on Wellbeing teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults. You'll build skills and confidence you need to reach out and provide initial support to those who are struggling. You'll also learn how to help connect them to appropriate support. Offered free if you live or work in North Dakota. Learn More

Blending and Braiding Webinar Series

December 5th | January 16th | Virtual, FREE | Register for the webinar here!

Discover strategies to effectively combine funding streams and strengthen support for youth programs in this engaging five-part series. Don’t miss the next sessions:


  • Session 4: Engaging the Philanthropic Community as a Catalyst for Scaling up Place-Based Whole Child Partnerships | December 5, 2024
  • Session 5: Strategies Leveraging Nonprofit Organization Resources and Supports | January 16, 2025

STEM Equity Learning Community

Spring 2025 | Learn more here!

The STEM Equity Learning Community is designed to equip OST program managers, administrators, and site directors so that more equitable learning spaces are available for Black, Indigenous, and Latina girls (and gender-expansive youth). Covered topics include: education equity & STEM, best practices in delivering STEM programming, and expanding how we understand bias.


The 2-hour, virtual STEM Equity Learning Community sessions are scheduled from February to June on the second Thursday of each month at 10 am Pacific | 11 am Mountain | 12 pm Central | 1 pm Eastern.

NAA 2025: People, Potential, Possibilities

March 9-12, 2025 | Nashville, TN

Registration is open for the National AfterSchool Association Convention. Attendees can look forward to a packed agenda filled with inspiring sessions, innovative workshops, and ample networking opportunities. The convention will feature OST professionals like you who will share insights and strategies to enhance your programs and support your professional growth. Learn More

Our Mission
We equip North Dakota afterschool programs with the tools and support to expand program quality, build leadership capacity, and ensure access to afterschool programs for all youth in their community.


www.ndafterschoolnetwork.com

Facebook