Iowa Afterschool Alliance News | |
The Iowa Afterschool Alliance had a rewarding experience during our Day on the Hill, where we had valuable opportunities to engage in conversations with representatives. It was a platform for us to not only share our State of Afterschool report but also to establish connections between lawmakers and the remarkable youth involved in afterschool programs. A special thank you goes out to the students from C3 Robotics and Tanager Place Freedom schools for their dedicated advocacy in support of afterschool initiatives. Their efforts contribute to the positive impact these programs have on the community. With such passionate advocates and committed individuals, the future of afterschool programs looks incredibly promising and bright ☀️! | |
Empowering Iowa's Future: Join the Mission to Bring FIRST Robotics to Every County! | |
|
A high school robotics team part of the FIRST technology organization, located in Johnston, Iowa, is on a mission to create a FIRST robotics team in EVERY county of Iowa. Out of the 99 counties, only 32 of them don’t have a team... yet.
FIRST robotics offers a wealth of opportunities for students, fostering skills such as teamwork, networking, problem-solving, programming, and building. Their strategy involves creating teams in underrepresented counties by hosting FIRST Lego League classes for students. They've previously conducted a successful 6-month Lego League class at a local library, teaching elementary and middle school students the fundamentals of building and coding FLL robots.
To accomplish their goal, they need your help. Starting your own robotics team in your county may sound daunting and overwhelming. But they're ready to provide guidance, resources, and support every step of the way. If you're interested in being part of our mission to bring robotics to every corner of Iowa, please reach out to us via email at discoduckbotsftc14172@gmail.com or visit their website at firstacrossiowa.org.
| |
Empowering Futures: United Way Gathers Youth Activities and Job Opportunities in Central Iowa, Spotlight on Warren, Dallas, and Polk Counties! | |
After hearing a desire for youth activities and employment opportunities to be shared in one place, United Way of Central Iowa is collecting information on these programs and employment opportunities to be shared with the broader community, including the youth themselves. This initiative is focused on Warren, Dallas, and Polk counties.
Employment
Is your organization or company looking to hire for part-time, seasonal, or sponsored positions? We are looking for opportunities to connect youth (age 14 and up) with employers. Preferred opportunities would include a position that is geared toward first-time employees, high school students, or those with engagement from an adult willing to provide support and/or mentorship to the youth. Please complete the survey found via this link and share with others you think might be relevant.
Activities
Does your organization or company offer programming for youth during the school year (afternoons, evenings, weekends, school breaks, etc.)? We are looking for opportunities to connect youth with activities. If you know of any such opportunities, please complete the survey found via this link and share with others.
| |
|
United Way of Central Iowa has teamed up with Bright by Text, a national parent texting program, to put expert tips, educational games, and child development information directly into the hands of parents and caregivers of children prenatal through age eight.
Outside of standard message rates that may apply, Bright by Text is free to anyone who signs up to subscribe.
| |
|
STEM Opportunities
For more opportunities from Million Girls Moonshot,
please visit the STEM for Iowa website.
| Are you on the Mizzen by Mott app? Check out the STEM Activities for K-5th in Small Groups playlist, a mix of engineering + science activities! Click here to download the app today. | |
School Year STEM AmeriCorps Application Open | |
Know someone interested in working with an afterschool program? STEM AmeriCorps applications are now open! STEM AmeriCorps members will help build capacity in afterschool programs by developing and facilitating engaging, high-quality activities that promote increased social, emotional, math, science, and reading proficiency. Members are placed in afterschool programs across the state and serve from September through June. STEM AmeriCorps members receive $11,700 in stipends for living expenses over the school year. They also receive a $3,447.50 education award that can be utilized toward qualifying loans or current educational expenses. This is upon completion of their service term. Please contact Elva Griffin at egriffin@iowaafterschoolalliance.org with questions or for more information. | |
|
Are you ready to take your afterschool program to new heights and prepare your students for a future full of possibilities? Look no further! We are thrilled to announce the opportunity for your program to participate in the Jobs for the Future Possible Futures career exploration program.
The Iowa Afterschool Alliance and the Active Learning Community Partnership is looking for 6 programs to facilitate the Possible Futures curriculum.
This 8-week program provides career exploration to learners in grades 6 through 10, with a vision that every young person will gain the foundational knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to make critical decisions about their future with confidence.
Each site will receive $1,000 stipend as well as a personalized Qualtrics data dashboard for participating. Please contact Elva Griffin at egriffin@iowaafterschoolalliance.org with questions or for more information.
| |
Professional Development Opportunities | |
Engineering has become a staple of STEM programming for youth. How can we confidently bring engineering into our programming and support youth as they engage in problem solving? In this module, participants gain first-hand experience with engineering by solving a design problem. They examine the components of the engineering design process and discuss ways to model the process with youth.
*The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend. REGISTER HERE Code: AC326EP (Coach Emma C)
ACRES Coaching: Facilitating Engineering Practices
Mondays: 1/29, 2/12, 2/26/2024 12pm - 2pm EST / 9am - 11am PST
| |
|
Wallace Foundation Resources
Millions of urban children and teens lack access to afterschool programs that provide rich opportunities for growth, learning and fun. One possible solution is to coordinate the work of programs, government agencies, private funders and others involved in afterschool programs—that is, build an afterschool system that is greater than the sum of its parts. Key components of afterschool systems include efforts to improve program quality and collection of data to inform decision-making.
Browse reports and other resources the Wallace Foundation provides for insights into making high-quality afterschool programming more readily available to urban young people.
| |
|
Out of School Time Professional Development Center
The Out of School Time Professional Development Center provides Out of School Time training to OST professionals. The classes provide in-depth curriculum and certificates. If you or your staff are interested in signing up for courses visit the Out-of-School Time website. Check out the entire course catalog here.
| |
|
Great Content on Y4Y!
You 4 Youth is a free online professional development site that is designed to support 21CCLC program staff but is a valuable tool for any afterschool professional looking to build their skills! Recently, Y4Y has rolled out a whole module on literacy. Click here to register.
| |
|
THE IOWA AFTERSCHOOL ALLIANCE IS HERE FOR YOU
Need technical assistance? Access to materials? Professional development or trainings for your team? Please visit www.iowaafterschoolalliance.org.
| | | | |
