In This Week's ACROSS Your Desk:

• NH OST Convention 2024
• Storage Solutions for OST: Information Sessions
• ACROSS NH Leadership Institute 1 2024 Graduates
• ACROSS NH Business Virtual Training Series
• SEL Corner
• More Upcoming ACROSS NH Trainings
• Business Series: Marketing Your Program: April 12&19
• Introduction and Overview of ERS and SACERS: April 16th
• Afterschool Credential Information Session: April 17th
• SEML Community of Practice: April 18th
• OSTB 4: Relationships and Interactions with Children and Youth: April 18th
• Business Series: Recruiting and Retaining Staff: May 3&10
• SEML Community of Practice: May 7th
• OSTB 10: Professional Development and Leadership: May 9th
• Business Series: Reports and Budgeting: May 17&24
• Beyond the Introduction and Overview of ERS and SACERS: May 21st
• OSTB 5: Youth Engagement, Voice, and Choice: May 23rd
• Introduction and Overview of ERS and SACERS-U: May 29th
• How to Register for an ACROSS NH Training in NHCIS



A Day to Remember for NH OST

ACROSS NH and the NH Afterschool Network would like to thank all those OST staff and directors who traveled to beautiful Waterville Valley last Saturday for the Convention: Annual Celebration and Conference. It was truly inspiring to come together, connect, network, share, and grow together in person!

Participants were moved by an inspiring keynote presentation from Shannon Desilets, the Governor-appointed Program Director of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement for the State of NH. Shannon encouraged us to share our stories to bring compassion, positivity, and resiliency to the children we serve.

We all connected in our vision to create a more compassionate and resilient society through the message of the Jessie Lewis Choose Love Movement.

Jamie Nadeau, ACROSS NH Director, welcomed the crowd of 61 participants to a day filled with celebration, networking, and professional development.

There were 38 recipients of the "Making a Difference in OST Awards" this year. Congratulations to all who the recipients and thank you for all you do!

Participants inspired each other by sharing their "WHY" of attending and participating in the 2024 NH OST Convention.

Alex Amaral, DHHS/BCDHSC Credential Specialist, recognized all those that earned an afterschool credential, and all OST programs that earned a Granite Step for Quality this year.

Thank you to all those attended! If you missed it, don't worry- we hope that you can join us in 2025.

Smart Storage Solutions for OST: Lunch and Information Sessions

12:00 - 1:00pm on Zoom

Tuesday, April 16

Friday, April 19

Wednesday, April 24

Thursday, April 25

Meet with Sunni Tainter, ACROSS NH Support and Outreach Coordinator, for a session to learn more about how ACROSS NH can revolutionize your OST storage needs. Funding is available to purchase items for programs, based on program size. In this consultation, Sunni will showcase tailored solutions from Lakeshore Learning® designed to optimize your storage space, streamline organizational processes, and enhance participant experiences within your OST program.

Sunni will work with you to maximize efficiency and enhance your OST storage setup. Don't miss this opportunity to explore the possibilities and find the perfect fit for your OST storage solutions. First come, first served!

Register in NHCIS for the session you wish to attend. If you have questions, please email Cathy Hazelton at chazelton@acrossnh.org. Click here or on the image to download the flyer.

2024 Graduates of Leadership Institute 1: Developing Your Leadership Style

Congratulations to this year's group of dedicated leaders in OST! This truly inspiring group of staff from 10 programs serving school age children over central and southern NH completed 24 hours of leadership training with Laura Hess Moran. Their vision and commitment are an asset to the NH OST community!

Back Row: Ginny Bouch (Manchester B&GC), Aimee Lussier (School's Out, Center Ossipee), Amanda Green (YMCA of Greater Londonderry), Ana Delgado (New Morning Schools, Parker Varney, Jaimee Martin (New Morning Schools (Bedford Memorial), Melissa Hilfer (YMCA, School's Out, Brentwood), Zac Clark (Manchester B&GC), Jess Grice (Rochester Child Care Center, UP Program), Melissa Croteau (Greater Derry Extended Day Program), Sam deJong (Seymour Osman Community Center), Laura Hesse Moran (ACROSS NH Trainer) Front Row: Emma Leonard (Rochester Child Care Center, UP Program), Amanda Diamant (Rochester Child Care Center, UP Program), Sondra Jones (Waterville Valley Rec Department), Morgan Parrish (B&GCCNNH, Epsom), Jessie Tierney (Rochester Child Care Center, UP Program), and Wendy Allen (Manchester B&GC). Not pictured: Ana Byers (East Side Learning Center).

The next offering of Leadership Institute 1 will be fall 2025. Look for registration announcements in August 2025.

Strengthening Your Business Practices Virtual Training Series

Module One: Marketing Your Program (Part 1 & 2)

Friday, April 12 & Friday, April 19 at 9:30-10:45am on Zoom

Module Two: Recruiting and Retaining Staff (Part 1 & 2)

Friday, May 3 & Friday, May 10 at 9:30-10:45am on Zoom

Module Three: Financial Reports and Successful Budgeting (Part 1 & 2)

Friday, May 17 & Friday, May 24 at 9:30-10:45am on Zoom

Technical assistance (TA) is available to all participants to assist in applying the curriculum to your individual program. When participants complete a module they will receive a gift to boost their new business skills!

It’s all about the children! Working with children is your passion but running a business may not be. Consider this: sound fiscal practices mean stronger programs and better outcomes for children. In this collection of trainings, we will cover recruitment, retention of staff, marketing, budgets, and financial reports.

Join Natalie D'Angelo for these virtual trainings. Click here for the complete flyer with training details.

Register in NHCIS for the modules you wish to attend. If you have questions, please email Cathy Hazelton at chazelton@acrossnh.org.

The Friendly Wish Tree Encourages SEML

Dear SEL in OST Community, 

Rick Alleva and Abigail Argentine presented their final session in the Social, Emotional, and Mindfulness Learning (SEML) series that began in the beginning of March. One great activity that was shared at the convention and we wish to share with you all is a "friendly wish tree." This is a great way to engage children, staff, and even families in Social, Emotional, and Mindfulness Learning. 

• On the first leaf, have them write a friendly wish they have for themselves.
• On the second, a wish they have for someone else
• On the third, a wish that they have for the world. 

Have them hang each leaf on the tree. Soon you will have a tree filled with kind wishes. 

Additionally, you may like to invite folks to try Annaka Harris's free mindfulness recording called 'Friendly Wishes to Everyone' accessible on her website: https://annakaharris.com/friendly-wishes/

Warmly, 

Abigail J. Blodgett Argentine, B.S.; NH ASMP

ACROSS NH Social Emotional Learning Coordinator 

ablodgett@acrossnh.org

Introduction and Overview of ERS and SACERS-U

Tuesday, April 16th

6:30-8pm on Zoom

The Environment Rating Scales (ERS) are observational tools that assess process quality of child care programs. This virtual training provides an introduction and overview of the ERS and the School Age Care Environment Rating Scale-Updated (SACERS-U) tool. We will examine the benefits of using the tool for children and for programs. Participants will practice how to use the SACERS-U tool in an out-of-school time (OST) program. This training is intended for programs with school age children in OST. This training fulfills the required Granite Steps for Quality (GSQ) ERS Training for the SACERS Learning Environment Standard Rubric.

This training is provided by Cathy Hazelton, M.Ed.; NH ASMP WT, PC, IM, NH ADS 3 & LE 3 and SACERS-U Anchor. ACROSS NH can provide a copy of the SACERS-U tool to your program by request once you have completed the training. Please email your request to chazelton@acrossnh.org.

Afterschool Credential Information System

Wednesday, April 17th

12-1pm on Zoom

Are you thinking about applying for your afterschool credential? Is it time for you to renew? Are you thinking about joining the ACROSS NH Credential Challenge? Come join this virtual information session and have all of your questions answered. We will review the steps and documents needed for you to apply for your afterschool credential. Your education, experience, skills, and talents will be recognized through this system and your credential is good for 3 years! 

Social Emotional and Mindful Learning

Community of Practice

Thursday, April 18th

10:15-11:30am on Zoom

At the heart of the OST field are the values of building positive relationships, creating quality learning opportunities, and making contributions to lifelong thriving outcomes for our children and youth. 

This SEML Community of Practice is for out of school time staff, site directors, and directors. We will focus on the guiding principles of social, emotional, and mindfulness learning in OST programs, share resources, practices, and collaborate with like-minded colleagues. Participants will walk away with a refocused lens on implementing SEL in OST.

OSTB 4: Relationships and Interactions with Children & Youth

Thursday, April 18th

6:30-8:30pm on Zoom

ACROSS NH is proud to provide free virtual and interactive Out of School Time Basics trainings on the National Afterschool Association (NAA) Ten Core Knowledge, Skills & Competencies. These trainings are provided at no cost to you thanks to funding from the NH DHHS and Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration.

Quality relationships and communication are key attributes of quality practice when working with children and youth. These enhance our ability to form the connections necessary to provide positive guidance to those who attend our programs. This virtual training looks at these two components and at our role as youth development professionals in positive behavior guidance.

Social Emotional and Mindful Learning

Community of Practice

Tuesday, May 7th

10:15-11:30am on Zoom

At the heart of the OST field are the values of building positive relationships, creating quality learning opportunities, and making contributions to lifelong thriving outcomes for our children and youth. 

This SEML Community of Practice is for out of school time staff, site directors, and directors. We will focus on the guiding principles of social, emotional, and mindfulness learning in OST programs, share resources, practices, and collaborate with like-minded colleagues. Participants will walk away with a refocused lens on implementing SEL in OST.

OSTB 10: Professional Development and Leadership

Thursday, May 9th

6:30-8:30pm on Zoom

ACROSS NH is proud to provide free virtual and interactive Out of School Time Basics trainings on the National Afterschool Association (NAA) Ten Core Knowledge, Skills & Competencies. These trainings are provided at no cost to you thanks to funding from the NH DHHS and Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration.

Understanding the commitment to upholding ethical practices, having an informed work philosophy, valuing ongoing professional growth and development, and recognizing the importance of leadership in youth serving spaces is foundational to implementing quality programming. In this basic training, we identify skills and competencies that can guide positive youth development professionals working in OST programs toward understanding the importance that their own professional development and leadership has in their programs and to the profession. 

Beyond the Intro and Overview of the ERS and SACERS-U

Tuesday, May 21st

12:00-1:30pm on Zoom

Pre-requisite: Intro & Overview of ERS and SACERS-U Training. This session is designed to give out of school time staff the opportunity to take a deeper dive into the scoring, the subscales and the indicators of the SACERS-U tool. It is also an opportunity to share questions about using the tool. Tips and strategies on program improvements to improve scores will also be shared. This training is provided by Cathy Hazelton, M.Ed.; NH ASMP WT, PC, IM, NH ADS 3 & LE 3 and SACERS-U Anchor. Bring your SACERS-U tool/book!

OSTB 5: Youth Engagement, Voice, and Choice

Thursday, May 23rd

6:30-8:30pm on Zoom

ACROSS NH is proud to provide free virtual and interactive Out of School Time Basics trainings on the National Afterschool Association (NAA) Ten Core Knowledge, Skills & Competencies. These trainings are provided at no cost to you thanks to funding from the NH DHHS and Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration.

This virtual training will explore some of the components for building partnerships with youth in afterschool and school age settings. Fostering child and youth leadership and voice will be addressed as key components that support children and youth at being active participants in the program.

Introduction and Overview of ERS and SACERS-U

Wednesday, May 29th

12-1:30pm on Zoom

The Environment Rating Scales (ERS) are observational tools that assess process quality of child care programs. This virtual training provides an introduction and overview of the ERS and the School Age Care Environment Rating Scale-Updated (SACERS-U) tool. We will examine the benefits of using the tool for children and for programs. Participants will practice how to use the SACERS-U tool in an out-of-school time (OST) program. This training is intended for programs with school age children in OST. This training fulfills the required Granite Steps for Quality (GSQ) ERS Training for the SACERS Learning Environment Standard Rubric.

This training is provided by Cathy Hazelton, M.Ed.; NH ASMP WT, PC, IM, NH ADS 3 & LE 3 and SACERS-U Anchor. ACROSS NH can provide a copy of the SACERS-U tool to your program by request once you have completed the training. Please email your request to chazelton@acrossnh.org.

How to Register for an ACROSS NH Training in NHCIS

Log into NHCIS. Go to your "training tile" and click on "take a training." Scroll down and click on "Month" view. Advance to the date of the training that you want to register for and click on the "training title." If you are having trouble registering for an ACROSS NH training in NHCIS, please email Cathy Hazelton at chazelton@acrossnh.org.

For more information about NHCIS,

go to https://www.nh-connections.org/providers/nh-professional-registry/.