Afterschool Quality Standards Project

Quarterly Newsletter

Truman Pierce Institute

October - December 2023

Spotlight on the Standards

Afterschool Quality Standards

Evaluating Afterschool: Find Your Best Data Collection Strategy

Afterschool Alliance

by Nikki Yamashiro

In this Afterschool Snack blog post, the Y-USA Achievement Gap Programs Evaluation Team shares some guidance for developing an effective data collection plan that can be used as an essential part of the continuous quality improvement process.

Read the full article

Social and Emotional Learning

Bringing the Benefits of Intergenerational Learning to School

by Sarah Elia

Collaborating with a local senior center in areas across the curriculum can enrich lessons and boost students' social and emotional skills.

Book clubs
Light exercise classes
Collaborative visual displays using photo memories
Conversations and interviews

Click on the link below for more information on these and other great ideas for rich, rewarding experiences that will benefit both the students in your program and the seniors in your community!

Read the full article

Health and Wellness

Health Fueled by Fun: Wellness Activities for Kids

Check out this website for a wide range of FREE lessons, activities, family resources, and information all centered around keeping kids active and encouraging healthy lifestyles! Lesson plans can be searched by age group, duration, or topic and are linked to national health and physical education standards. Power Charger activities are great for quick brain breaks, allowing bodies and minds to refocus. Family resources include newsletters, health and wellness videos, and recipes for healthy foods kids can help make.

Click here to explore the site!

STEM ACTIVITIES

9 Tips for Using AI for Learning (and Fun!)

by Daniel Leonard

These innovative, AI-driven activities will help you engage students across grade levels and subject areas.

Bring student drawings to life.
Use AI-generated images as writing prompts.
Use AI responses to spur scientific thinking.
Find the faults in AI-generated historical images.
Use AI math tools to see all sides of a problem.
Learn about voice from ChatGPT's imitations of famous authors.
Chat with historical figures.
Speak with AI in a foreign language.
Ask students to grade ChatGPT's writing.

Read the full article

Staff Support

5 Principles of Effective Mentors

by Juan Francisco Resendez

Great mentors cultivate several core competencies in themselves and their student teachers via a collaborative, supportive relationship.

Honor the humanity of your mentee.
Model teacher leadership.
Practice humility, and be open to new ideas.
Have the courage to take public risks.
Nurture your mentee.

Read the full article

Grants up to $5,000 are available in each category.

Application Deadline: February 1, 2024

Student Success Grants - to support educators engaging students in project-based and deeper learning to support the development of skills and dispositions contributing to success and fulfillment in a changing world
Envision Equity Grants - to support project-based learning and help educators to advance students’ cultural understanding and appreciation, anti-racism commitments, and understanding of civic engagement and democracy
Learning and Leadership Grants - to provide resources for educators hoping to engage in professional learning that can be implemented in their classrooms

Free Professional Development Offerings

We would love to see you at one of our face-to-face or virtual training sessions!

Click the link below to access our calendar of scheduled professional development sessions and to register for the ones that interest you.

Online PD Calendar

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