In light of the current public health emergency, Mayor Bowser's Fiscal Year 2021 budget announcement is scheduled for May 6th. The Learn24 School Year 2020-21 Grant Competitions will be released shortly after this announcement.
The Institute for Youth Development will host two workshops that provide tools for youth workers to use an asset-based approach when working with youth and focus on the goals of preparation and development rather than prevention, deterrence, and deficit reduction. Sign up for one or both of these workshops below.
During this pandemic, it is important for youth development professionals to stay acclimated to growing trends and content that support our youth. The Learn24 event calendar centralizes a wide variety of professional development opportunities that can improve skills and/or generate new skills for professionals. Find an upcoming webinar or course today.
On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, the Council of the District of Columbia passed the COVID-19 Response Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 which allows any board, commission, or other public body to waive meeting requirements during the time of a public health emergency unless otherwise directed by the Mayor. Therefore, all Committee meetings have been suspended until further notice.
Common Sense Media recently launched a free website for parents and educators called Wide Open School. This collection gathers some of the best online learning experiences and activities for kids curated by the editors at Common Sense and organized by grade and subject. Everything on Wide Open School centers on the schedule, which is programmed each "school" day for each grade level. Keep kids learning with daily schedules and activities here.
DC Public Schools (DCPS) is launching virtual Parent University workshops to provide information and start conversations on topics that are top of mind for families. This series of free online workshops will support DCPS families as students learn at home. RSVP for one of the below workshops here.
- April 14, 3:00 pm - Using the Guide to Graduation, Career, and College
- April 15, 2:30 pm - Using the Guide to Graduation, Career, and College (in Spanish)
- April 22, 2:30 pm - Helping Your Child Manage Stress
In the first newsletter of each month, The Institute for Youth Development will highlight a specific indicator from the Weikart Center's Youth Program Quality Assessment (PQA) on promising practices in the field.
Purposefully garnering Youth Voice is imperative and an important practice of an OST program. Youth Voice includes opportunities for input, choice, and shared leadership. There are several ways to implement Youth Voice:
- Eliminate Adultism involves removing the mindset that youth are inferior to adults. One way to avoid adultism is by practicing active listening. Active listening means instead of describing your own experience, keeps the conversation focused on the youth. Youth need to express their opinions, experience, and feelings.
- • Incorporate Youth Voice within program sessions by giving youth choice and leadership opportunities. An example of choice within a program can be allowing youth to plan activities, having youth provide feedback on activities, or having youth lead sessions.
- • Youth leading and making decisions as part of the organization’s day-to-day operations are genuine Youth Voice. Organizations can consider a youth advisory council, members of the board of directors, or other leadership opportunities that impact the program and organization.
For additional insight to the importance of Youth Voice in programming, check out this link.
Weekly newsletter of funding opportunities.
The Office of the State Superintendent for Education (OSSE) 21st Century Community Grant Competitions are scheduled to be released on April 30th. Applications will be due no later than June 12, 2020 at 3:00 pm. For more information, please visit OSSE's website.
The Herb Block Foundation seeks proposals for their Pathways Out of Poverty Grant program. Nonprofit organizations located in and/or providing services in the Washington, DC area that focus on improving student achievement and healthy development of young people are encouraged to apply. Projects may include in-school and community-based educational programs, after-school activities, and mentoring programs. The maximum award amount is $25,000. Applications must be received by April 16, 2020. Access the application here.
The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) provides vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This program is for any small business with less than 500 employees (including sole proprietorships, independent contractors, and self-employed persons), private non-profit organizations, or 501(c)(19) veterans organizations affected by COVID-19. The Emergency EIDL Grants will end on December 30, 2020. Learn more about the application here.
The Community Foundation, in collaboration with regional partners, has established the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to support emergency preparedness and response efforts that will help mitigate the impact on disproportionately affected communities in the Greater Washington DC region. The immediate goal of this fund is to provide rapid support for critical service organizations during this initial phase of the pandemic and social distancing in the following areas: homelessness and housing, employment and small businesses, medical care and access, education and youth, and general operating support. The maximum grant is $100,000. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis. More information about deadlines, criteria, and programmatic questions can be found here.
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