  The Engage Every Student Today Bulletin is a source of support for afterschool and summer learning programs, school districts, cities, and states as they respond to U.S. Secretary Cardona's bold call to action for universal out-of-school time learning opportunities for every child who wants to participate nationwide. This bi-monthly bulletin will share timely resources and strategies to expand access to engage every student in high-quality afterschool and summer learning opportunities.
 
Youth Ideas Power Afterschool: Every Hour Counts, an Engage Every Student Ally, presents the Youth Powered Event to Reimagine Afterschool
The air crackled with electricity when 60 youth (ages 12-19) from six communities presented their ideas for reimagining the future of afterschool, with youth at the center at the Powered by Youth Voice event hosted by Every Hour Counts in partnership with Youthprise, which was made possible through support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Ultimately, these youth collaborated to award $100,000, across the 6 communities, to make their ideas reality.
The youth spent six months in design thinking, researching, peer learning and presentation development. The youth were selected and supported by After School Matters in Chicago; the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint; Kalamazoo Youth Development Network; Nashville After Zone Alliance; Providence After School Alliance; and Prime Time Palm Beach County.
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Updated Program Toolbox helps with starting and operating quality Out-of-School Time Programs
Starting a new program or working to grow a program can be exciting and fulfilling—but it can take hard work. A newly updated toolbox of resources launched by the Afterschool Alliance helps individuals and organization at every point in the process. The toolbox contains a variety of guides, tools, case studies, and best practices compiled from out-of-school time experts and organizations to support the afterschool program providers. It contains four sections:
Head to the program toolbox dashboard for help in planning your out-of-school time programming for the upcoming year!
Now Available: Grants up to $100,000 from the New York Life Foundation for Out-of-School Time (OST) Programs
The New York Life Foundation is seeking applications for $1,800,000 in grants to afterschool, summer, or expanded learning programs serving underserved middle-school youth. This is the seventh year of the Foundation’s Aim High grant competition, and this year’s awards will bring the total amount awarded to $9.75 million. Forty programs will be selected for grants, based on their ability to help youth transition successfully to ninth grade and to provide academic, social, and emotional supports to youth. This year, there will be two, 1-year grant opportunities. The first, will continue to support racial equity and social justice efforts. The second, will focus on youth well-being. Applications are due February 1, 2023, at 5 p.m. ET.
Grant funds may be used for technical assistance, enhancing direct service activities, and/or program expansion. All applicants will need to describe how programs support youth in the transition to the ninth grade. View the full RFP and submit your application here.
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 Strategic Use of Summer & Afterschool Set Asides Community of Practice
The first meeting of the National Comprehensive Center Strategic Use of Summer and Afterschool Set Asides Community of Practice, comprised of cross-agency teams from states and the United States Department of Education, convened on November 16, 2022, for a session titled State of the State. This Community’s goal over the course of the next several months is to dive deeply into areas where States have opportunities for influence at the state systems-building level. In February, they will focus on the exploration of data to promote access, quality, and outcomes for students. Participants have received a number of resources on data to help determine which data to collect related to summer and afterschool programs, including the Every Hour Counts Measurement Framework, Putting Data to Work for Young People. State Education Agencies, FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Programs Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Programs.
The Essential Piece of Integrated Agencies
The School Superintendents Association, AASA, and their members, know the significance of connecting kids to programs and services. Check out Executive Director Dan Domenech’s recent article in the latest issue of School Administrator about the impact and importance of integrating afterschool, summer, SEL supports and more into school district partnerships!
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Afterschool and Native Communities
The Afterschool Alliance recently released a new America After 3PM brief on Afterschool and Native Communities, showcasing the important impact of programs in Native communities and demonstrating the increased need for additional programs in communities serving Native Americans. For the first time, an analysis of America After 3PM data provides an in-depth look at the afterschool experiences of Native American children and youth, including the availability of afterschool programs, qualities Native American parents care most about in afterschool programs, and potential areas of growth for the afterschool field to reach more Native American young people. The brief is available here.
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Cities Target Billions of American Rescue Plan Funds Toward Youth Recovery
This new report from The National League of Cities’ Education and Expanded Learning team tracks how cities across the country are utilizing their American Rescue Plan Act (APRA) funds to support young people. The report finds that 80 cities invested over $2 billion of ARPA funds into programs, services, and infrastructure projects which will help the young people in their communities recover from the pandemic. The most important investment was afterschool and summer learning programming (72.5% of cities allocated dollars to expand youth programs). These findings offer a roadmap for other city leaders looking to support children and youth as they allocate their remaining ARPA funds.
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America After 3PM Special Report: Time for a Game-Changing Summer, With Opportunity and Growth for All of America's Youth
Summer can be a game-changer for young people; a time for family vacations, new friendships, new adventures in camps and summer learning programs, or taking summer classes to catch up or get ahead in school. But the America After 3PM survey finds that for every child in a summer program, there's another waiting to get in.
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Youth Perspectives on Engagement and Resilience: A Representative Study on Summer Learning
This study helps practitioners, policymakers, and researchers understand the youth perspective on two kinds of summer experiences— structured and unstructured—including what youth do under each scenario, and what they learn academically, recreationally, socially, and emotionally from their activities.
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Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19: Health and Wellness for Students and Families
Evidence shows that afterschool and summer learning programs are safe places where students can connect with one another, develop their confidence, interact with knowledgeable and caring staff, and more. A recent entry from the Afterschool Snack blog series following the “Access to Afterschool Programs Remains a Challenge for Many Families,” brief, dives deeper into findings around health and wellness from a survey administered by the Afterschool Alliance and Edge Research. A majority of respondents shared that their children’s afterschool programs had activities that support health and well-being. Read the full blog here.
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The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is creating a grant program to support districts and community-based organizations in creating new, or expanding existing, expanded learning opportunities. This program will be funded under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) state afterschool reserve. The CDE will be making up to $10 million of ARP ESSER III funding available for this program.
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The Hawai'i Department of Education (HIDOE) is using ESSER funds to continue, expand, or enhance the afterschool program offerings of its current network of out-of-school-time service providers. They are also creating a new complex for K-12 students, including community learning centers that provide students with academic enrichment opportunities, academic support, activities like athletics, and more. HIDOE also offered its largest-ever summer school program, free of charge, statewide. Programming included academic support, social-emotional learning, music, arts, and STEM at more than 230 public schools across the state.
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This past summer District 87 at Bloomington Public Schools in Illinois operated a summer enrichment program at no cost to students in grades 1 through 5 using their local ESSER III funds in partnership with community-based organizations including the Children’s Discovery Museum, Illinois State University for Math and Science, local Boys & Girls Clubs, and more. The summer program was planned by a Community Educator group that has more than 30 organizations. The District also partnered with the Boys' and Girls' Club to offer free summer programming for students entering sixth through eighth grade with a focus on academics and activities.
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 Engage Every Student Webinar Series
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Program Funding and Sustainability: Part One
Part One of the Program Funding and Sustainability Webinar Series will focus on Program Funding. This webinar will provide an overview of Federal Funds that can be leveraged for Afterschool and Summer Learning. Panelists will highlight program funding strategies and feature afterschool and summer learning program providers, city and district leadership. Space is limited.
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Program Funding and Sustainability: Part Two
Part Two of the Program Funding and Sustainability Webinar Series will focus on Program Sustainability. The webinar will provide a definition and framework for sustainability. It will also highlight the role of partnerships for out-of-school time program sustainability with a panel of participants from a range of sectors. Space is limited.
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Youth Voice and Choice
The Youth Voice and Choice Webinar will spotlight the Powered by Youth Voice: Future Directions for Afterschool initiative and youth survey. Additionally, the webinar will feature strategies of youth-centered organizations within a range of entities including afterschool and summer learning programs, school districts and city government. Space is limited.
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National Summer Learning Association's Virtual Summer Planning Bootcamp
Register Now for The National Summer Learning Association's free and virtual Summer Planning Bootcamp, March 29-30, 2023. The bootcamp will be led by dynamic out-of-school time leaders, sessions will delve into strategies to accelerate learning, build critical partnerships, and plan successful strategies to scale impact in a sustainable and measurable way.
Our nation’s children, especially the most vulnerable, can no longer wait to tap the power of summer. Get ready for summer now.
Leaders from schools, community-based programs, camps, libraries, outdoor education programs, and more. If you are working with youth during the summer months, you will benefit from these ideas and strategies.
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