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 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.
COVID Relief Funding Map
From experiential summer learning camps in Vermont where youth explored the outdoors to Missouri’s Columbia Public Schools investment of $500,000 ESSER III funding to enhance student supports in existing afterschool programs run by community partners, afterschool and summer programs nationwide are being supported by pandemic relief funding.
The newly updated COVID relief funding map now includes nearly 300 examples of state, districts, and localities investing COVID relief funds to support students with afterschool and summer programs. New features allow you to search by key words, download data, and filter by multiple fields. Are we missing a success story from your community or state? Get featured on the map by sharing your example on our pledge form.
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Announcing the Summer and Afterschool Needs Assessment
Attention - School and Program Leaders! Are you looking to increase the quality of your programs? Engage Every Student Partners has a new resource to help you. The newly released Summer and Afterschool Needs Assessment draws from the best evidence on what it takes to plan high-quality and afterschool programs and provides you with:
- A better understanding of your strengths and needs
- Access to targeted resources and guidance
Bonus! You'll even get an invitation to attend an upcoming Engage Every Student Office Hours virtual technical assistance meeting to learn about available resources and to be connected with leaders and opportunities in your local community. Complete the Summer and Afterschool Needs Assessment today to take your program to the next level!
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21st Century Community Learning Centers National Technical Assistance Center Grant Competition
The U.S. Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program announces the launch of a grant competition to launch its National Technical Assistance Center (NTAC). The 21st CCLC NTAC will help 21st CCLC grantees and subgrantees provide effective out-of-school time opportunities that have the biggest possible positive impact in students’ lives. The grant application was made available Friday, March 31st and the deadline for transmitting applications is May 30th. The notice inviting applications (NIA) may be found here.
For more information, please visit the NTAC webpage here. If you have any questions, please email us at 21stCCLC@ed.gov.
Youth Voice Toolkit
The Afterschool Alliance and Grantmakers for Education released a new Youth Voice Toolkit designed to help the field integrate youth voice and action into your work. Shaped with input from youth, the toolkit contains resources, tips, and examples of programming for all levels of youth voice engagement. Access the kit here.
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COVID Relief Funds and Out-of-School Time - A Deep Dive
Two years have passed since states received their portion of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III or ARP ESSER) funds as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Funds, allocated at the state education agency (SEA) and local education agency (LEA) levels, could be used to invest in afterschool and summer learning to support pandemic-related learning recovery for young people. One year ago, the Afterschool Alliance noted that a preliminary scan of 3,200 school district plans revealed a need for a deeper analysis if we are to determine the extent that local funds are supporting comprehensive, evidence-based afterschool programs, including the level to which community partners are being utilized. The research team at the Afterschool Alliance is now reviewing more than 6,000 district plans and conducting interviews with district leaders, program providers, and related intermediaries to understand how their ARP ESSER funds are impacting local-level afterschool and summer learning. Thus far, they have reviewed 1,347 plans from eleven states that account for $8.4 billion of ARPA funds. The states include Washington, Rhode Island, Arkansas, Michigan, Missouri, Louisiana, Vermont, Colorado, Montana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. To read new insights see a full account here.
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 UPDATE: U.S. Department of Education's Strategic Use of Summer & Afterschool Set Asides Community of Practice
Members of the Department's Summer and Afterschool Community of Practice met for a third time on Thursday, April 13 to discuss "Strategies to Drive Quality, Partnerships, and Sustainability through Technical Assistance." Team representatives from Arizona, Hawaii, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and US ED shared artifacts that represent their current efforts to build the capacity of districts and community partners to pursue funding, collaboratively plan for quality programming, and sustain their programs beyond stimulus funding. Members engaged in small group conversations about the evolution of their technical assistance systems and strategies to drive local partnerships. Community of Practice special guest and National Center Advisory Board Member, Terry Peterson, shared examples of how states can be working to make structural changes to promote the long-term sustainability of ARP investments in summer and afterschool systems and programs. Learn more about the Summer and Afterschool Community here.
ARP Funds are helping Young People stay Active
As the weather warms up this spring, the Afterschool Alliance is highlighting how American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding supports young people getting outside to play and move their bodies. Physical activity is essential to a young person’s development; from pre-pandemic levels to during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a decrease in 17 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous activity. With COVID relief funding, kids have access to get back outdoors through afterschool and summer learning programs. Read a few examples from across the nation here.
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The 3 W’s of a Citywide Afterschool System: Why, Who, and Where
Citywide afterschool systems are a powerful strategy for supporting out-of-school time (OST) programs within a community. These systems can play a key role in cities; serving as a hub for data collection, training, quality improvement, and coordination among OST providers and stakeholders. This blog from the National League of Cities outlines the benefits of such systems and highlights a range of models for afterschool system governance, which were identified by Wallace Foundation research. Access the full article here.
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The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) created a grant program to support districts and community-based organizations in creating new, or expanding existing, expanded learning opportunities. The CDE will be making up to $10 million of ARP ESSER III funding available for this program.
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During Phase 3 of its ARPA allocation, the City of New Haven invested $10 million of its ARPA funds into youth engagement and early childhood initiatives. With this investment the city will develop a Youth Engagement Fund, which will fund the City's youth employment program. Furthermore, the City will use some of the investment to maintain and build new Youth Centers, which offer programming and support services to young people in the City.
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The Idaho State Department of Education awarded eight school districts and three community based organizations $1.8 million to support afterschool programs. Each grantee received between $98,000 and $175,000 to serve the needs of the local districts and CBOs and reduce the achievement gap of students.
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Afterschool and Summer Learning: A City Strategy to Support College and Career Readiness
Afterschool and summer learning programs are proven strategies for improving school attendance while increasing student engagement and performance. Increasing access to high quality afterschool and summer programs for all youth, especially low-income youth, increases their likelihood of success in college and careers. This brief from the National League of Cities offers a guide for cities and OST programs looking to make the case for afterschool and summer learning programs as data-driven strategies for supporting college and career readiness and offers examples of cities who have successfully implemented OST programs for this purpose. Download the publication here.
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New Research on Expanding Equity in Afterschool and Summer Learning
A newly released brief describes how district and school-operated OST efforts in nine communities are working to ensure that all students have the resources and tools they need to succeed. The study, commissioned by The Wallace Foundation and led by the University of Virginia, highlighted several strategies, including a focus on culturally responsive design strategies that center student interests and needs. School systems also worked to address hurdles to enrollment, including language barriers, cost, and transportation. The research team highlighted challenges within school-driven efforts, including scenarios where limited slots can result in further inequity for students who would benefit the most. The brief concludes with a number of recommendations for districts and funders to enhance and sustain equity within OST beyond stimulus funding. Download the brief to learn more.
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Afterschool and Summer Learning: A City Strategy for Workforce Development
With new federal investments in infrastructure and manufacturing, communities have a renewed focus on identifying proven strategies to build and diversify their next generation of workers. High-quality afterschool and summer learning programs can enhance work-related skills and strengthen local workforces by promoting social-emotional/foundational learning skills and engaging students in hands-on, technical projects. This brief by the National League of Cities provides data and examples of how OST programs across the country are preparing young people with the skills and experiences they need to excel in the workforce. Download the publication here.
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Summer Learning Toolkit
During the summer, low-income students lose ground compared to their wealthier peers. But summer can also be a time to help level the playing field through high-quality, summer learning programs that research shows produce measurable benefits in math, reading, and social and emotional learning.
With more than 50, evidence-based tools and resources—drawn from the work of five urban school districts and their partners, and aligned with research from RAND—the Summer Learning Toolkit helps educators deliver programs that make a real difference. Access the Summer Learning Toolkit here.
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Afterschool and Summer Learning: A City Strategy for Public Safety
Crime rates involving young people spike between the hours of 3pm and 7pm on school days. Afterschool and summer learning programs are data-driven and cost-effective crime prevention and youth development strategies; providing positive supervised learning opportunities for youth of all ages. Research shows that afterschool programs can keep children safe, reduce behavior that might jeopardize public safety, and keep young people on track for a successful adulthood. This brief from the National League of Cities highlights exemplary programs across the country that have leveraged afterschool and summer learning as a successful violence prevention strategy. Download the publication here.
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Webinar: Staff Recruitment and Retention
The Staff Recruitment and Retention Webinar will spotlight the National Afterschool Alliance’s Thriving Out-of-School Time Workforce Initiative and the Out-of-School Time Job Design Framework. Additionally, the webinar will feature staff recruitment and retention strategies of statewide and local organizations. Space is limited.
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Engage Every Student Office Hours
Starting June 2, Engage Every Student will host Office Hours, which will take place monthly on the first Friday. Office Hours will provide an opportunity for attendees to receive technical assistance related to expanding access to afterschool and summer learning programs from the initiative partner organizations.
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Webinar: School-Community Partnerships
The School-Community Partnerships Webinar will feature the Community Schools Approach as a strategy that transforms a school into a place where educators, local community members, families, and students work together to coordinate in- and out-of-school resources, supports, and opportunities so that young people thrive. Additionally, the webinar will spotlight examples of strong school community partnerships with a panel of district and community organization leaders. Space is limited.
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Add Your Program to DiscoverSummer.org
Back for 2023 and bigger than ever, NSLA’s DiscoverSummer.org offers a nation-wide summer learning registry to help families of all socioeconomic backgrounds find local summer programs for their kids! City parks and recreation, libraries, and summer camp operators are participating!
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Best Practice Collection for Physical Activity Incorporation in OST Programs
In September 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration released the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, with actions the federal government would take with partners across all sectors to help end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases and disparities. The U.S. Department of Education would like to know how your OST program is increasing participation in physical fitness programs and incorporating physical activity in summer learning and afterschool programs. Please use this form to submit your promising practices for consideration.
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District Partnership Toolkit
The National Partnership for Student Success (NPSS), in collaboration with AASA, has developed a new toolkit detailing how school districts can use ARP resources on partnerships with in-school and out-of-school time service providers to address the impact of COVID-19 on students, families, educators, and communities. By detailing key considerations on how to identify and implement evidence-based, people-powered supports and offering links to high-quality resources, this kit sets up districts, schools, and partners for more effective execution, ultimately increasing outcomes for students.
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Become an Ally of Engage Every Student.
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Make a Pledge to work toward Afterschool and Summer for all.
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Out-of-School Time and Workforce and Career Pathways Examples
The Engage Every Student Initiative wants to know if and how your OST/Summer Learning Program is offering Workforce and Career Pathways opportunities. Please use the form below to share information on your programming. Examples of efforts can include apprenticeships, work-based learning, paid or unpaid internships, career navigation, career shadowing, targeted career mentoring, professional skills building, access to industry-based credentials, etc.
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For additional resources from the U.S. Department of Education, click here.
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For additional resources from the Afterschool Alliance, click here.
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For additional resources from the National Summer Learning Association, click here.
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For additional resources from AASA, click here.
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For additional resources from the National Comprehensive Center at Westat, click here.
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For additional resources from the National League of Cities, click here.
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Legal Disclaimer: For the reader's convenience, this bulletin contains examples and information from outside organizations, including hyperlinks and URLs. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any outside organization, or the resources or services offered, or the views expressed.
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