CAN Newsletter – Celebrating Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week!
April 9, 2024
On April 22-26, 2024, we will join others in celebrating Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week (APAW)! Led by the National Afterschool Association (NAA), APAW is a dedicated week to recognize, appreciate, and advocate for those who work with young people during out-of-school hours.
An estimated 850,000 professionals work with children and youth during out-of-school hours, providing enriching experiences. Research shows that skilled and knowledgeable program staff are the backbone of program quality and are key to desired positive youth outcomes. We hope everyone joins us on April 22-26 to celebrate afterschool professionals and continue to advocate for job quality in support of these essential professionals throughout the year.
Here are some ideas to show your appreciation:
- Declare on social media: “Research shows that Afterschool professionals make a profound difference in the lives of young people. #heartofafterschool”
- Give a hand-written card from you and/or your child to the afterschool professionals you know.
- Send an email to an afterschool professional’s supervisor describing why that person is appreciated.
- Make healthy or non-food treats for the staff at your afterschool program. For more resources and information, check out naaweb.org
- Access additional resources and a communications toolkit to celebrate in your community!
We want to thank all afterschool professionals, the #HeartOfAfterschool, for providing quality programs that make a difference in the lives of our youth.
In This Newsletter:
CAN at #NAA24
Reflection
The National
Afterschool Association Convention, #NAA24, was a blast in
Dallas, TX! It was a week full of connection and community! We
started the convention by having our very own Nat Rosales on the main stage,
sharing how important it is to #BeInclusive. Nat shared their
journey of getting an Autism diagnosis as an adult and the
integral role that a culture of belonging played in shaping how
they now show up in the world, and how CAN views accessibility.
You can
watch Nat’s full Story Showcase on NAA’s YouTube channel,
starting at 18:37.
Throughout the conference, we hosted, co-hosted, and spoke in a
total of 7 workshops. We started Monday off by co-hosting with
ASAPConnect on the Power
of Partnerships, showcased our Physical Health & Wellness work
and how others can coordinate their own Play Day celebrations,
and ended the day by sharing our Equity journey as an
organization.
Cultivate with CAN at BOOST 2024!
April 29 - May 3, 2024 in Palm Springs, CA
We’re going to BOOST! The annual BOOST Conference is the largest, most recognized, and comprehensive global convening for after school, Expanded Learning, and in and out-of-school time professionals. CAN proudly supports the BOOST Conference as a Workshop Strand sponsor; we participate with an Exhibitor Booth, and host a Cabana! We can’t wait to see you in sunny Palm Springs, CA!
Explore our Workshop Strand, our Exhibit Booth information, and how you can ‘CAN’nect with us at our Cabana down below!
Save the Date for the 2025 Site Coordinator Symposium!
February 5, 7 & 8, 2025
The Site Coordinator Network is excited to announce the 8th Annual 2025 Site Coordinator Symposium!
Presented by the Site Coordinator Network and supported by the California AfterSchool Network, California Department of Education Expanded Learning Division, and the System of Support for Expanded Learning. This hybrid conference will provide learning opportunities and lots of fun, virtually and In-Person.
Dates:
- Virtual (Via Zoom): February 5, 2025
- In-Person: February 7-8, 2025
Audit Finding Calculators to Support ELO-P & TK Programs
March 22, 2024
The California Department of Education has posted two new Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) penalty calculator tools designed to assist LEAs and auditors in estimating the cost of audit findings related to Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Early Enrollment and the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P).
ESSER III Summer Round 1 Renewal Final Intent to Award Posted!
March 29, 2024
The Expanded Learning Division (EXLD) of the California Department of Education (CDE) is pleased to announce the final intent to award list for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III Summer Grant Program for the Round 1 Renewal located on the CDE web site at Funding Results – Expanded Learning (CA Dept of Education)
Join Us at ELO-P Office Hours – Spring 2024
March - May 2024
The California AfterSchool Network (CAN), in partnership with the CA Dept. of Education (CDE) Expanded Learning Division (EXLD), and other members of the System of Support for Expanded Learning are hosting ELO-P Office Hours!
Select Fridays from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM:
California’s Expanded Learning Infrastructure: Partners in Health, Mental Health, and Substance Use Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment Webinar
Resources Available!
In March, we hosted our California’s Expanded Learning Infrastructure: Partners in Health, Mental Health, and Substance Use Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment Webinar with partners across the state. You can now view the recording and explore all of the resources on our website!
Share How Effective ELO-P is in your Community!
Survey Deadline: Friday, April 12, 2024
The Partnership for Children and Youth is asking LEAs and CBOs to complete surveys on how ELO-P is being effectively utilized in your area! As there is currently no statewide data on ELO-P, the surveys, together with interviews with a number of LEAs and CBOs, are primarily intended to collect data and other measures of success to raise awareness and support from state decision makers in this current budget cycle (multi-billion dollar deficits) for sustained funding of ELO-P. Also, it is intended to cultivate support for effectively leveraging ELO-P funding, to raise awareness and support from local decision makers so they invest their ELO-P funding effectively, and to help inform what data should be collected at the state level.
Register for the 2nd Week of the Spring 2024 ELO-P Academy!
April 3, 4, 16, and 18, 2024
CAN, in partnership with the CA Dept. of Education’s Expanded Learning Division, and the System of Support for Expanded Learning (SSEL) are excited to offer the 2024 Spring Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Academy! This virtual four-day academy is designed to support CA educators with the Expanded Learning Opportunities Programs (ELO-P).
Academy Details
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Daily
Best Practices for Supporting Educators to Address Children’s Behaviors that Challenge Adults
Tuesday, April 30, 2024, 3:30 - 5:00 PM PST
Register for the next installment of the California Department of Education’s Opportunities for All Branch’s Preschool through Third Grade (P-3) webinar series! This upcoming webinar, Best Practices for Supporting Educators to Address Children’s Behaviors that Challenge Adults, is intended to support local educational agencies, community-based organizations, and their partners to understand the meaning behind children’s behavior and increase educators’ knowledge of positive behavioral supports to address behaviors that challenge them. Participants will understand that children’s behavior is a form of communication and learn developmentally appropriate strategies to support inclusion of all children.
Celebrate Earth Day this April!
April 22, 2024
April 22nd is Earth Day! Explore these resources from EarthDay.org on how you can incorporate Environmental Education into your classroom and program:
Check Out Our Other Newsletters!
Access the CAN newsletter archives to view past newsletters today! You may be interested in some of our other newsletters as well:
CAN Health and Wellness Newsletters
- Get informed on the connections between afterschool and Whole Child Health and Wellness.
- Subscribe today!
CAN STEAM Newsletters
- Get informed about the Million Girl Moonshot project and access other STEAM resources.
- Subscribe today!
CAN Policy Newsletter
- Get informed about policy-related content, including national, state, and local updates, that supports our Expanded Learning programs.
- Subscribe today!