CAN Newsletter – Celebrating All the Things!
May 15, 2025
Hello May! As the days grow warmer and longer, and summer sunsets draw near, we at CAN are excited to welcome May with well wishes for everyone. We also celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month—a time to honor and uplift the rich, diverse histories and contributions of AANHPI communities. Explore free learning resources from Common Sense Education to deepen your understanding and appreciation this month.
May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. This year, NAMI’s 2025 theme is “In Every Story, There Is Strength,” encouraging us all to raise our voices, share our stories, and help shift the conversation around mental health. Whether advocating for change, spreading awareness, or simply listening, every action breaks the stigma and builds a more supportive world. Stay tuned for the next edition of our Health & Wellness Newsletter, coming soon—it will focus on mental health and include helpful information and resources.
Finally, as the 2024–25 academic year comes to a close for many, we want to take a moment to acknowledge the hard work of children, youth, families, and educators across California. May this be a time to reflect on the year’s successes, celebrate the “glows,” and look ahead with intention toward growth and opportunity in the coming year.
In This Newsletter:
Access Resources from the Spring 2025 ELO-P Academy!
The California AfterSchool Network, in partnership with the California Department of Education’s Expanded Learning Division, co-hosted the Spring 2025 Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) Academy. This multi-day virtual convening of workshops is provided to support our District, School, and Community Partner practitioners with the design and continued implementation of the CA Expanded Learning Opportunities Program.
Each day was focused on one specific topic related to Expanded Learning:
The Ecosystem Plan Update: Welcome the Ecosystem Plan Design Team!
April/May 2025
We’re excited to welcome the
Ecosystem Plan Design Team! This dynamic and diverse group of
designers will help co-create the process and strategies we
center to develop Strategic Plan 3.0 also known as the
“Ecosystem Plan.”
But this is more than a strategic plan, it is a collective impact strategy for the Expanded Learning field. Together, we aim to position Expanded Learning as an essential part of California’s education, health, and human services ecosystem. We are so honored to collaborate with this incredible dream team as we join forces to shape the future of Expanded Learning in California.
Welcome Donielle Prince!
CAN Team Member Welcome
We are so excited to welcome Donielle Prince to our team! Donielle joined the CAN team in early March 2025 as a Senior Specialist for the Equity & Quality team.
Donielle will be leading the CYBHI Mental Health work that aims to integrate mental health services into Expanded Learning programs.
Join Us for EXL Office Hours – Summer 2025!
Select Fridays in July & August
The California AfterSchool Network (CAN), in partnership with the California Department of Education (CDE) Expanded Learning Division (EXLD) and other members of the System of Support for Expanded Learning (SSEL), is co-hosting virtual Summer 2025 Expanded Learning Office Hours this July and August.
Free Engineering Activities for Families
EiE (Engineering in Elementary) Families, from the Museum of Science, Boston, has released several new activities and interactive introductions to at-home engineering and computer science activities. These brief online experiences introduce families to the engineering design process and important ideas in computer science, so they are ready to try out hands-on activities with confidence.
All resources, including the online guides and activities, are available for free in English and Spanish
Meet the CAN Team!
Social Media Campaign
The CAN team has grown over the last year and we want to highlight all of our amazing new (and existing) team members! We have started a campaign to showcase our team where you can learn a little more about our paths that have led us to CAN!
Check out the posts on our social media pages:
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!