CAN Newsletter – We <3 Afterschool!
February 11, 2021

CAN Newsletter
We Love Afterschool, Boy & Girl Holding Hands

Each year in the month of February we celebrate our love for afterschool programs and the amazing staff that support these programs. We hope that you join us this month in sharing the love and celebrating all that is amazing about afterschool!

We have nothing but love for all our amazing Site Coordinators! We are in the midst of our annual Site Coordinator Symposium and the entire CAN team is working with the Site Coordinator Network Leadership Team to support over 700 practitioners from February 9-11, 2021. As Michael Funk, Director of the Expanded Learning Division of the California Department of Education shared - “Site Coordinators are the lynchpin of the Expanded Learning ecosystem; they not only create and maintain an environment that promotes strong relationships between students and their program staff but also act as an essential connection point to the families and community. Investing in our Site Coordinators is a high-impact strategy that deepens the strength of our children and communities leading to a brighter future for all.” If you weren’t able to join us for this amazing experience this year we hope you SAVE THE DATE for next year’s symposium – February 3-5, 2022, in Sacramento! Submit your Symposium 2022 Interest Form today to help us with planning efforts.

Help us celebrate We <3 Afterschool day this Friday! Join programs all across the country as they take to social media to share with the world why these programs are close to our hearts. The Afterschool Alliance offers images, sample copy for your posts, a CA fact sheet, and more to make it easy to join in the fun and important day!

Lastly, we encourage you to sign up for the annual Afterschool and Summer Challenge and share your love of afterschool with important decision-makers in California.

 

In This Newsletter:

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Aleah headshot

Welcome Aleah Rosario!
CAN Member Welcome

Aleah joined the CAN team in November of 2020! Aleah leads the Workforce Initiatives for CAN which includes the development of responsive policies and strategies that uplift, advance, and bring dignity to the youth worker workforce.

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Your Voice Matters!

Statewide Survey: Impact & Role of CA’s Expanded Learning Programs 2020-21
Deadline: Friday, February 19, 2021

Informing State Policy & Priorities in Real-Time: Impact & Role of CA’s Publicly-Funded Expanded Learning Programs 2020-2021

The CDE Expanded Learning Division, in partnership with ASAPconnect, the California AfterSchool Network, and the Partnership for Children & Youth, is conducting an urgent statewide survey to collect data to inform policy decisions regarding future funding, program flexibility, and technical assistance. 

Due to the ongoing challenges of school closures and the pandemic, state and local policymakers are rapidly seeking to invest billions in resources for schools to mitigate learning loss including “expanded learning time,” learning hubs, and summer programming. 

It is essential that the experience and expertise of expanded learning programs that serve students and families directly inform the ongoing and shifting COVID-19 priorities and regulations about what students, schools, and communities need now and over the next year. 

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Join the CAN Leadership Team!
Deadline Extended: Friday, February 19, 2021

CAN is Seeking New Leaders!

The California AfterSchool Network Leadership Team is a geographically, professionally, and culturally diverse group of out-of-school time stakeholders charting the course for CAN. As the primary governing body of CAN, the Leadership Team guides all aspects of CAN’s work including its strategy, procurement and use of resources, Leadership Team and Field Committee operations, as well as Executive Director support. 

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Extended Timelines for the Kids Code Pilot Grant Program

Due to the unique challenges facing Expanded Learning programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Department of Education has extended the operational timeline for the Kids Code Pilot Grant Program until June 30, 2022.

Grantees who are unable to complete the required 60 days of coding for year 3 will be able to do so during the 2021-22 school year. Please note that there will be no additional funding for the extra year. The intention of this grant extension will be to use your allotted funding for an additional year to give programs an opportunity to complete the grant requirements to meet the 60 days of coding.

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Brief cover

Expanded Learning Partnerships: A Foundation for Rebuilding to Support the Whole Child

PACE shares their brief “Expanded Learning Partnerships: A Foundation for Rebuilding to Support the Whole Child” which shares how expanded learning programs and staff can provide in-person education support to students. This brief provides key principles for school and expanded learning partnerships—informed by insights from leaders and practitioners from across California—that policymakers and practitioners should consider as they move from reopening to rebuilding.

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Students social distancing in cafeteria

Transforming Challenges into Opportunities: The Role of Expanded Learning Time in Advancing Educational Equity

Around the country, community-based organizations, often in partnership with schools and districts, are providing students with structured expanded learning opportunities. These initiatives have become even more important during the pandemic, as they support students’ development of knowledge and skills, build community and relationships, and offer valuable resources, including after-school and evening meals.

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Four students standing around a table

America After 3PM Data on Middle School Families

A recent parent survey found that in 1 in 3 parents of middle school students are concerned about their child staying on track in school.

Newly released America After 3PM Data on Middle School Families shows that parents recognize the critical supports and experiences afterschool programs provide, both for their academic learning and social and emotional growth. These supports are especially critical during middle school years.

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We Love Afterschool

We <3 Afterschool
Friday, February 12, 2021

Mark your calendars for We <3 Afterschool on February 12, 2021! There are millions of reasons to love afterschool. Especially during a pandemic, afterschool programs are keeping kids safe, inspiring them to learn, and helping working families. Tell the world why you, your students, and your community love your afterschool program! Visit the We <3 Afterschool page to find a printable activity sheet, graphics, and social media copy.

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Register Today

Register Today for the 2021 California Afterschool & Summer Challenge!
March 8-9, 2021

Registration is now open for the VIRTUAL 17th Annual CA Afterschool & Summer Challenge taking place March 8-9, 2021!  

While we will not be meeting in Sacramento, you still have the opportunity to stand with hundreds of students, families, and afterschool providers to demand adequate support for our programs and communities. 

Legislators need to hear from you! As a participant, you will be in a small team and will still have the opportunity to meet with your elected officials and staff to share important role that afterschool has played in the lives of your students, families, and communities this past year.

Register by February 19

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Bootcamp Flyer

Save the Date for the Equity Matters: Facing the Future Together Virtual Bootcamp!
April 14-15, 2021.

After a year of remote learning and social distancing, and as the country still struggles to get the COVID-19 pandemic under control, calls for a return to in-person learning are growing. How do educators as equity advocates fight together for students in these fractious times?

EdTrust is hosting a virtual bootcamp to discuss policy and practice, as well as what a new Congress and presidential administration could mean for education.

Don’t miss out! Sign up for updates here.

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Image of string art children

Compassionate Partnerships for Youth in Foster Care: The Role of Expanded Learning

PACE shares their brief “Compassionate Partnerships for Youth in Foster Care, The Role of Expanded Learning.”

The aim of this commentary—released as part of a series on expanded learning partnerships and learning hubs in a distance learning context—is to provide actionable guidance for districts, schools, and expanded learning providers interested in best serving youth in the foster care system. We seek to answer the question: How can expanded learning be leveraged to support pandemic recovery, specifically as we look to serve the state’s nearly 60,000 youth in foster care?

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Martha Peña and John Fuentes

Webinar Recording: Partnership, Curiosity, and Adult SEL

Lead by Learning, a program of Mills College of Education, hosted a webinar sharing how Oakland Unified’s Expanded Learning Programs have creatively pivoted to support students during distance learning. Martha Peña, Coordinator of Oakland Unified’s Expanded Learning Programs, and John Fuentes, Program ​Manager at Bay Area Community Resources, Inc., share how their team has blurred the lines between “school day” and “after school” in service of supporting students’ learning and well-being.

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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!