CAN Newsletter – Feel the Love
February 27, 2020
Two weeks ago we held our California Love: Site Coordinator Symposium in Fresno, California and we felt the love! Thank you for everyone who joined us and contributed to making it a truly wonderful event. Shortly we will be sharing photos and resources from the event so keep an eye out for that in the CAN App and our social media pages.
Be sure to Save the Date for our 4th Annual Site
Coordinator Symposium:
February 5-6, 2021
Sacramento Convention Center
Registration Coming Soon!
We love afterschool and our afterschool staff and hope you felt the love too!
In This Newsletter:
CAN is Hiring!
Join the CAN Team Today
Interested in joining the CAN team? We are looking for an AmeriCorps VISTA to support California’s afterschool programs!
21 Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge
March 2-30, 2020
Join the 21 Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge! Each day there will be different challenges such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, personal experience reflection, and many more for all 21 days!
Let’s Kick off International SEL Day!
Friday, March 27, 2020
Friday, March 27th is officially SEL day! Join educators, community groups, and local officials to kick off the first-ever international SEL day! Let’s work together to raise awareness for SEL and support social and emotional learning in our schools and community!
Application are NOW OPEN for Summer Meals!
Applications Due: May 15, 2020
“Food insecurity is a daily struggle for some of our students and their families and that struggle can become even more critical during the summer months, Summer Meal Programs provide children in poverty with the nutritious meals necessary to help them strive physically and mentally. A child who is not distracted by hunger is a child ready to learn.”
The Great Middle School Sports Search
Applications Due: March 30, 2020
Project Play has partnered with Mission Tiger to launch The Great Middle School Sports Search. The contest will find the most exemplary middle schools that provide and/or collaborate with community organizations to offer quality sport opportunities for the broadest middle school student population aligned with the goals of Project Play.
The winning school will receive a cash prize of $10,000 and be recognized at the 2020 Project Play Summit in Washington, DC. Four finalists will receive recognition along with a $2,500 cash prize.
The 2020 California Children’s Report Card – Available NOW!
This year’s report grades California on 31 key children’s issues – and includes new sections on Family Supports, Adolescents & Transition Age Youth and Connected Cradle-to-Career. It also shines a spotlight on the impact of racism, poverty and immigration threats have on our kids.
In this report afterschool and summer learning receive a B- Grade. The report highlights that “afterschool and summer learning programs can help reduce opportunity and achievement gaps between students who face structural barriers and their peers. There is a high need for these programs, yet funding for afterschool and expanded learning programs remains inadequate.”
The Children’s Partnership: Public Charge Toolkit
At the end of January, the Supreme Court ruled that
the public charge regulation will take
effect, a decision that threatens the health, nutrition,
housing, wellbeing and opportunity for millions of immigrant
families and their children. While the
final public charge rule applies to only
select public programs and a small segment of people
are affected, the rumors, confusion, and fear are widespread.
The Children’s Partnership has been working on new resources
like their Public Charge: Will
it Affect Me? Handout and the Public Charge Toolkit for
teachers and providers to make sure families stay informed and
prepared. Let’s all keep fighting fear with facts and help our
communities know their rights!
New Toolkit: Trauma-Informed SEL in the Classroom
Transforming Education recently released its newest toolkit focused on Trauma-Informed Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Classroom.
Trauma-informed SEL is an approach to fostering youths’ social-emotional development with practices that support all students, but is particularly inclusive and responsive to the needs of children and youth who have experienced trauma. Recognizing the importance of educator well-being the toolkit also discusses symptoms of secondary traumatic stress and provides tools for self-care.
New Video Provides Context About Educational Equity
Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation has released a short video, “This is Equity” to help local educators, families, students, and community groups engage with their schools, districts, and counties in important conversations to better understand and meet the needs of every student. The video was developed as a project of the Alliance for Continuous Improvement. It highlights the vital perspectives of students.
The video can be viewed along with additional equity resources on the CDE Foundation Website and it is also available on YouTube.
Important CDE Updates
February 2020
Important updates from the California Department of Education Expanded Learning Division (EXLD) regarding:
*Important Due Dates
*Resources
*Upcoming Regional Events
CalSAC Training and Resources
CalSAC is offering great training and resources on Youth Mental Health, support for Site Coordinators, and Summer 2020. Our CAN staff are excited to be a part of the OST Wellness Network and are supporting free training on youth mental health. Read on to learn more about these great opportunities!
Recent Learning in Afterschool & Summer Blog Posts
Check out the most recent blog posts from LIAS:
Making Way For Play: The Benefits For Kids, Older Youth And
Adults
“According to experts “play allows children to use their
creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and
physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Play is important to
healthy brain development.”” Check out the full post to explore
some of the benefits of play and resources that may be useful.
What MEANINGFUL Learning and Participation Looks Like In
Afterschool
“Research tells us that if we hope to make a difference in young
people’s learning, we need to provide opportunities for learning
that is meaningful. If young people are engaged in meaningful
participation, they are empowered to be self-directed, make
responsible choices about how to use their time, and participate
as group members in making decisions that influence the larger
program and what they learn about.” Read on to learn more about
what meaningful learning looks like and 3 things you can do right
now to promote more meaningful participation.
Check out CAN’s Other Recent Newsletters!
Access the CAN newsletter archives to view past newsletters today! Here are some recent highlights:
CAN February 2020 Policy Newsletter
- Get informed about state and federal afterschool updates!
- Subscribe today!
CAN February Health and Wellness Newsletter
- Check out the most recent Health and Wellness newsletter!
- Sign up to receive the newsletter today!