Newsletters

As summer break ends, the CAN Team wishes children, youth, families, OST practitioners, and educators a great 2024-25 school year! Whether you’re a student, teacher, or parent, here’s to a school year full of growth, learning, and success!

Shout out to the Youth Development practitioners who play a crucial role in shaping the lives of young people. Youth development isn’t just a job—it’s a mission. Thank you for being a beacon of hope and support for so many. 

Summer is more than just a break from school—it’s the perfect time to engage students in the exciting world of STEAM. This week commemorates the National Summer Learning Association’s National Summer Learning Week (July 15-19, 2024), which is dedicated to celebrating and emphasizing the importance of keeping kids learning, safe, and healthy throughout the summer and ensuring they return to school prepared for success in the upcoming year.

June is the start of Summer, but it is also a month full of celebration and remembrance. This month, we honor LGBTQ+ Pride Month and Juneteenth—two important observances pivotal to recognizing the intersectionality of identity and diverse lived experiences of our communities children, youth, and families. The diversity of our youth highlights that caring for them isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach.

May Revise has come! After the Governor delivered his May Revision presentation on May 10th, more details were shared, and much discussion ensued.

We are grateful for our Governor’s commitment to education and are happy to see Expanded Learning funding protected! 

“I want to see us preserve the progress we’ve made on Community Schools, Preschool, Afterschool, and Summer school for all. The work we’re doing is nation-leading in the education space.” -Gavin Newsom.

Did you know that more than 40% of teens said they persistently felt sad or hopeless?

Did you know that 98% of educators said mental health challenges are a barrier to children’s education? According to the Kids Mental Health Foundation, the leading organization promoting mental health for children in the United States, states, “For kids, building connections matters,” and “helping children and youth build healthy relationships helps protect their mental health.” 

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.

With Spring Equinox around the corner, you know what that means… events season is here! CAN is excited to participate in multiple convenings in Spring and Summer! In case you missed it, we are wrapping up day two of the 20th annual California Afterschool and Summer Challenge in Sacramento. Hosted by CalSAC, CAN is a proud partner of the annual statewide Challenge, which educates and empowers professionals, youth, and families to engage in grassroots advocacy.

We are still riding high on all the Symposium & Agents of Change love! The Symposium Planning Team, with support from the California AfterSchool Network, California Department of Education Expanded Learning Division, and the System of Support for Expanded Learning, convened the 7th annual Site Coordinator Symposium - Agents of Change: Growing with Expanded Learning, this past week, virtually on Wednesday, February 21, via Zoom and in person on Friday, February 23, and Saturday, Febr

Welcome to CAN’s policy newsletter, where we will share state and federal updates, resources, webinars, events, and more to keep you up-to-date and well-informed! We are excited to re-launch this exciting resource this year.