Newsletters

Welcome to the final Health & Wellness newsletter of 2023! Throughout the year, we’ve shared an abundance of resources to support both you and the youth you engage with in your programs and beyond. This impactful work is made possible by the unwavering dedication of our incredibly passionate field. As we conclude this year, we sincerely thank the Expanded Learning community for the fantastic work done every day!

November is Native American Heritage Month and is a time to pay tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans and honor the significant contributions they have made to our society and STEAM. Check out  NativeAmericanHeritageMonth.gov! This website has resources for teachers, educators, and our communities to learn more about the heritage and history of American Indians.

As we transition to a new season, the Fall weather, and all things Pumpkin Spice, we hope you join us in celebrating the 24th annual Lights On Afterschool on Thursday, October 26, 2023! If you’re new to Out of School Time (OST) and Expanded Learning Programs, this is a day you don’t want to miss!

Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) takes place from September 15th to October 15th every year to recognize and celebrate diverse cultures and extensive histories of the Hispanic community and honor the significant contributions they have made to our society and STEAM!

As the summer sun starts to bid us farewell and the leaves begin to change, we are thrilled to join you for another incredible school year that inspires curiosity and creativity! CAN is here to continue to provide STEAM events, professional learning opportunities, activities, and much more. Cheers to enhancing STEAM in Out of School Time (OST) and Expanded Learning Programs throughout our communities and beyond! 

July is BIPOC Mental Health Month. BIPOC Mental Health Month became formally recognized in 2008 to bring awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face in regard to mental illness in the US. As we embrace this observance, we recognize the critical role Expanded Learning programs play in supporting the mental well-being of our diverse youth. 

We hope that this July you are finding yourself in the midst of successful summer programs and that you had an enjoyable Fourth of July. As we celebrate America’s independence, we also reflect on the principles of freedom and dissent that were core to its founding. CAN is part of a national network of statewide afterschool networks. As such, we have the unique opportunity to see how policies and social movements impact the out-of-school time community nationwide. 

Our Executive Director, Jeff Davis reflected on this in a recent How Kids Learn publication, Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in Afterschool Programs and Opposing Anti-LGBTQ+ Attacks. 

Join us in celebrating Pride Month and the end of another school year!

California AfterSchool Network stands alongside our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community, celebrating their identity and whom they love. Pride Month serves as a beautiful reminder of the invaluable gift that the LGBTQ+ community adds to the diversity of our country, which strengthens us as we pursue equity, justice, and freedom for all. 

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month)! This year’s theme for AAPI Heritage Month is Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity. The Million Girls Moonshot and all of its partners will be celebrating the successes of innovative AAPI computer scientists, engineers, and other STEM professionals.

Explore some of the amazing work that has been contributed to the field of STEM by exploring this month’s IF/THEN ambassadors down below!