In this issue:

• Upcoming and Archived Free Telephone Workshops
  • Do you have some burning questions about doing high school after school?
  • Listen to a recorded workshop on career and technical education resources
• New Network Publication
  • 21st CCLC High School ASSETs Program Start-Up
  • A Road Map to the California After School Landscape
  • Strengthening California’s Rural After School Programs: A Summary of Recommendations and Implications of the California Rural After School Summit
  • California Programa Para Después De La Escuela Instrumento De Autoevaluación De Calidac

Upcoming and Archived Free Telephone Workshops

Do you have some burning questions about doing high school after school?
Please bring any and all of your questions regarding High School Afterschool, including but not limited to questions regarding various types of programming, attendance, student and staff recruitment, program structure, staffing, data collection, budget, and anything else that you might want to know more about. This FREE Call-In Forum, which was scheduled to discuss planning next year’s staff development, will now be an Open Forum for all high school practitioners at any level to ask any questions. Feel free to ask your questions and seek solutions to your challenges on the phone, or through an anonymous online submission, both before and during the Open Forum. Questions will be addressed by Bill Fennessy, Director of High School Programs for THINK Together as well as other knowledgeable and experienced participants on the line. This telephone workshop will take place on Tuesday May 11, 2010 from 10:00 – 11:30. To learn more or send questions previous to the call-in forum, click here

Listen to a recorded workshop on career and technical education resources
On April 20, 2010 the California After School Network welcomed David Millitzer; Education Programs Consultant in the Career and Workforce Innovations Unit of the Secondary, Career, and Adult Learning Division of the California Department of Education. Mr. Millitzer presented a workshop titled Who am I? Where do I want to do? And how do I get there? Exploring Career/ Tech. Ed Resources for Older Youth. The workshop covered
Career prep./technical education resources that are available to, and useable in after school programs. To listen to the presentation and view the available resources overview, click here.

Listen to archived high school after school telephone workshops

Listen to archived middle school after school telephone workshops

New Network Publications

21st CCLC High School ASSETs Program Start-Up
A practical program start-up guide for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) After School Safety and Education for Teens (ASSETs) programs. The guide provides a starting point for strategic planning and intentional action; from knowing the scope of 21st CCLC programs and grant assurances, to program philosophy, program coordination, collaboration, staffing, scheduling and logistics. To access this report, click here.

A Road Map to the California After School Landscape
This guide serves as an overview of the California After School landscape. It contains information on how to start after school programs in California, a brief history of the public funding streams in California. The guide also contains an overview of statewide and regional after school support organizations, as well as organizations with special emphases such as youth development, nutrition and physical activity, inclusion in after school programs, and supporting English learners. To access this guide, click here

Strengthening California’s Rural After School Programs: A Summary of Recommendations and Implications of the California Rural After School Summit
California’s public school students rank as the 10th largest absolute rural school enrollment in the U.S. More than half of the state’s rural students are minorities, and more than one in four are English Language Learners. 85.8% of rural students in California live in poverty. Often times, rural after school programs are one of very few opportunities for a safe, enriching learning environment for rural youth. However rural programs are often challenged to maintain appropriate staffing, transportation, and funding levels. On January 26, 2010, the California Afterschool Network hosted the California Rural After School Summit in partnership with the Region 2 Learning Supports division. The Summit was attended at capacity with, Rural Legislators, after school practitioners from rural regions of the state spanning from the northern to southern borders, and representatives from the California Department of Education. Speakers for the Summit included rural superintendents, practitioners, and students, as well as State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell. The Summit highlighted the successes and challenges of rural after school programs, demonstrated the need for sustaining rural programs, and provided opportunity for participants to make recommendations to strengthen rural programs. The summit resulted in recommendations for a system of support for rural after school programs. To access this report, click here.

California Programa Para Después De La Escuela Instrumento De Autoevaluación De Calidad
The California Afterschool Network Recently released the Spanish language version of the California After School Program Quality Self-Assessment Tool (QSA). The QSA Tool can be utilized in a staff directed process to self-assess after school programs and create a plan for continuous program improvement. The second revision of the tool was released in September 2009 with extensive input from the California after school field. The tool has been strengthened to increase its effectiveness at the site (point of service) level, increase clarity of each indicator to reduce inference for the user, and new sections on nutrition and physical activity as well as effectively supporting English learners have been added. To access the Quality Self-Assessment Tool in English or Spanish, click here.