Virtual Workshop

Annie Nogg, Project Coordinator for the California School-Age Consortium, was joined by Deirdre Corwin and Jessica Osborne, urban and rural after school program site directors to discuss how to access CalSAC's free training resources, what types of training are offered, and how after school practitioners have utilized CalSAC training to improve their programs.

The Research Speaker Workshop held at UCLA on January 24, 2008 featured Denise Huang Ph.D. (UCLA) spoke about her participation in the recently released Department of Justice longitudinal study regarding the positive impact of the L.A.'s BEST after school program on juvenile crime rates, and Professor Deborah Vandell (UCI) spoke about her recently released study on the academic and social benefits of eight nationwide after school programs. The event also featured a focused question and answer session.

Including children with disabilities and other special needs in your after school program requires a welcoming attitude, creative and flexible accommodations and strong partnerships with families and the school staff. This teleconference will feature Torrie Dunlap Director, National Training Center on Inclusion for KIT (Kids Included Together), and will cover some of the tools you need to ensure that all children can thrive in your program.

Brittany Anuszkiewicz, and Kate Sandel.of the Finance Project, will discuss their latest work on Making the Match and Getting the Grant, two new guides for After School programs. This class is critical if you need funding, have a waiting list or simply want to expand the scope of your program.

Links to the guides:

• Making the Match: Finding Funding for After School Education and Safety Programs
• Getting the Grant: A Guide to Securing Additional Funds for After School Education and Safety Programs

The October 30, 2007 recording of the California Department of Education’s video conference information session on the California After School Demonstration Sites Request for Applications (RFA) is now accessible on the California Afterschool Network’s website. The information session reviews the content of the RFA including how to apply, and also features a question and answer session from multiple regions throughout the state.

Video: 

Crystal FitzSimons, Senior Policy Analyst with the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), Kim McCoy Wade from the California Association of Foodbanks, and Nancy Gelbard from the Programs Office at the California Department of Education (CDE) discussed opportunities for providing healthy snacks and dinner in after school programs, introduced FRAC’s new guide for funding after school food and nutrition programs and the application process programs can follow to receive after school nutrition funding.

Welcome to the California Afterschool Network presentation of California’s Afterschool Landscape. Using data acquired from the California Department of Education, this presentation illustrates the implementation of the largest state funded expansion of after-school services in the nation’s history. We will do this by illustrating the rollout of proposition 49 and the After School Education and Safety or ASES program and then presents the current statewide picture of state and federal funding.

Download this video

Afterschool Alliance staff and John Ervin from Modesto City Schools 21st Century Afterschool Learning Programs will discuss the benefits of participating in National Lights On Afterschool events and offer examples of ways programs can participate. The call will also feature a brief update on the federal budget and 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program.

The California Afterschool Network hosted an After-School Quality Assessment Workshop on May 23 from 2:30 – 5:00 at the Sheraton Grand in Downtown Sacramento. The event featured Nicole Yohalem from the Forum for Youth Investment and author of the recent study Measuring Youth Program Quality: A Guide to Assessment Tools, Jennifer Gong from Youth in Focus who will focus on youth-led assessment, and Viki Montera from the UC Davis School of Education speaking on formative assessment.

Ron Fairchild from the John Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning Spoke on the importance of summer learning as well as the current research, characteristics of quality, policy issues, and parental needs in summer learning programs.

Frank Pisi, CDE Consultant in the After School Policy and Evaluations office, former middle and high school teacher, and former middle school after school program leader spoke regarding the successes and challenges of middle school after school programs.

Thea Riley, High School after school program leader and practitioner for the Folsom-Cordova Unified School District spoke regarding the successes and challenges of high school after school programs.