NuPA Newsletter – February 21 2018
New Year, New NuPA Action Team!
Hello Expanded Learning Professionals!
The Nutrition and Physical Activity Planning Committee would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your continued hard work and dedication in 2017, and to update you on some recent changes made since last year. As you might have noticed, what was previously called the NuPA Committee is now the NuPA Action Team! The change in name aligns with the new requirement for “committees” to create and implement annual action plans that will help advance field capacity beginning January 2018. In addition to receiving quarterly newsletters, the new structure will provide Nutrition and Physical Activity subscribers with the opportunity to support a one-year work plan with specific objectives. Check out the NUPA Action Team video to see all the exciting work we have planned for this year!
There are two primary ways that we invite you to participate in
the NuPA Action Team and/or other California AfterSchool Network
Action Teams. These two opportunities are not mutually exclusive,
and each carries specific levels of benefits and
responsibilities.
Subscribers
Become a network subscriber and receive free access to
information regarding current after school policy, funding
opportunities, resources to build quality, as well as current
after school news, events, and research. Subscribers also have
full access to resources on the CAN Newsletter, social media, and
website.
Members
Become a network member to actively participate in CAN Action Teams and Work Group activities. As a member, you will represent the voice of the field and inform Network staff regarding CAN’s efforts to address out-of-school time issues and concerns, and work collectively to achieve specific objectives set forth in work plans. Members receive the benefits of subscribers as well as opportunities for networking, collaborative work plan implementation, and resource sharing around common areas of interest. In order to join as a member we’ll ask you to confirm your commitment by signing an Action Team member commitment agreement that details the specific expectations of the NuPA Action Team .
Member Commitment agreement
As a NuPA Action Team member, we ask your commitment to attend at least 66% of all scheduled action team workgroup meetings, and commit to Action Team efforts between meetings as we define together.. We also ask your committed participation for at least one-year with specific objectives on our work plan, and welcome your continued participation for subsequent years without term limit.
We want to hear from you!
Are you interested in signing up for one of new the NuPA workgroups outlined in the Action Team workplan. Are you willing to offer feedback about what you and the field really want to receive during the quarterly NUPA newsletter? Provide your feedback and volunteer for a workgroup by completing this survey.
Items included in this newsletter
Registration for the California Afterschool and Summer Challenge is now open!
Registration is now open for the 14th annual California Afterschool & Summer Challenge! The Challenge will take place in Sacramento on May 14th and 15th. This event educates and empowers professionals, youth, and families to engage in grassroots advocacy and use their voices to create change. Use your voice to help support an increase in the state budget for out-of-school time programs all over California by registering.
State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Applications for Summer Meal Programs
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson tannounced that applications are available for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) SFSP and SSO are federally funded, state-administered programs that serve free meals to children when school is out of session. The federally funded, state-administered programs reimburse participating organizations that serve meals when students are on summer vacation or when students who attend year-round school are out of class for 15 or more consecutive days.
The CFPA’s has released its newest policy brief, School Breakfast: Reducing Chronic Absenteeism and Supporting Student Success.
Spread the word! School breakfast is linked to an increase in attendance of 1.5 days per student over the course of the school year. If we had the ability to provide breakfast for the two million low income children currently unreached, the state would result in huge attendance rate gains and district funding that could be re-invested back into the classroom. Help get the word out and share widely with your networks!
Tell California leaders to support school breakfast
California kids need your help! Budget leaders will soon decide on how CA funds are used to fund afterschool meal programs.
It’s here! The Voices for Healthy Kids Out-of-School Time Toolkit is now available.
This online toolkit contains resources, sample social media posts, success stories and tips on how to build a campaign to advocate for Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) standards in your out-of-school time program. In addition, VHK has created a messaging guide to help out of school time professionals advance health equity in their communities.
800,000 California students now eligible for free and reduced price lunches through new state-level Direct Certification process.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson has announced that more than 800,000 California students are now eligible to receive free and reduced priced meals from the state school lunch program through a state-level Direct Certification process. Direct Certification is a federally-mandated process that certifies school age recipients of CalFresh and CalWorks benefits as eligible for the free school lunch program.
Northern California wildfire victims can be directly certified for free school meals.
Students of the Northern California school districts who have received Disaster-CalFresh (D-CalFresh) as a
Registration now OPEN! CalFresh Forum March 14th, 2018.
California Food Policy Advocates and the California Department of Social Services are hosting the 2018 CalFresh Forum on March 14, 2018 in Sacramento, CA!
Action for Healthy Kids grants are now available!
Schools and out of school time programs need resources to implement health and wellness practices that help students eat better and be physically active. Action for Healthy Kids and their partners have generously provided $6.6 million in grants to schools since 2009. Check out the Grants for Healthy Kids, and help achieve your goal of creating healthy and happy children, today!
Get ready! New grants available to expand school breakfast.
On January 18, 2018, the California Department of Education will begin the second year of the grant application process for new school breakfast funds. An additional $2 million in grant funds are available for public schools that want to implement or expand after-the-bell breakfast programs. Breakfast after the bell supports equity, health, and academic success by providing more students access to nutritious meals. These competitive grants are open to all applicants and will prioritize high-poverty schools.
Host a screening of the inspiring new documentary, STEP!
The team behind the new documentary, STEP, which tells the story of an all-girls high-school step dancing team in the heart of Baltimore, is offering educators and students the chance to screen the film at no cost! Empowered by their teachers, teammates, counselors, coaches, and families, they chase their ultimate dreams: to win a step dancing championship and to be accepted into college.
Create a state-of-the-art soccer field with a U.S. Soccer Foundation grant.
The U.S. Soccer Foundation is now accepting letters of interest for their Safe Places to Play grant. The Foundation supports soccer programs and field-building initiatives nationwide. This grant is awarded to underserved communities to help cover program operational costs such as lighting, irrigation, construction, surfacing and enhancement. For more information on the application process, please visit the U.S. Soccer Foundation website.