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2021 Expanding Learning Opportunities with STEAM Back-To-School Pre-Conference
Wednesday, September 1, 2021, 3:00 PM- 6:30 PM PST
Presented by Chevron
CAN, in partnership with the
California Department of Education’s Expanded Learning
Division and the California STEAM
Symposium co-hosts, is excited to announce the
virtual 2021 Expanding Learning
Opportunities with STEAM Back-To-School
Pre-Conference.
This exciting partnership builds on our community belief STEAM learning happens everywhere and at any time of the day. The event will explore opportunities for collaboration between community-based organizations and the TK-16 system. CAN and partners are excited to support our education community as we all strategically plan to use the monumental education budgets focused on early education, social-emotional learning, teacher pipeline, and Expanded Learning. Participants will also learn more about the new Expanded Learning Opportunities Program established in July 2021 by AB 130.
The current registration for both events is only $185!
- Individual event rates start at $75 for the Pre-Conference, and
- $145 for the California STEAM Symposium.
Access Pre-Conference Registration and Details!
STEAM Newsletter – Environmental Literacy and Revving up for Fall
August 17, 2021
As schools and OST programs return and welcome students, educators, families, and communities to the 2021-2022 school year, we recognize the unique times we continue to work through. While we continue to experience the COVID pandemic and its layers of challenges, unfortunately, regions of Northern California are also currently experiencing destructive wildfires. These fires are damaging homes, schools, communities, and ultimately impacting the environment. Our hearts, thoughts, and support are extended to our OST family and communities affected by these fires.
CAN Newsletter – Back to School!
August 10, 2021
Happy 2021-2022 School Year! As we approach the close of the Summer Break, we welcome the Back to School season! Despite the challenges of operating schools and programs during the pandemic and its highs and lows, OST educators continue to rise to the occasion, and support children, youth, families, and communities.
Welcome to Tammy Wang, our AmeriCorps VISTA!
July 27, 2021
We are delighted to have Tammy Wang join the CAN team!
Tammy will be supporting the Whole Child Health and Wellness work of the California AfterSchool Network.
Best Wishes to our Senior Specialist, Aleah Rosario
Join us in congratulating Aleah Rosario as she takes the next step in her professional journey with the Partnership for Children and Youth!
Aleah joined the CAN team in November 2020 and since then, successfully led the Workforce Initiatives for the California AfterSchool Network (CAN) which includes the development of responsive policies and strategies that uplift, advance, and bring dignity to the youth worker workforce.
CA State Budget Updates
July 2, 2021
We know there are many questions about the state budget and you all have been patiently waiting for updates! We don’t have all the answers yet but wanted to share what we do know. Below is what we know as of this moment, and things are rapidly shifting, so by the time you actually read this email, it could have changed!
CAN Newsletter- Summer is Here!
July 13, 2021
Summer learning can offer opportunities for children and youth to engage in fun, explore something new with hands-on, learning experiences, and make new connections and friends. Especially, after a school year of high levels of pivoting and a hybrid blend of online and in-person school experiences, the Summer season offers an opportunity to be engaged in learning opportunities and prepare young people for the school year to come.
Equity Evolution: CAN’s Growth Story
Preface
June 21, 2021
The Beginning of Our Journey
Happy Monday Everyone!
So, as I wind down my Juneteenth weekend in Oakland, CA – a large community event, followed by a “PRIDE 4 Juneteenth” gathering, and lastly, an intimate conversation with friends about token gestures vs real systemic change – I thought what an appropriate time to begin what CAN hopes will be some communal learning with our field.
CAN Newsletter – Celebrating Pride Month!
June 8, 2021
Say no to hate. Stick with love. Our work in youth development needs to be centered on equity; where we create, build, and maintain emotionally and physically inclusive spaces for ALL children and youth to learn, grow, and be unapologetically themselves.
As we celebrate Pride Month, we also continue to stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community of youth and adults. We support the work to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQ+ Americans, of all ages. In schools and OST programs, we have the opportunity to talk with young people about LGBTQ+ people and their struggles to achieve equity and justice in all aspects of their lives. It is also a great opportunity to learn about those who have created change in our communities.
Promoting Protective Factors in California’s Afterschool Programs
June 2021
This report was created by WestEd and commissioned by the California AfterSchool Network.
The report, drawing on data from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS), examines the extent to which afterschool programs* may help foster more protective factors among its participants compared to their peers who were not program participants.
Below are some excerpts from the report that outline the Protective Factors Framework and key findings.
Budget Updates
Fireside Chat: May 26, 2021
Join us for our 29th fireside chat. In this chat, Heather Williams from the California AfterSchool Network is joined by Michael Funk from the Expanded Learning Division of the California Department of Education and several members of the California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance.
In this chat, we discuss key updates on the education budget, which has passed out of the Assembly and Senate Subcommittees on Education Finance, and how they impact our Expanded Learning Programs, including an increase to the ASES and 21st CCLC Daily Rate to $10.75 and now a proposed $2.5 Billion in new funding for an Expanded Learning program similar to ASES. We continue to celebrate the unprecedented investment in Expanded Learning - recognizing the essential role of these programs to support our youth, families, and communities.
We also recognize that there is still the need to ensure these dollars are structured in such a way to truly leverage the investment and support our staff and youth. There are more than enough resources to stabilize existing programs and serve more students.
We need your help to:
- Support the Senate and Assembly’s proposal for daily rates (per pupil funding) for state and federally-funded programs.
- Ensure that we don’t leave out middle school and high school students.
- Build strong and sustainable community partnerships.
Text Your Budget Leaders
Text “CAAFTERSCHOOLWORKS” to 52886 or visit https://p2a.co/PlSXYSk to direct calls and tweets to key decision-makers.
Sign-On Letter Info:
Add your organization to the sign-on letter (http://bit.ly/MayReviseSOL), by sending your information by noon on Friday 5/28. Send this information to ben@partnerforchildren.org:
- Organization
- Signatory’s name
- Title
- Logo
Governor’s May Revise – Big News for Afterschool in CA!
May 14, 2021
Big news this week!
On Wednesday, May 12, 2021 during a press conference Governor Newsom announced his “Plan to Transform Public Schools into Gateways of Opportunity” with a $20 Billion investment. Today the Governor announced his full May Revision proposal for the 2021-22 Budget.
Policy Updates on Program Flexibility & AB86
Fireside Chat: April 2, 2021
Join us for our 27th fireside chat. In this chat, Heather Williams from the California AfterSchool Network and Michael Funk from the Expanded Learning Division of the California Department of Education discuss several important policy updates on program flexibility for the 2021-2022 school year and on implementation and support of the AB 86 Expanded Learning Opportunity Grants.
Access More AB86 Details:
Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant (AB 86) Plan Template and Instructions has Posted
March 26, 2021
The California Department of Education (CDE) has posted the Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant Plan template and instructions on the CDE’s website here: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/covidreliefgrants.asp. The Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant Plan must be completed by local educational agencies (LEAs) as a condition of receiving an Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant.
CAN STEAM Newsletter – Diverse Role Models and Mentors
February 25, 2021
Welcome to CAN’s first monthly STEAM newsletter! We will be sharing content from the Million Girls Moonshot and other STEAM initiatives that support STEAM in our Expanded Learning programs.
A Hub of Community Resilience: California’s Expanded Learning Programs Respond to Crisis
A State of the State Brief: December 2020
This State of the State Brief provides a high-level overview of the public investment in the Expanded Learning Infrastructure in California and how that system has been leveraged to respond to crises in the state, in particular the COVID-19 pandemic. Expanded Learning programs are a critical partner to help California respond to crises and ultimately build back stronger. Pandemic or not, Expanded Learning programs need equitable and sustainable funding to ensure the economic success of young people and their futures, as well as the progress of California. An investment in Expanded Learning is an investment in our youth, our families, and our communities.
New Household Survey: California Is a ‘Top 10 State for Afterschool, ’ Even as Unmet Demand for Programs Increases
December 8, 2020
Student participation that exceeds the national average and overwhelming parent satisfaction with afterschool programs make California a “Top 10 State for Afterschool,” according to a household survey commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance and released today. Nevertheless, unmet demand for programs – the percentage of California parents who say they would enroll their child in an afterschool program if one were available to them – is high, especially among low-income families, who report cost as a significant barrier.
COVID-19 Guidance from CDE Expanded Learning Division
As of March 1, 2021
Recent guidance from the California Department of Education Expanded Learning Division (EXLD) has
- ensured grants remain intact,
- programs will receive attendance relief for closures related to COVID-19,
- grant reductions have been suspended, and
- hourly employees and classified staff can continue to be paid.
More specific details are outlined in the below links:
- Suspended 2021-22 Audits (March 1, 2021)
- Extended Timelines for the Kids Code Pilot Grant Program
- Update to Reporting Attendance for FY20-21 (February 2, 2021)
- Expanded Learning Guidance on License Exempt Waivers (October 20, 2020)
- Expanded Learning Guidance on Senate Bill 98 (SB 820) (October 9, 2020)
- EXLD Guidance - COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions 2020-21 (Aug 5, 2020)
- EXLD Guidance on Senate Bill 98 (July 20, 2020)
- Executive Order Extended Until June 30, 2020 (June 8, 2020)
- ASES Kids Code FAQ’s (June 1, 2020)
- Guidance on the Role of Expanded Learning Programs During the COVID-19 Crisis (April 30, 2020)
- EXLD Guidance – Extending Expanded Learning Grants and Attendance and Expenditure Reporting (April 27, 2020)
- EXLD Executive Guidance Order Memo (April 10, 2020)
- Executive Order Provides Flexibility to ASES and 21st CCLC Programs and Expands Access to Child Care for Essential Workers (April 4, 2020)
- EXLD Update on Grant Protection and Paying Program Staff and Partners (March 27, 2020)
The Expanded Learning Division continues to work on providing additional guidance related to expanded learning program grants. If you have any questions, please contact expandedlearning@cde.ca.gov.
Expanded Learning Programs Interactive Web Map
CAN has been working with our partners at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change (CRC) to build out an interactive web map. This application maps variables describing student and community health and need, which are summarized by various regions (including the 11 CCSESA regions and Legislative Districts) and overlaid with the locations of Expanded Learning Programs.
Meet Mizzen by Mott
As champions for children, you’re doing everything you can during this time to keep youth safe and continue to serve them. We also know you’re doing all you can to support your staff. You have risen to the challenge in every way.
In support of your efforts, we have a new resource to share with you.
Mizzen by Mott is a new app built with and for afterschool professionals to provide high-quality, engaging learning content to the afterschool field.