This is your weekly newsletter featuring program spotlights, innovative resources, and training opportunities for the out-of-school-time industry in Florida. Together, we can ensure all children and youth in Florida have access to affordable, available, high-quality expanded learning opportunities to foster their success in school and beyond. | |
Building Community with Eight Waves: It All Starts With Learning to Read | Eight Waves, based in Winter Garden, is a small team making a big impact through reading intervention, tutoring, and community supports. Initially, the program began with the goal of just providing homework help and mentorship, but quickly realized a greater need. Today, the afterschool program serves about 25 kids. | | | |
If you have an idea for an afterschool spotlight or would like to be featured, email Holly to help share your story! | |
After-school programs expect to scale down with pandemic aid ending | With the end of pandemic relief aid in sight, after-school providers are preparing to scale back on their size and services of their programs, according to a nationwide survey released last month by Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit that seeks to expand after-school program access. | | | |
Florida Department of Education honors top STEM students | With more than 111 student-scholars and their families in attendance, the two-day event, co-hosted by the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Education Foundation, celebrated the remarkable achievements of these young scholars. Notably, 37 students were awarded 1-year scholarships provided by State Farm and the Florida Prepaid College Foundation. | | | |  |
It's time for school-age advocates to raise their voices in state plans | The state child care planning template for the next three years is out! From now until July 1, State Administrative Agencies will be determining how to spend over $12 billion annually in federal Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) dedicated to helping eligible families find affordable, high-quality child care, afterschool, and summer programs for their children aged 0-13. | | | | |
Orlando Magic, AdventHealth Surprise Local Boys & Girls Club With Teen Room Renovation | The Magic and AdventHealth teamed up to surprise local youth with a renovation to a teen room. The teen room got a new television, study tables, gaming chairs, pop-a-shot, a foosball table, gaming consoles, an NBA Jam Arcade system, video games and board games. There were also updates added to the club’s “quiet room,” including new furniture and mental health resources for youth. | | | | |
Prime Time Shares its Impact through Stories and Data in Newly Released Annual Report | Prime Time releases its 2022-2023 Annual Report themed A Tidal Wave of Collaboration. Through a united vision, alongside partners near and far, out-of-school time programs and practitioners, its greatest achievement was to push the field forward while making a greater footprint in Palm Beach and Martin Counties to ultimately inspire children to be their best. | | | | |
Youth Entrepreneurship (YE) Mini Grant Opportunity: Request for Applications | Florida Afterschool is focused on expanding the entrepreneurial mindset of Florida's youth. We are now seeking out-of-school time programs looking to empower young people by expanding or launching entrepreneurship opportunities during their summer learning programs. Ten programs will be selected to receive a mini-grant of $500 that can be used to support the implementation of a program. | | | | |
'Shark Tank' for teens: The stakes are high for these Volusia High School entrepreneurs | It’s not everyday teenagers become entrepreneurs. High school students who have taken entrepreneurship courses participated in the second annual “Shark Tank” style districtwide pitch competition at the Center in Deltona led by the district and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. 19 students from four different high schools — DeLand, New Smyrna Beach, Seabreeze and T. Dewitt Taylor — presented business ideas to a panel of live judges from local businesses and chambers of commerce. | | | | |
New STEM fishing class teaches students about Florida's ecosystem | Going Fishing: Learning About Florida's Ecosystem. St. Cloud Middle school, Osceola County. | | | | |
LEARNING FROM OTHERS: Community program helps young Somalis connect after school | A Columbus, Ohio afterschool program is connecting Somali youth with fellow first-generation immigrants. Somali Community Link is a nonprofit working to help refugees and immigrants with advocacy, education, employment, and housing needs in central Ohio. One of the ways the organization does this is through its afterschool program... | | | | |
2024 Florida Youth Space Art Contest | |
Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez encourages students in grades
K–5 to create an art piece inspired by the theme: Suit Up! Florida’s Space Suit of the Future. Finalists will win two tickets to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Two lucky grand prize winners, one selected from each group, will have their artwork launched into space on an upcoming mission!
Submissions are due Friday, May 24.
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Help us help you! Take the Florida Afterschool Tools & Resources Survey | Make time to answer this brief survey (estimated time to complete is less than five minutes). The information you provide will allow us to make adjustments to the tools and resources we provide to help you be more informed and effective as afterschool educators. Respond and be entered into the raffle to win a $50 Amazon gift card. | | | | |
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Free Webinar Happening TOMORROW: Get BookSmart: Summer Camp Strategies to Engage Young Children
Thursday, May 16 at 1:00 p.m. EST
We'll discuss the free digital book platform 'BookSmart', and share how to incorporate this useful literacy tool in implementing book clubs, staff read-alouds, story extenders, weekend reading incentives and more. This helpful family engagement tool offers hundreds of book choices with recommended literacy-based activities designed for families with children ages 3 - 12.
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Project Brainy - Summer Application Due
Online Submission due: Friday, May 17
Does your out-of-school time (OST) program want to build belonging and engagement in interactive science learning? Project BRAINY is open to all OST programs that regularly provide learning opportunities to middle-school youth. Project Brainy is a six-session, neuroscience-based curriculum designed for OST programs. The curriculum enables middle-school students to build social-emotional skills, engage in interactive STEM learning, and increase literacy. Up to 20 youth-serving OST programs from across the U.S. will receive $1,500, training, and continuous support to implement Project BRAINY, a neuroscience, literacy, and SED-focused curriculum.
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Good Sports Equipment Donation Opportunity Portfolio Program Info Session
Information session: Wednesday, May 22 at 12PM & Tuesday May 28 at 1PM
Is your program or school in need of new sports equipment, footwear, and apparel? Come join the Good Sports team to learn about our mission and our new portfolio program. We'll walk through our eligibility criteria, the requirements if your organization is selected, and the application process. We'll end with an opportunity to answer your questions. Complete this Google form and a Good Sports team member will send you a Zoom link closer to the date to access the session. We will host two info sessions and will cover the same material in both.
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Teen Science Cafe Fellows Information Session
Information Session: Thursday, May 23 from 4:30PM-5:30PM
The Teen Science Cafe (TSC) Fellows initiative is a ten-month training program designed to help informal educators implement Teen Science Cafes in their community. Teen Science Cafe Fellows receive one-on-one support from TSC Guides to launch a cafe program and host three cafe events during the year. Fellows receive a $2,500 stipend to support their work.
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Discover Engineering's "Chats with Change Makers" - Fredy Barrera Aguilar, Product Development Engineer at TE Connectivity
Webinar: Thursday, May 30 at 1PM
Does your out-of-school time (OST) program want to build belonging and engagement in interactive science learning? Project BRAINY is open to all OST programs that regularly provide learning opportunities to middle-school youth. Project Brainy is a six-session, neuroscience-based curriculum designed for OST programs. The curriculum enables middle-school students to build social-emotional skills, engage in interactive STEM learning, and increase literacy. Up to 20 youth-serving OST programs from across the U.S. will receive $1,500, training, and continuous support to implement Project BRAINY, a neuroscience, literacy, and SED-focused curriculum.
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REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! We are a recognized leader for providing high-quality professional learning experiences that are timely, relevant, and engaging. Join us in October for our annual conference as we convene at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida. Get ready for fresh ideas for youth engagement, strategies for business and staff development, and tools for local advocacy. Learn more about what to expect here. | |
Now Accepting Nominations for the 2024 Afterschool Professional of the Year!
Out-of-school time professionals play an important role in the lives of the children and youth they serve and they deserve recognition and support! Who from your afterschool program is a super star and deserves to be recognized? Help us find the "2024 Florida Afterschool Professional of the Year." Nominate your local afterschool super star today!
Nominations are due Monday, June 17, 2024.
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Florida After School, Inc. | FLafterschool.com
For more information about Florida After School, Inc. and its many partners, connect with us on social media.
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