Newsletters

Newsletters

In this Newsletter:

National Summer Learning Day is Monday, June 21

Don't miss the opportunity to showcase your summer program and highlight the importance of summer learning in your community, along with hundreds of programs across the nation. Find tools to help you plan your event here. Be sure to register your event here.

Lights On Afterschool

Mark your calendars for the 11th annual Lights On Afterschool on October 21, 2010.
Submit artwork for the 2010 Lights On Afterschool poster. The deadline to submit your entry has been extended to June 11, 2010. For more information read the list of submission guidelines .

Last year over 185 registered Lights On events were held across the state of Michigan. Be sure to register your event.

New Resources

SciGirls: Find a Science Club
SciGirls is a PBS KIDS weekly television series and companion Web site that aims to change how girls think about science, technology, engineering and math. The interactive website is a safe social networking environment where girls can connect and share their science projects. To extend girls' engagement offline, SciGirls has a science club finder inviting girls to search for science clubs near them. View the website.

America After 3PM Special Report on Summer: Missed Opportunities, Unmet Demand
The Afterschool Alliance recently released America After 3PM Special Report on Summer: Missed Opportunities, Unmet Demand. This research suggests that only 25% of America's children attend summer learning programs, but thousands of children would benefit from access to programs and increased community involvement. And fifty-six percent of kids (an estimated 24 million) who are not participating in summer learning programs, would likely enroll in a program, based on parent interest.  View their website for more information including the report and a PowerPoint presentation on the data.

Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report
First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let's Move! campaign in February to solve the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation. As part of this effort, President Barack Obama established the Task Force on Childhood Obesity to develop and implement an interagency plan that details a coordinated strategy, identifies key benchmarks, and outlines an action plan to end the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. In total, the report presents a series of 70 specific recommendations, many of which can be implemented right away. Many of these recommendations can be implemented as part of service or service-learning projects. Download the report at: www.letsmove.gov/taskforce_childhoodobesityrpt.html

Breakfast of Champions Award

Mayor Ellis of Farmington Hills, MI was honored at the Afterschool Alliance Breakfast of Champions. "Mayor Ellis is well known throughout Farmington Hills as a powerful advocate for youth and a champion of afterschool programs that help them succeed. He was one of just ten individuals from around the country honored at the 'Breakfast' for supporting and working on behalf of the afterschool programs." Read the full press release.


Trainings and Conferences


An updated list of upcoming trainings and conferences are listed on the MASP Training and Events Calendar. A few upcoming ones to highlight:

 


Save the Date for the Michigan AfterSchool Collaborative Conference
October 14-15, Sterling Heights, MI

 

 


Summer Learning Day 2010: June 21 - Spring is just beginning to arrive, but June 21 will be here quickly. Don’t delay! Start planning your Summer Learning Day event now. This national advocacy day is a great opportunity to showcase your program and get the word out about the importance of summer learning.

 


Eager-to-Learn Online Classes for School Age Care & Out-of-School-Time Providers -Eager-to-Learn classes are multi-week, in-depth, learning experiences during which students participate in weekly live chat sessions, respond to engaging message board questions and write a weekly email reflection. Instructors provide ongoing feedback to the students on the message board while students communicate with each other in an ongoing dialog. Courses can be used to fulfill Michigan Child Day Care Licensing training requirements and meet some credential requirements, such as the Child Development Associate credential. Some courses offer a college credit option. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for an additional fee.


Funding News

Best Buy Children's Foundation
Through the @15 Community Grants Program, Best Buy teams across the United States select non-profit organizations that provide positive experiences to help teens to excel in school, engage in their communities, and develop leadership skills. This year, Best Buy Children's Foundation will give $2 million through the Community Grants Program.

Eligibility:Current 501(c)(3) tax status and are serving a diverse population of young teens in the areas of learning, life skills, leadership or relationship development
Deadline:July 1, 2010

Congratulations

For the second year in a row, an ELO Network member was awarded the WOODTV 8 Connecting with Community Award! Recreation Reaps Rewards was selected as the 2010 winner for their collaborative efforts to provide youth programming, recreation, educational support, and enrichment to children and families in need in the Grand Rapids area.

The Michigan Association of School Boards recently completed their Excellence in Education award competition with a new category this year for Before and After School Programs. The following programs were recognized at their recognition ceremony on May 11, 2010:

  • T.E.A.M 21 - Taft Elementary - Wyoming Public Schools
  • Bright Futures Afterschool Program - Wayne-Westland Community Schools
  • Oxford Adventure Club - Oxford High School, Oxford Area Community Schools

STEM

Become a certified trainer for NASA's Afterschool Universe program and bring the universe down to Earth for your colleagues and their students.

Developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Afterschool Universe is a 12-session out-of-school time astronomy curriculum for middle school students. It explores astronomy concepts through engaging, hands-on activities and takes participants on a journey through the universe beyond the solar system. They are currently soliciting applications from trainers in out-of-school time networks to attend a train-the-trainer workshop in December 2010. You will attend a special, all-expenses-paid three-day training workshop at NASA Goddard (Greenbelt, MD) that will prepare you to run training workshops in your own communities.

In order to participate, your network must commit to recruiting at least 10 middle school sites, offering the training, and ensuring that the sites implement the program. The commitment also includes participation in the project evaluation. There is more information about the required commitment in the application: http://universe.nasa.gov/au/trainer_training.html