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Making, Tinkering & Engineering: What's the Difference?
Making, tinkering, and engineering activities are all excellent ways to engage children and youth in afterschool and summer programs.
Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week
April 16, 2019
How about a standing ovation for afterschool professionals? The last week of April (April 22nd through 26th) is Afterschool Professionals Appreciation week.
STEM and Out-of-School Time Celebrations - April 2019
April 2, 2019
Math Awareness Month April
Nutrition in Afterschool Programs
March 13, 2019
Afterschool programs provide excellent opportunities to help students build a foundational knowledge of food and nutrition. Youth who develop good nutritional habits are more likely to maintain those habits in adulthood. In your program, you have the ability to help them along their journey. To help you get started, here are a few tips:
Activities for Celebrating STEM & Afterschool this March
February 28, 2019
National Nutrition Month March "In my food world, there is no fear or guilt, only joy and balance." - Ellie Kriegger
Connecting with Nature in a Concrete Jungle
February 13, 2019
Out-of-school time educators who work in urban settings may feel like they have few to no options for connecting youth to nature. Where is nature in a concrete jungle? But Smith reminds all of humanity that even in the toughest urban settings, the natural world breaks through. It is the educator's job to notice nature and to provide opportunities for children to observe and be curious about it. Likewise, it is the provider's role to introduce nature to a setting when it is absent.
Real Youth Leadership
January 15, 2019
Why Youth Leadership?
OST Programs - Where the Magic Happens!
December 11, 2018
Children learning to work together on a soccer team. Kids in the midst of a gardening activity stopping to examine grasshoppers in the garden. Youth learning about and solving real-world problems.
Out-of-School Time STEM Learning Opportunities Inspire Young People to Explore, Discover & Create
November 13, 2018
The process of teaching and learning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) offers youth opportunities to make sense of the world they live in and prepare them for the future workforce. High-quality STEM opportunities help youth develop critical-thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills; enhance creativity; and engage in an investigative process.
Staff are the Key to Quality OST Programs
October 16, 2018
Even though our legislators and government don't always appear to see the importance of out-of-school time (OST) programs, those of us who have worked in the field or have children who attend these programs, know that they make a huge difference in the lives of children and families. Why are they so effective in supporting youth success?