Our Favorite LIAS Blogs of 2016

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

To date, we have attracted 224,723 views of our blog posts. In 2016, we published 35 blog posts. Below is a summary of our favorite posts.  

What Is the Connection Between Social and Emotional Learning and Employability? 
(January 19, 2016) 
Recently, the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) developed an employability skills framework and created a website to assist educators and youth workers with tools to promote these skills in their settings. Read more.

Mindfulness in Afterschool (February 22, 2016)
There is a growing trend in research and practice that shows that mindfulness is a very useful tool in school-based settings but few have translated this into afterschool programs. Temescal Associates has developed a 16-week mindfulness curriculum for afterschool workers and a two-day training – one day for the use of mindfulness techniques for the self-care of adult staff, and one day for staff who will lead young people in mindfulness activities. Read more.

Understanding Gender Identity: An Interview with a Child Development Specialist, Part 1 (March 18, 2016)
There is a growing awareness in our society that gender is more than the sex that is assigned at birth. Gender identity is no longer an esoteric concept for child development experts. The importance of understanding gender identity is increasingly important for educators and leaders of youth programs. Read more.

Preparing Youth for Work and Career Success (June 27, 2016)
I first met Bill Fennessy when he innovated a new high school afterschool program in Pasadena, CA. Bill was part of the first run of ASSETs programs - before people knew what high school afterschool was. He subsequently joined THINK Together as their Director of Community Engagement. Read more.

Why "All Lives Matter" is Controversial (July 27, 2016)
We have all heard people respond to the phrase Black Lives Matter, with the phrase All Lives Matter. This has led to controversy, but many people do not understand why. Read more.


The Year of Living Dangerously (November 17, 2016)
The last year has been one of incredible violence and hate speech. Much of this has been graphically reported in the media and has greatly effected young people. There have been a series of mass killings in Charlotte, Orlando, San Bernardino, Paris and elsewhere. There have been a number of shootings by the police of unarmed civilians captured on video. Read more.

The Importance of the Arts 
(December 8, 2016)
We know that the arts in all forms (digital arts, performing arts, fine arts, etc.) and art making is important in the healthy development of children and youth, in fact our whole society. Art making is truth telling and provides all youth, especially those without a voice, an opportunity to express themselves. Read more.

Trump, DeVos, and Afterschool: An Interview with the Afterschool Alliance

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

In a previous blog post entitled, President Trump and Afterschool, we reached out to Betsy Brand, Executive Director of the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) and Gina Warner, Executive Director of the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) to share their thoughts on the threats and opportunities in afterschool going forward. Below is an interview with Jodi Grant of the Afterschool Alliance on this same topic, including a question about the newly confirmed Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. 

Jodi Grant, Executive Director
Afterschool Alliance

Q: What can we expect from the new presidential administration around afterschool/expanded learning programs? 
A: The new administration has not made any public comments about afterschool and expanded learning. For this reason it is more important than ever that we all reach out to members of the administration to educate them about the value of learning outside the school day and remind them that students spend 80% of their waking hours outside school. New education proposals should also include support for afterschool and summer.

Q: What can we expect of the newly confirmed Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos?
A: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has shown some interest in afterschool. As a philanthropist she invested in Boys and Girls Clubs and in a research study for Campfire USA. In response to a written question from Senator Al Franken after her hearing she responded:

Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education
Photo Credit: npr.org

“After-school programs are critical to the safety and continued learning for many students.  There are many programs offered by wonderful local community groups and schools that offer valuable opportunities for learning.  As you noted, the Every Student Succeeds Act included the reauthorization of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, a program that helps to provide after-school services to many children.  If confirmed, I will implement the law as intended and funded by Congress, including the 21st Century Community Learning Centers.”



Q: In looking ahead to a new presidential administration, are there any opportunities that we should be aware of and how can the afterschool movement embrace these opportunities? 
A: During his campaign, candidate Trump embraced a tax cut for childcare. This tax cut, geared towards middle class families, can be used for afterschool programs and that is a promising sign.  In addition, President Trump has been a longtime member of the Board of the New York City Police Athletic League, which could be viewed as a sign of support for afterschool programs.

Afterschool is an education priority consistent with many of the priorities of the new Administration including support for rural America. Rural communities are unlikely to benefit from an investment in vouchers and charter schools. But they will benefit from afterschool and we have many rural communities that rely on 21st CCLC and afterschool to inspire their students and help working parents keep their jobs.  In addition, we all know that afterschool programs make our kids and all our communities safer.

Photo Credit: summermatters.net

We hope our recent report on the needs and challenges of afterschool programs in Rural America will help persuade the new administration to do more.

We also see synergy between afterschool and the incoming Administration’s emphasis on jobs, workforce development and economic growth: afterschool and summer learning programs for older youth can play a key role in providing work and life skills while also helping parents keep their jobs and their children safe.

Q: What should we be prepared to do to ensure ongoing support for afterschool/expanded learning?
A: The new Administration wants to give parents more educational options for students; and school-community partnerships, faith based providers and community based organizations that offer quality summer and afterschool programs can be part of that broad range of supports that maximize the potential of young people.

The gravest danger to afterschool in 2017 will be funding. Congress and the Trump administration are discussing drastic cuts to education spending. It will be essential to reach out to members of Congress to make sure they protect funding for afterschool and summer programs. We need to use the data and examples we have that show these programs save money by investing in our youth now. 

Our field needs to rally constituents to tell each member of Congress why programs are so important to students and families in their district. The message of crime prevention and discouraging inappropriate and unwanted behavior is also a powerful message. Most of all, don’t forget the most important messengers, the students themselves. When they speak they can energize a room with their authenticity and show rather than tell why afterschool investments are essential in every community in our country.

—————
Jodi Grant, Executive Director, Afterschool Alliance
The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality, affordable afterschool programs. Jodi oversees all aspects of the Afterschool Alliance’s work, including supervising research, and creating and expanding quality afterschool programs. 

Jodi Grant at the How Kids Learn VI Conference,
San Francisco 2016

At our recent How Kids Learn VI conference in San Francisco, Jodi reviewed the important findings of the Afterschool Alliance report entitled, America After 3pm Special Report: Afterschool in Communities of Concentrated Poverty.

Youth Voice: SFUSD Students Attend the Women's March in DC

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

Afterschool program leaders and youth workers do a good job of speaking on behalf of the youth they serve. However, we also think it is important to hear directly from youth. Thus, we will endeavor to dedicate a portion of this blog space to hearing directly from youth. 

High schoolers from the SFUSD participating in the Woman's March in Washington, DC

Photo Credit: Pui Ling Tam via kalw.org

Sixteen students from the San Francisco Unified School District were given the opportunity to participate in the Women’s March in Washington, DC the day after President Trump’s inauguration. 

Three students —  Briana Boteo, Marianna Baines, and Aglow Logovii — recorded some of their experiences from the March, which was aired on KALW. Below, you can listen directly to them via this 6-minute interview: 

A Growing Threat to Quality Expanded Learning Programs

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

In early January, we reached out to expanded learning leaders to ask what they viewed as challenges facing the field in 2017. We posted their responses in our blog on January 9, 2017. Many, especially those from California, responded that program quality and even the existence of programs were threatened by stagnant funding levels. 

The recent calls for increased program quality assumes that programs have resources for staff development and training. We have heard from many program leaders, and they seem to agree with Bill Fennessy from THINK Together, who said: 

“With the increases in minimum wage and the accompanying 'exempt employee' wage minimums there will clearly be only enough money to afford the required student supervision ratios. This means that Site Coordinator hours will probably have to be almost cut to just programming hours, that the next level of support for Site Coordinators and time needed for training and/or professional development will become unaffordable. 

Photo Credit: SaveAfterschool.com

The loss of these critically important supports for Expanded Learning programs and their staff will definitely have a severely negative impact on program quality and therefore effectiveness. This issue could in fact cause a collapse of Expanded Learning in California as we know it today.”

There is currently an effort by California State Senator Connie Leyva and afterschool advocates to increase the funding levels for the California ASES program. To ensure that this effort does not fail, as it did last year, we urge people to visit the Save Afterschool website to learn more about getting involved. 

Photo Credit: patch.com

I Love Afterschool - Let's Save It!

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

As we enter what will probably be a rocky 2017, it’s important that we act now to protect federal funding of our 21st CCLC programs. The Afterschool Alliance has created a brilliant strategy making Valentine’s Day cards to show your love of afterschool programs. These cards can be made by parents and youth. They can be sent to local newspapers or to state and federal legislators. 

The Afterschool Alliance has created a toolkit that makes this easy or you can bring your own creativity by making or using pre-made Valentine’s Day cards. Below are some links that explain and provide resources for this campaign: 

Photo Credit: Afterschool Alliance

Afterschool Snack Blog - Do you love afterschool? Proclaim it loudly!

We Love Afterschool! Toolkit

To find the address of your state senator, click here. 

To find the address of  your congressional representative, click here. 

Photo Credit: Afterschool Alliance