Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week: Ways to Show You Care

Source: Temescal Associates

By Sam Piha

During the pandemic we learned how afterschool youth workers are “essential.” At the height of the pandemic, workers in youth programs adapted to the needs of families. They packed and delivered food to their program participants and moved their programming to online formats. 

As young people returned to their afterschool program, we saw how they were affected by the circumstances of isolation. Many were angry and depressed, which they showed through their behavior. Many afterschool staff experienced increased stress, as behavior issues and being short staffed took a distinct toll. 

Source: National Afterschool Association

April 22-26, 2024 is Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week. This is a good time to recognize and appreciate the value that afterschool professionals bring to so many lives. Below are some ways that families, school and non-profit leaders and organizations can show their appreciation. This article was originally published by the National Afterschool Association. 

“How can YOU show you care about afterschool workers? 

FOR FAMILIES 

Everyone appreciates being recognized for their efforts and a simple “thank you!” goes a long way! Some ideas include: 

• Hand-written cards from you and/or your child
• An email to the staff member’s manager or administrator

• Fun handmade signs put up at the location of your program 
• Healthy or non-food treats for the afterschool program staff
• Gift cards for a specialty coffee, teacher supply store or bookstore 

FOR LEADERS 

Thanking your staff shows them you appreciate what they do! Some ideas to show your appreciation: 

• Sharing with parents and kids about Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week via email or social media
• Providing healthy treats or lunch for staff 
• Creating awards for specific strengths of staff members (Best Family Communicator, STEM Star, Most Positive, etc.)

• Sending a Press Release to your local media 

Source: WINGS for Kids

FOR ORGANIZATIONS 

Organizations can recognize, appreciate, and advocate for the afterschool professionals making a difference in their community; it shines the light on their efforts and accomplishments! Some ideas include: 

• Sharing about Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week in your communications (web site, eNewsletters, social media)
• Hosting events honoring the success of your local afterschool programs

• Sending a Press Release to your local media 
• Asking local officials to proclaim the event” 

How will you celebrate? 

Additional ideas and thoughts:

• Staff can be treated to a dinner or fun activity, such as bowling or a trip to a nearby amusement park.
• To ensure there are funds to cover this for next year, include a line item for this expenditure.
• Get your afterschool program youth participants to sign a card showing their appreciation.

For our part, we will create and send a press release to spread the word of Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week by local news outlets. 

UPCOMING WEBINARS:

Almost every day there is a piece in the news about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its dangers. AI is all around us, and whether or not you realize it, people use artificial intelligence every single day. Many young people, even those who are very tech savvy, know little about this topic. Adults, including those in afterschool programs, know even less. Yet, AI is being used by companies more and more. As we venture deeper into the digital age, understanding AI and its educational potential becomes more crucial than ever.

We believe that youth need to understand more about AI, and afterschool is a perfect place to do this. But are afterschool leaders equipped for this? It’s important for educators to understand AI so they can help their youth make sense of a technological development that is predicted to be a huge force in the world, experts say. It’s crucial for educators to be AI literate, to be able to explain what it is, and to understand its powers and limitations.

To learn more and register, click here.

The 2024 election offers a number of opportunities to engage older youth in civic engagement. But these opportunities require input from youth, organizing and planning- so start program planning early because there is no better time for youth to be involved in making a change than through the ballot box. We can frame these efforts as “meaningful participation”, “civic engagement”, “youth leadership” or “community service.”

This webinar will review the benefits of youth engagement in the elections and what programs can do to encourage youth involvement and voting. We will also talk about how to involve youth in voter registration and determine what news is reliable and which is misinformation. We will also talk about how youth who are under 18 and unable to vote can be involved.

To learn more and register, click here.

A Time to Say "Thanks"

By Sam Piha

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2019, we gained a new understanding of why afterschool workers are essential workers. Over the last two years, afterschool programs have pivoted to meet the new needs of schools, youth and their families. 

“What we saw during the pandemic was a recognition from K-12 educators of, ‘Wow, afterschool staff have something to bring. These people have something to offer that can help support the whole child in a compelling way.’ I am heartened that expanded learning time is increasingly being recognized as something powerful, effective, and transformative. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I'm seeing more educational leaders look at expanded learning as a field, differently.” – Michael Funk, Director of Expanded Learning, California Department of Education 

Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week (April 25 – 29, 2022) is a perfect time to say “thanks” to afterschool workers. 

According to the National Afterschool Association, “Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week is a time to recognize, appreciate and advocate for those who work with young people during out-of-school hours. The week is marked by celebrations and public relations efforts encouraging appreciation and support for all the afterschool professionals who make a profound difference in the lives of young people.

Afterschool Professionals are skilled individuals who work with children and youth in diverse school and community-based settings to provide a wide variety of positive developmental relationships and experiences during out-of-school hours. Currently, in the U.S., an estimated 850,000 individuals are practicing members of the afterschool profession.

An estimated 10.2 million children participate in afterschool programs each year, and for every child in an afterschool program, there are two more waiting to get in. Every young person deserves quality afterschool experiences that positively impact their development. It takes skilled professionals to create these experiences. Because of the important role afterschool professionals play in the lives of kids, they deserve recognition and support.” 

“When the pandemic started and schools were closed in March 2020, the afterschool coordinators were key players in making sure the families receive information, and schools knew what families needed to support learning at home. From there, our program leaders' role changed to case management and technology ambassadors. We partnered with the district and other CBO's to ensure the families could have their basic needs met. These actions strengthened our relationship with teachers, school administrators and families.” – Youth Worker, Bay Area Community Resources

Begin planning how you will celebrate and acknowledge afterschool programs. To learn more, access talking points and a communication toolkit, go to https://naaweb.org/ideas.

COMING SOON, April 13, 2022 - Meaningful Writing in Afterschool: Poetry, Spoken Word and Journaling

Providing opportunities for youth to reflect on and express their thoughts and feelings are critical strategies for any afterschool program. These opportunities are essential to promoting youth voice, healthy youth development, social emotional skills and resiliency, especially for those who have experienced trauma.

The integration of writing is a very powerful way to do this. Strategies and activities include poetry, spoken word and journaling. This Speaker's Forum will focus on the above strategies. To learn more and register, click here.

Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week

Source: National AfterSchool Association

By Sam Piha

Afterschool programs are now a part of the community landscape, with over 10.2 million young participants. Few are even aware that afterschool has been around for over a hundred years, making important contributions to families and the larger society.

Afterschool professionals, numbering over 850,000, are often not acknowledged. But we can change that! Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week is April 22-26. 

According to the National AfterSchool Association (NAA), “this is a joint effort of community partners, afterschool programs, youth and child development workers and individuals who have committed to declaring the last full week of April each year as a time to recognize and appreciate those who work with youth during out-of-school hours.” 

There are a number of ways organizations, schools, parents and program leaders can recognize and appreciate afterschool workers: 

• Issue an appreciation shout out 
• “Thank you” card for afterschool program staff 
• Watch and share the brief Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week video produced by NAA

• Plan a “Thank You” activity or event 
• Appreciate the long history and contributions of afterschool youth programs in America: Few are aware that afterschool has been around for over a hundred years, making important contributions to families and the larger society. To ensure that afterschool stakeholders appreciate the long history of afterschool youth programs in America, Temescal Associates and the How Kids Learn Foundation have created a video to document this history, as well as a trailer, media kit and learning guide. 

Join in the celebrations and display your appreciation of afterschool professionals who make a difference in the lives of young people. NAA has developed a toolkit and a number of ideas for AfterSchool Professionals Appreciation Week. 

#heartofafterschool

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week is a joint effort of community partners, afterschool programs, youth and child care workers and individuals who have committed to declaring the last full week of April each year as a time to recognize and appreciate those who work with youth during out-of-school hours. Join us for celebrations and display your appreciation to thank afterschool professionals who make a difference in the lives of young people. 

- National AfterSchool Association

Below are a number of resources that can help you celebrate this week. Click on the images below.

A good way to appreciate afterschool is to SAVE afterschool. Click on the images below to learn more.

You can learn more about why afterschool works from Mott Foundation CEO and Chairman, Bill White. You can click on the quote and view the video below.