LATEST NEWS

After School Funding in State Budget - Improved Outlook but Still Uncertain

April 19, 2013 - The Appropriations Committee today released its budget recommendations, and it includes the $4.5 million dollar for the After School Grant Program! While it is great news that the funding has made it past this hurdle, the final outcome is still uncertain. The Governor and legislative leadership will be negotiating over the next two months to find a compromise on the total budget package, and the Network will keep you posted on this website as we know more about the fate of the After School Grant Program that serves more than 5,000 Connecticut children.

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Supporting Student Success in Connecticut

March 7th was After School Day at the Capitol and the Connecticut After School Network released our newest report "Supporting Student Success in Connecticut." Click here to view the report now.

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NEW - Literacy Strategies After School

Literacy Strategies After School, A Teaching and Learning Strategies Guide is now available at our Resource Page.

The goal of the Literacy Strategies After School: A Teaching and Learning Strategies Guide is to support after school program managers and staff working with children in grades 1-6 to provide meaningful literacy-related activities that are in alignment with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in the area of English Language Arts (ELA). Access your copy today!

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NEW - Global Learning Webinars


Take part in Asia Society's free year-long webinar series, Global Learning for Educators. Get started with our back-to-school series designed to help you plan for the year ahead with the goal of preparing students for college and the interconnected world beyond. Use the webinars as a basis for whole-school or districtwide conversations about what matters in 21st century global education.

Past webinar recordings, click here.

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NEW - Summer Learning Funding Resources

Moving Summer Learning Forward: A Strategic Roadmap for Funding in Tough Times. While summer learning is an emerging strategy for education reform, uncertainty over how to pay for it, especially in an environment of tough budget choices, has been a barrier for school districts and community partners alike. But for those who know where to look and devise creative strategies to combine funding streams for summer learning, there is also substantial opportunity.

For more information and other funding resources click here.

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NIOST Summer Seminars 2013, July 15-19, 2013

This year, NIOST's annual Summer Seminars will take place at a new location just a short distance from Boston on the Wellesley College Campus overlooking beautiful Lake Waban. Don't miss this year's seminars designed to improve your skills and help you network with other youth-serving professionals. 

For 2013, NIOST will offer three of their most popular seminars:
APAS - Learn how to utilize the tools of our Afterschool Program Assessment System. Completion of this seminar provides you with complete access to the tools for your program site.
Using APAS for Program Improvement - Whether you are new to APAS or an experienced user, our "Applied APAS" training will provide hands-on experience with program assessment, data interpretation and action planning. 
Leadership Retreat - Back by popular demand! Our retreat provides an opportunity for participants to reflect on what drew them to the field of afterschool and leave with their passion renewed and energized. 

For registration information clcik here, early bird deadline April 30, 2013. Registration deadline Wednesday, July 3, 2013.

*NEA Learning and Leadership Grants Deadline is Feb 1st!

Funding opportunities are available for professional development, such as NIOST Summer Seminars, through The NEA Foundation. Applications are due by Feb 1st for summer offerings. For more information go to: NEA Foundation Educator Grants.

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2013 Spring Conference

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2013 Annual Spring After School and Literacy Essentials Conference.

The conference focused on literacy with an emphasis on reading and writing as these are impacted by the current educational reforms and policies such as the Common Core State Standards, as well as the changing landscape in education. 

For Conference information, click here.

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Disaster Preparedness

Is your afterschool program ready for the next storm? Check out our Disaster Planning Toolkit by clicking here. The Connecticut After School Network has trainers available to help after school programs and child care centers prepare plans to cope with disasters.  Contact the Network for more information.

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Riley Institute at Furman Selects Fellows

Our very own Ken Anthony, Professional Development Director and 14 other leaders in the afterschool and expanded learning fields nationwide have been selected as White-Riley-Peterson Policy Fellows as part of a partnership between The Riley Institute at Furman University and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Click here to read more!

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2012 Annual Follow-Up

Program providers have asked for a list of the Alliance districts as defined by the State Department of Education. You can find it by clicking here.

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School-Age Resource

Click here to access, The Community Investment Collaborative for Kids Resource Guide; Creating Quality School-Aged Child Care Space (pdf)

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Grant Finder Tool from the Spark Foundation

It lets you search for Connecticut specific, or national grants available to after school programs.

Click here to access the tool!

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The Connecticut After School Network is affiliated with the National AfterSchool Association.

NEW - 2012 NAA Convention Highlights, click here to access.