Showing Your Support

Not too long ago, we posted a story on our facebook/twitter pages about a group of middle-school youth who protested funding cuts to afterschool programs in New York City. After discovering that Mayor Michael Bloomburg had proposed cuts to afterschool programs in his preliminary budget, the youth took to the streets and marched on City Hall to advocate for themselves—an impressive and admirable reaction.

While not everyone can find time to hit the pavement in support of their favorite causes, there are other ways to show your support. In particular, sending a letter—even a form letter—to your congress -men and -women is an effective and relatively convenient way to have an impact.

In preparation for an important vote on afterschool funding, Afterschool Alliance recently put together an excellent example of an advocacy letter addressed to members of congress. If you would like to show your support for afterschool STEM, consider using/adapting the AA letter (attached below).

View the letter

Looking to Learn this Summer?

School may be out for the summer, but that doesn't mean that learning has to end. In fact, summer learning helps students maintain the essential skills that they gained during the school year. Research collected by the National Summer Learning Association at Johns Hopkins University found that young people experience learning losses when they do not participate in educational activities over the summer. Another study found that “parents consistently cite summer as the most difficult time to ensure that their children have productive things to do” (Duffett et al, 2004).

Summer presents a great opportunity for students to engage in informal learning through fun activities that take place outside of the classroom. By participating in fun and informal activities that combine science, art and sports, students keep their minds and bodies active and engaged. Many summer activities come in the form of camps and classes, which offer some structure and scheduling benefits for working parents, and allow students to participate in many kinds of activities during the summer.

Not a parent or guardian of a school-age child? You can still help encourage long-term learning by spreading the word about summer programs in your community. Consider volunteering your time or donating materials to an art or science camp.

A quick search of the National After School Science Directory found science-themed camps and summer classes all across the country for all ages and interests. Some highlights include:

• The 2010 Summer Archaeology Camp at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology in El Paso, TX, where students will learn “about the science of archaeology, its tools, and the prehistory of the Americas” (http://afterschoolscience.org/directory/opportunity/3169)

• All Girls All Math camp at the University of Nebraska, where high-school girls will learn about Chaos and Codes mathematics and work with female professionals in the field (http://afterschoolscience.org/directory/opportunity/714)

• The Caribbean Conservation Corporation Barrier Island Center Summer Camp in Melbourne Beach, FL, where 2nd-8^th grade students will learn all about island ecology and even get to adopt their own sea turtle (http://afterschoolscience.org/directory/opportunity/1459)

Still looking for a summer program for your child? Here are some tips for making the most of your summer:

• Look at informal learning spaces for unique summer programs. Museums, zoos, and aquariums often have summer camps and classes; teenagers and older students may be able to volunteer and work with younger students.

• Check out your local university or community college. College students and professors can act as mentors to your children by inspiring them with real science work.

• Don't be afraid to have your children experience something outside of their ordinary level of interest. Encourage them to try new things!

• You can encourage long-term learning by engaging with your child before and after their summer camp experience. Ask them what they learned and to share with you any projects that they bring home. Some camp instructors let adults come to portions of camp, especially at the end of the day. You might even learn something too!

Directory News!

With Categories, Your Opportunities Are Easier Than Ever to Find!

We've launched a new 'Category' feature that makes it easier for parents and professionals to locate your opportunities in the National After School Science Directory. Now, you can classify your opportunities as:

* Camps
* Competitions
* Exhibits
* Fairs and Festivals
* Overnights
* Professional Development
* Tours

Opportunities that are categorized will be better-optimized for search, and thus, more quickly found by users.

AND don't forget to login soon to add your summer opportunities before it's too late!

Afterschool Universe Announcement

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

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. The goal of the program is to introduce program leaders and students to astronomy and the universe we live in.

The program was developed in partnership with the DC Children & Youth Investment Trust Corp, and it is an approved resource for Great Science for Girls. General information is available at: http://universe.nasa.gov/au/. An independent review of the program is available on the Science After School Consumers Guide: http://www.sedl.org/cgi-bin/mysql/afterschool/science.cgi?resource=61

Applications are currently being soliciting 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 (in 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 – we assure you that this program has already been rigorously evaluated and this train-the-trainer effort will also be studied for effectiveness. There is more information about the required commitment in the application: http://universe.nasa.gov/au/trainer_training.html

Because the Summer is Fast Approaching...

This week we are featuring the timely message heralded by the National Summer Learning Association: When the school doors close for the summer, too many children lack access to quality educational and developmental opportunities as well as basic needs like healthy meals and safe places to be with adult supervision.

NSLA strives to connect and equip out-of-school time providers, like schools and community organizations, to deliver high quality summer learning programs to all of America's youth. The NSLA mission is complementary to the mission of the Coalition, and it is especially important this time of year-- In just a few short weeks, schools will let out for summer, and children will have hundreds of hours of free time lavished upon them. This time lends an exceptional opportunity for kids to explore and discover freely in informal learning environments.

We are working to get the message out about the importance of summer learning opportunities and make them accessible to more of the nation's youth. As part of the Connect a Million Minds initiative, the Coalition maintains the National After School Science Directory to help kids and families identify high quality science learning out-of-school time.

Help us by updating your organization's listings: directory.scienceafterschool.org

Also, locate opportunities for afterschool (and summer) science in your area: http://afterschoolscience.org/directory/