...brings you a first aid course for mental health issues.
The 8-hour certification program by AHEC still has open spots for New London. Do not miss this important coursework! You will learn to understand and identify mental health problems in young people. This early identification and intervention can save lives and provide a safe and productive future for a young person in need of help.
Afterschool programs affect a wide range of youth outcomes. Join New York State Afterschool Network (NYSAN) to learn about existing frameworks of youth outcomes and measurement tools. Also, learn how to track these outcomes using a number of existing data systems that assist programs in measuring outcomes and collecting data.
Hear from the Greater Rochester After-School Alliance (GRASA) about how their community has come together to select common outcomes that all programs will measure and the process that they have used to determine those outcomes.
Building on these community-wide efforts, NYSAN has been involved in advocacy efforts around a statewide data system. Learn about the benefits that such a system might have for your state, and access advocacy tools that you can use in your efforts.
The Connecticut State Budget for the next year includes a substantial increase for after school and summer programs! Come hear about what happened this session:
2014 Legislative Briefing and Annual Meeting
of the Connecticut After School Network
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
The meeting will be held at the New Britain YWCA (directions below)
From I-84 East/West Take Route 72 East; From Route 72, take Exit 9 (Main St., Route 71); Turn right at light at end of exit ramp. The YWCA is located on the right across from the court house.
From I-91 North Take exit 22N (Route 9 North); From Route 9, take Exit 26 (Downtown New Britain). At the second light, turn left onto Chestnut Street. Turn left onto Elm Street. The YWCA will be on your right across from the court house. Please park in the YWCA's new parking lot at 19 Franklin Sq. If it fills up, overflow parking can be found on Glen Street or at the Courthouse Garage.
Interested in offering a fun, hands-on, STEM program to youth in out-of-school time?
Immersion, a program of JASON Learning, is offering complimentary professional development and curricular materials to youth service providers in its proven, ocean-themed, STEM academic enrichment programs to the following cities / towns: Bridgeport, Bristol, East Hartford, Groton, Hamden, Hartford, Meriden, Middletown, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Norwalk, Norwich, Southington, Stamford, Waterbury, and Windham. If your city/town is not represented, you are still welcome to register for a fee of $100.
Immersion will hold its next professional development workshop in our Nautilus Live program on Thursday, May 15 from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Boys & Girls Club of Milford in Milford, CT. Please see our FAQ document and workshop flyer for more information, including how to register for this exciting opportunity. Space is limited so act soon.
I came across a long lost article that was passed out by my Executive Director at a board meeting. I had the good intention of reading it but then totally forgot it as life got in the way. You all know what I mean. The article was written by Karen Pittman called “Caution: Expanded Learning Time ≠ Expanded Learning”. I initially skimmed it knowing the truth of the article that “expanding learning does not necessarily expand learning opportunities”. She advocates for balance and collaboration with the community. We need to build "skills and competencies that contribute to academic achievement and to overall readiness for successful adulthood". My daughter is going through teacher certification in Biology and Math. I was proofing her paper on several observations she did on high school classrooms in a very nice section of one of Connecticut’s towns (this will remain nameless). My daughter is a sharp cookie. What she observed should not be happening in any school (but we all know it does). Teaching by power point is a "go to" for many teachers, SMART boards and other technology languish. One teacher actively ignored a student’s questions in order to talk sports to others. Lecture and handouts ruled the classes, there was no variety. Many teachers were not tapping into their students’ willingness to learn. We do not need more of the “same” in expanded learning time, we need balance. We need to address the whole system and quit putting band-aids on it to make people feel good and hoping that we can stop the hemorrhaging just a little. We want our children to be actively engaged in LEARNING. I would recommend that you read Ms. Pittman’s article. It’s short but informative. You can find it here: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/afterschoolsnack/ASnack.cfm?idBlog=428287A7-FDCF-B4DF-DE04DA4C4298E6CA
