Fun, fun, fun and Summer Learning

Join us in June for a fun day of tips, tricks, training, and information to kick start the best summer ever. Leave the day feeling better prepared and excited to give the kids in your program an incredible experience that infuses learning and hands-on fun.

There will be two convenient locations; one in Farmington and the other in Orange. For more information and registration click here.

Free Webinar - Helping Youth Thrive

Helping Youth Thrive is Job #1

Meeting Description:

In today’s culture of outcome measures, accountability, and standards many youth serving professionals and volunteers feel like the passion for their work (and the reasons they entered the field to begin with) is just a distant memory. In this webinar we will take a broader view of what matters in the lives of our young people by exploring practical research on the conditions and opportunities we can all nourish that help them to thrive. There is strong evidence that all young people, including those having experienced significant adversity, can benefit from our intentional, deliberate, and repeated actions to provide them access to “the things that matter.”

Join us to explore this hope-filled set of principles and consider simple strategies you can integrate into your practice, starting tomorrow, to help nourish these traits in the young people you serve.

Conference Audio:

Dial in number: 712-432-0075

Participant Access Code: 343 808

Details

Date:	Thu, Apr 17, 2014
Time:	11:30 AM EDT
Duration:	1 hour
Host(s):	The Maine Afterschool Network

Presenter Information

Tim M. Duffey

President and Co-Founder, Bolster Collaborative, Inc.

President, Vision Training Associates, Inc.

Tim Duffey co-founded Bolster Collaborative in 2013 with his wife and business partner, Donna. The new venture is an extension of work they have led in the field of Positive Youth Development through Vision Training Associates (VTA) for more than a decade. As a result of that work, VTA currently serves as a partner in the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, funded by the U. S. Department of Education.

Other areas of emphasis for their work in recent years have included providing staff to a research grant funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse and coordinated by RAND Corporation. A major result of this effort is the online e-learning modules highlighting the Assets-Getting to Outcomes. process. This information is available at www.bolstercollaborative.com/elearning.

Manage your Stress - Come one and come ALL

Ahhhh there's not much time!!!! I'm so STRESSED!

How many times have you said that to yourself?

Well.....there's a seminar coming up next week and there IS still time. AND this important seminar has been opened up to include your STAFF. So come one and come all. Learn to manage that stress and improve your relationships.

NEW - Director's Seminar Series - Series II

Stress Management and Improving Relationships

Date: March 28, 2014
Time: 9:00 - 1:15 p.m.
Location: Windsor, CT
Presenter: Michele Stewart Copes, MS, M.S.W. Consultant for The Connecticut After School Network

Workshop 1: Stress Management and Improving Relationships In this workshop participants will learn to identify common signs of stress in themselves, co-workers and family members. They will become familiar with the causes of stress and learn skills and strategies to reduce personal stress and be better able to help others and themselves navigate the needed relationships that create low-turnover, high-quality after school and expanded learning programs. This process will prompt a dialogue and a brainstorm of options to be able to improve relationships that may be impacted by stress.
Workshop 2: Strengths Based Planning This lunch seminar will discuss the use of the Holistic Strengths Model to conduct strengths based planning for youth and their families. Participants will learn how to utilize the Theory of Change for a continuous quality improvement process and will develop awareness and skills in the following areas:

Identification of Strengths, Needs and Culture.
The Development of a Strengths, Needs & Culture Discovery within the Wraparound Process.
Reframing Problems & Challenges into Needs.
Basic Steps in Developing a Strengths Based Plan
The Eight Youth Developmental Needs

For registration information, click here.

-->

NIOST Summer Seminars - Early Bird Special!

Save $175-Take Advantage of Summer Seminars 2014 Early Bird Rate!

Take Part in Out-of-School Time Professional Development Offerings at the Annual NIOST Summer Seminars

July 14-18, 2014
near
Boston, MA

As you plan ahead for 2014, be sure to include professional development opportunities at NIOST's annual Summer Seminars. For 2014, NIOST offers three popular seminars:

APAS (A Program Assessment System) - For those interested in program assessment, learn how to use the tools and receive your free copy. Read more>>

Advanced APAS Implementation - Take your organization to the next level in this interactive seminar where you'll practice how to collect and use data to strengthen your program and promote youth outcomes. Read more>>

Courage to Lead - A one-day leadership retreat to recharge and energize your focus and passion on your work. Read more>>

Take part in one, two or all three seminars designed to improve your skills and help you network with other youth-serving professionals. For detailed course descriptions, pricing, discounts and accommodations, visit our Summer Seminars webpage.

This year, our annual Summer Seminars will take place at a new location just a short distance from Boston at the Holiday Inn-Brookline. Learn more about accommodations here.

SAVE $175 NOW -Take advantage of our Early Bird rates by registering online before April 30th.

For questions, send an email to niost@wellesley.edu

CT Summer Funding Legislation Needs Your Support

http://www.artsforla.org/sites/default/files/Action%20Alert%20Graphic.jpg

HELP SUPPORT NEW FUNDING FOR SUMMER PROGRAMS

TESTIMONY NEEDED FOR PUBLIC HEARING MONDAY, MARCH 17

The Education Committee has scheduled its last public hearing for Monday, March 17th, 11 am in Room 2B of the Legislative Office Building. This may be our last chance this year to expand funding for summer programs.
We need people to testify urging the committee to add language that creates a new Summer Learning Grant to S. B. 476, An Act Concerning the Academic Achievement Gap.
POINTS TO INCLUDE:
At the top, include:

Testimony to the Education Committee
In Support of Summer Learning Grants to Close the Achievement Gap (S.B. 476)
March 17, 2014

Be sure to include your name, title, organization, and address if it's not on your letterhead.
Explain why these programs are needed, and what types of great activities would take place if your agency or your children were able to participate. You can include the following four points - be sure to add your own reasons and language to this:

There is a huge need for additional programs for children and youth in your community.
Summer learning loss is a major contributor to the state’s achievement gap.
These new grants, based upon the successful After School Grant program, would blend rigorous small-group academic instruction in reading and math with hands-on enrichment courses in science, technology, creative arts, and fitness and health.
Summer learning programs keep young people safe, help working families, and help students succeed in school and in life.

DETAILS:
If you can testify in person,
1) Please email Michelle Doucette Cunningahm at mdc@ctafterschoolnetwork.org. Let her know if you want her to sign you up to speak by choosing a number for you in the lottery that morning. There are 17 bills being heard, so it will likely go all day and maybe later, and she can email or call you and let you know roughly what time you would need to be there.
2) Email a PDF copy of your written testimony to EDTestimony@cga.ct.gov by 2:00 P.M. on Friday, March 14, 2014 and include the word "Testimony" in the subject line. If you can't make that deadline, you can email it to Michelle by the end of Sunday, so she can make copies and submit the hard copies when she signs you up. The first hour of the hearing is reserved for Elected Officials. Speakers will be limited to three minutes of testimony. All testimony will be available at http://cga.ct.gov/ed.
If you can send written testimony,
1) Please email a PDF copy of your written testimony to EDTestimony@cga.ct.gov by 2:00 P.M. on Friday, March 14, 2014 and include the word "Testimony" in the subject line. If you send it later, it will still be added to the on-line testimony archive to which legislators refer. Please cc Michelle at mdc@ctafterschoolnetwork.org if you think of it.
Need more info: Check out our website here.
Questions? Call Michelle at 860-794-4978 (mobile)
We'll likely do a call-in email out to everyone early next week to keep the pressure on the Education Committee if needed. Thanks!

Free Admission to Mystic Seaport

Mystic Seaport Educators’ Weekend: April 12-13, 2014 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Save the date for the 12th annual Educators’ Weekend at Mystic Seaport, featuring free admission for teachers, administrators, afterschool professionals, and their families (up to four people total with ID)! Learn more about our new website for teachers, primary source workshops and virtual programs, Planetarium programs, and much more. Download the registration form and fax the completed form to 860.572.5355, or fill it out and bring it with you that weekend.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014