College and Career Readiness

Have you heard about the great work Dr. Julie Mendoza and her team are doing in El Monte, California to link parents and youth to information about preparing for getting into college and being career ready?  It is truly amazing!  She and her team have created resources that you can use in your program for…

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Tips for the End of the Year

It’s hard to believe that you are nearing the end of the school year.  It seems like we just began, and yet, it is April.  Here are eleven things you might want to consider to make the End of Year (EOY) run more smoothly. Plan any end-of-year student activities and begin communicating about them to…

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Inquiry-The Cornerstone fo Homework Support

Have you ever heard someone say, “Curiosity killed the cat.”  While this may be true for cats, it is absolutely not the case for our students.  Curious students are learners, young people who are interested in finding out how things work.  The opposite of these curious students are passive and show little initiative—actually they usually…

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In Support of the School Day

One of the most important roles of after-school programs is to support the good work of the school day.  Each student who participates in the after-school program is directly linked to the expectations of the school day, whether that be in homework, behavior, or improved academic performance.  Helping to create a seamless day for each…

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Advocacy

Before you know it, the 2020 elections will be here.  The right to vote and to let your voice be heard, is a right that many people take for granted.  That is unfortunate, because if we do not exercise this right, it will someday atrophy and no longer be available to us.  This year’s election…

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Developmental Assets–Commitment to Learning

One of the most important things that young people can do is make a commitment to learning and developing the knowledge and skills they need to be successful as an adult.  Commitment to learning is foundational in the 40 Developmental Assets and is the category of the first Internal Asset cluster.  Many times, when young…

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Setting Goals

There is a part in the story of Alice In Wonderland at which Alice has come to a fork in the road.  The Cheshire cat appears and Alice asks, “Which way should I go?”  The cat asks, “Where do you want to end up?” and Alice responds that she doesn’t know.  The cat then remarks,…

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Sharing Space With Teachers

If you grew up with a sibling and had to share a bedroom with them, you know how challenging it can be to share space.  There is something about having your “own” space—where you are 100% in charge and the decisions about what goes where are yours, and yours alone.  For years, classroom teachers have…

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Foundation for High-Quality Expanded Learning Programs

The Quality Standards for Expanded Learning Programs were published recently.  You can find the full document on the California Afterschool Network website.   The standards identified are: Safe and supportive environment Active and engaged learning Skill building Youth voice and leadership Healthy choices and behaviors Quality staff Diversity, Access and Equity Clear vision, mission and purpose…

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