Through the years the term quality has been a cornerstone of excellence, something we always hope our programs are or take for granted that there are no glaring issues. Quality is like putting air in the tires of your program. When your car tires are full you get better gas mileage, when they are low […]
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Clean out your closets to help support the CT Network for Children and Youth. It is time to declutter and make room for the new. If you need a little inspiration, here is the nudge you need. For the next couple of weeks, go through your closets and drawers and bag up your gently used […]
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Staff are trained and the kids are back in school. The program has been running for a week or two now, and the summer planning you did to start the year is already beginning to take shape. Staff understand the expectations and implement the program activities with enthusiasm and fidelity to the why of what […]
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This October marks the 26th year of the nationwide Lights On Afterschool celebration. Each year thousands of programs and tens of thousands of children take part in events, recognitions, and community engagement. In 2022, along with partners, we started an annual event to kick-off the month, to give programs time to plan and prepare for […]
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As the summer winds down and sights start to get set on gearing up your afterschool program, many of the staff that worked those long hot days will be back for the school year. Summer provides the opportunity for staff to develop skills and build confidence in their work, connecting these to the afterschool program […]
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You may have already heard that the Federal Government is withholding $6 billion dollars in education funding. Part of this includes the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC), which is the only dedicated federal funding source for afterschool and summer programs. In Connecticut, that equates to thousands of children without a program to go and […]
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The New Program of the Year Award will recognize one afterschool program for quality excellence at our Afterschool Conference “The Power of Afterschool” on November 8th! So, what do you need to do to get recognized? First, you and your program staff take the Drive to Quality Pledge. Once you sign up, there are a […]
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When I used to work in the West Haven Community House summer program we would go on field trips five days per week. These trips kept the staff engaged, and while sometimes repetitive (like Indian Wells and Wadsworth Falls State Parks at least 4 times over the summer), everyone enjoyed their time with one another […]
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As the out-of-school time research base grows demonstrating the benefits of afterschool and summer programs, opportunities for growth and advancement in the field as a viable career have become reality. Organizations that were either small or non-existent 25 years ago are now major parts of the support system. These include the 50 State Afterschool Network […]
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The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) held a bidders conference May 14th, 2025 to release the 2025-2027 Request for Proposals for the State Funded After School Grant program. The purpose of this funding is to create programs that provide students with academic, enrichment and recreational opportunities designed to complement their regular school day, and […]
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