The Connecticut After School Network would like to recognize NAA’s Next Generation of Afterschool Leaders 2021 honoree Mackenzie Steadman! This annual honor is given by the National AfterSchool Association to recognize emerging leaders who are making a significant impact in the afterschool field.
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Engineering Mindset 6: Children apply Science and Math Knowledge to Problem Solving Engineers use knowledge of math and science to solve problems. They combine that knowledge with their own creativity to design technologies. Soooo maybe you’re feeling pretty good about engineering and you’re ready to share it with the young people in your life. You’re […]
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Engineering Mindset #4: Children Consider Criteria and Constraints that Require Tradeoffs If you’ve tried to solve a problem, or teach problem solving skills in a blue sky sort of format you are likely familiar with the expanse of the human imagination. Let’s consider something small like, you’ve got the day off. You just got up […]
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Week 4 Over the week leading up to the holiday, I spent a significant amount of time trying to get my technophobic father onto a more reliable video chatting platform. We got him a new laptop, specifically for the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas occasions. Our goal? Connect him to the family so we could all […]
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Engineering Mindset #1: Children Consider Problems in Context Considering and designing with the engineering design process In our last post about the properties and use of materials we talked about finding the right materials to find the best solution to any given challenge. The more you can understand the materials you’re working with, the smarter […]
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In collaboration with the Utah Afterschool Network and University of Utah, the Behavior Management Institute is designed to provide a system of support for attendees to understand students’ behavior, engagement strategies, and restorative practices as they apply to the crucial topic of behavior management.
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Week 3 In our Summer Enrichment program, I chose to read a chapter of L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz to the children each day. During Chapter 1, the group was very interested in the cyclone. Several children had never heard of such a thing and were full of questions. This led to an afternoon full […]
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Week 1-Positive Outlook: Reflections
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Week 1 There is no denying that the COVID-19 Pandemic has affected afterschool in a variety of ways; from scheduling and numbers to safety protocols to activities and interactions. It is very easy to focus on the negative effects, as COVID has seemingly thrown a big old virus-y wrench into the gears of the well-oiled […]
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Engineering Mindset #3: Children investigate the properties and uses of materials Exploring the Properties and Uses of Materials Our lives are filled with all sorts of lovely inventions that meet our needs with ease. We have lights, computers, tools to make projects easier. But how often do you pause to consider where they came from? […]
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