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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The word quality comes up all the time, but we seldom take the time to reflect on what it means. When we think of quality, it could pertain to any number of things. The quality of a doordash delivery, the quality of the roads in your neighborhood, the quality of the air we breathe, or […]
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Teaching the children we work with the importance of giving back to the community is a cornerstone of the work we do. This could be intergenerational programming, service learning projects, or the performing or visual arts. Creating community connections has positive benefits not only for the children served, but also for the larger community. When […]
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The cold winter months have given way to moderate temperatures over the last few weeks. Children and staff want to get outside, to run around, play games, and get some sun and muddy shoes. While we take in the warmer days, we know summer is not far away, fall remains off in the distance. Just […]
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