Simple mini SEL lessons to make afterschool snack time fun Teaching children gratitude can be trick thing. Even adults have a rough time remembering to be grateful. We get caught up in our daily lives and forget to be thankful for what we have. Watch- Kid President’s 25 Reasons to Be Thankful! It is a […]
Read More
What Will You Do to Save the Planet? Take the #GeoChallenge! Did you know that 500 million plastic straws are used every day? Eight million tons of plastic flow into the ocean every year? We need creative and actionable ideas from young people to literally save the planet.
Read More
Have you ever heard something that shifted your perspective? While away at an afterschool conference, I acquired one of the most valuable pieces of wisdom on parenting that continues to guide me now. When I attended the workshop at the conference, I was a young single parent raising a seven-year-old daughter. I worked from 8:30 a.m. […]
Read More
Parents Line up for South Windsor Before and After School Program. We all saw this headline in Connecticut last spring. Parents lining up from the wee hours in the morning to get their child into one of the few after school programs in the town. Most of them wasted their time and ended up on […]
Read More
If there is anything I’ve learned at the Network it has been the deeper meaning to most of the things we do here. Ken created a new version of CLASP he calls “SUPER CLASP” (really known as “Moving toward Mastery”). He’s a funny guy and pretty darned smart….but humble. I’ve been trying to figure out […]
Read More
NEW (FREE!) LEARNING RESOURCES FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC & MOTT FOUNDATION Real-world problems call for critical thinking and real-world solutions and afterschool programs are a great place for kids to learn, collaborate, and figure out how to make their communities better. The Mott Foundation and National Geographic want to help afterschool programs open the world to […]
Read More
SAVE THE DATE! Educators Appreciation Day at Mystic Seaport Museum Saturday, October 20, 2018 (rain or shine) Join us for Educators Appreciation Day at Mystic Seaport Museum on October 20th. All teachers, administrators, homeschoolers, paraprofessionals, afterschool professionals, and their families (up to four people total with teacher ID) will receive free Mystic Seaport Museum admission.
Read More
Simple mini SEL lessons to make afterschool snack time fun During snack time, or whenever you need a short activity, have student watch the short animated film, “Soar,” set to Sia’s song “Never Give Up” With each new experience, growing young minds are always discovering and learning how to find their place in this big […]
Read More
Celebrate the 19th annual Lights On Afterschool Oct. 25, 2018! Launched in October 2000, Lights On Afterschool is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. The effort has become a hallmark of the afterschool movement and generates media coverage across the country each year. The Afterschool Alliance […]
Read More
A couple of weeks ago, I watched former Vice President Joe Biden, deliver an emotional and inspiring eulogy for Senator John McCain, who died of brain cancer at 81. Biden eloquently said, “John understood what mattered in life; trust and character.” This part of the speech resonated with my personal passion for character development. I […]
Read More
