Welcome to the Illinois Quality Afterschool Quarterly Newsletter >
Afterschool Focus: Family Engagement >
Program Profile: Chicago Arts Partnership in Education Uses Research and Evaluation to Improve Programming >
News from the Field: Collaborative Programming Yields Impact >
Recommended Resources >
Information for Grantees >
Join Us Online >

Welcome to the Illinois
Quality Afterschool Quarterly Newsletter

We at SEDL are thrilled to be providing technical assistance and professional development to Illinois 21^st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grantees. We’ve met many of you at the spring conference and grantee workshops, and we look forward to getting to know the rest of you as we continue our work.
Learn more about SEDL. >

Afterschool Focus: Family Engagement

When families are involved in a student’s education, benefits for the student include higher grades, better attendance, improved behavior, and better social skills and adaptation to school. Afterschool programs can play a crucial role in encouraging parental involvement, often serving as a link between families and schools. Despite the importance of family involvement, many afterschool leaders find this area challenging. Here are some strategies to engage families in your afterschool program.
Learn more about family engagement strategies. >

Program Profile: Chicago Arts Partnership in Education Uses Research and Evaluation to Improve Programming

The Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) operates 21^st CCLC programs in six Chicago schools through its Supporting Communities in Arts Learning Environments (SCALE) program. SCALE connects in-school curriculum with afterschool arts activities through arts integration with core academic subject areas. While arts integration is a key part of CAPE’s work, research and evaluation also shape the organization’s mission.
Read about CAPE’s work. >

News from the Field: Collaborative Programming Yields Impact

This spring, students from five Chicago public schools participated in a unique program that allowed them to learn dances from all over the world and then perform them with peers from other schools. The result was a truly transformative experience.

The program was the result of a collaboration between the YMCA of Metro Chicago’s Community Schools Initiative, Dancing with Class, and Chicago Public Schools.
Learn more about Dancing with Class and the YMCA of Metro Chicago. >

Recommended Resources

Afterschool Training Toolkit for Literacy: Family Literacy Events

Family literacy events are designed to encourage parent and caregiver involvement in afterschool programs. This can be done by highlighting student work and providing helpful tools and tips for families to support students’ reading and writing needs. SEDL’s Afterschool Training Toolkit for Literacy includes an overview of family literacy events and resources for planning one at your afterschool program.
Access the Afterschool Training Toolkit for Literacy. >

Data Sharing Resources for Afterschool and Expanded Learning Programs and Systems

For afterschool programs and systems to be effective in serving children and their families, they need access to their own and others’ data. However, these programs and systems often face significant barriers in accessing, sharing, and learning from data across organizations. The Harvard Family Research Project has put together a set of resources that explore promising practices for data sharing in key areas: policy, systems building, ethics, sustainability, operations, and data use.
Read Data Sharing Resources for Afterschool and Expanded Learning Programs and Systems. >

Afterschool Matters: Spring 2013 STEM Learning

The Spring issue of Afterschool Matters, a publication of the National Institute on Out-of-School Time, focuses on issues related to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activities in afterschool. Article topics include competing models of afterschool STEM learning, effective STEM programs for adolescent girls, and implementing afterschool STEM resources.
Read Afterschool Matters. >

Information for Grantees

Important Dates and Events

• July 31, 2013 — PPICS Milestone 2 (Teacher Surveys, Activities, Attendance)
• August 15, 2013 — Webinar (Topic TBD)
• August 30, 2013 — PPICS Milestone 3 (Grades, Partners)
• October 31, 2013 — PPICS Milestone 4 (State Assessment, Objectives, and all additional parts of the APR must be certified as completed.)

Grants and Other Opportunities

Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chicago (JCCC) Foundation Grants. The JCCC requests proposals for the Student Development and Achievement Grant and the Japanese Language Education Grant for the 2013–2014 school year.  To qualify for the grants, an applicant must be a public or private school, or other organization with nonprofit status in the Chicago area (i.e. located in the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, or Will). For more information on eligibility and how to apply, visit the JCCC website. The application deadline is July 5, 2013.

Retirement Research Foundation Grants. The Retirement Research Foundation is devoted to improving the quality of life for older Americans. Through its grants, the foundation supports direct service, advocacy, education, and training programs for professionals working with elders, and research to seek causes and solutions to significant problems of older adults. Learn more at the Retirement Research Foundation website. Proposals are due August 1, 2013.

Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation’s Toolbox for Education Grant. Lowe's donates $5 million to public schools and public school parent teacher groups, impacting more than 1,000 different public schools per school year. Apply for the Toolbox for Education Grant and build on your already impressive parent group success with Lowe's. Increase parent involvement? Build stronger community spirit? Create a new school tradition? The ideas are endless. Whatever goals and dreams you have for your school, we can help you fulfill them! Visit Lowe’s Toolkit for Education to learn more. The deadline for the Fall 2013 grant cycle is October 15, 2013.

Illinois Arts Council Grants. The Illinois Arts Council program provides grant funds and support to established not-for-profit organizations that make a significant local, regional, or statewide impact on the quality of life in Illinois. Grants recognize arts programming of high quality that is appropriate to and reflective of the communities served and that broaden opportunities for the public to participate in the arts. Successful applicants demonstrate strong operations, stable management, ongoing assessment and evaluation, and a strong commitment to making artistic programs accessible and relevant to a diverse range of participants. Organizations must also show that their programs and activities have artistic, educational, and cultural value. Learn more at the Illinois Arts Council website.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Art Works Grants. Art Works grants are designed to support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts. Within this category, all Arts Education projects will have learning as their primary outcome. Innovative projects are strongly encouraged. Grants generally range from $10,000 to $100,000. The NEA has archived a webinar with an overview presentation and Q&A session on Art Works grants, and grant guidelines are available on the NEA website. The next deadline for Art Works grant applications is August 8, 2013.

MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Awards. Nominations for exemplary afterschool programs serving middle school youth will open August 14. Each of the five award winners will receive $10,000 for their program and be featured in the Afterschool Alliance’s 2013–2014 series of issue briefs and the Afterschool in Action Compendium. Information about the Afterschool Innovator Awards is available on the Afterschool Alliance website. The deadline for nominations is October 14, 2013.

Afterschool Matters: Call for Papers. The National Institute of Out-of-School Time seeks scholarly work, from a variety of disciplines, for the Spring 2014 issue of Afterschool Matters. Visit the Afterschool Matters website for submission guidelines. The deadline is July 12, 2013.

Join Us Online

Do you have a question for your afterschool colleagues? Would you like to know what’s going on in other Illinois 21^st CCLC programs? Join the Illinois Quality Afterschool Facebook Group.