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The American Rescue Act has provided substantial funding that can be used for afterschool and summer enrichment. The Afterschool Alliance has created a resource providing guidance on how afterschool programs can access funds from local school districts.

The Afterschool Alliance has developed a staff recruitment toolkit aimed at helping afterschool program leaders recruit qualified staff. The toolkit includes tips and resources related to marketing, funding ideas to manage staff pay, and messaging.

The U.S. Department of Education’s You for Youth (Y4Y) technical assistance team has created a four-part webinar series for new 21st CCLC leaders. Topics in the webinar series include an overview of the 21st CCLC program, intentionally designing activities, program management, and hiring and onboarding staff.

Volunteers can strengthen a 21st CCLC by expanding a program’s offerings, increasing adult-to-student ratios, increasing student access to experts, and more. This two-part webinar series from the U.S. Department of Education’s You for Youth (Y4Y) team shows 21st CCLC professionals how to engage, train, manage, and retain fantastic volunteers in every type of geographic location. Throughout the series, participants hear from experts and program leaders on strategies for maximizing the power of volunteers.

A new report on summer learning programs finds that high-quality summer programming can produce meaningful benefits for students, especially for students who can attend regularly and for consecutive summers. The report also includes implications for policy and implementation, including providing academic supports, program duration, and providing high-quality programming.

Are you looking for ways to make sure virtual programming remains engaging for students, their families, and staff? This two-part webinar series from You for Youth (Y4Y), the U.S. Department of Education’s web portal for 21st CCLC programs, has you covered. The series explores tools and strategies for consistency and student interaction. It also showcases tools like virtual field trips and scavenger hunts that programs can use for family engagement.

Mizzen by Mott is a new free-of-charge app for afterschool professionals. The app provides age-appropriate content in academic and enrichment areas, with activities for large- or small-group in-person settings or at home. Mizzen also provides tools for scheduling, organizing, and communicating with your afterschool team. Finally, the app includes pro tips from experts. Free login is required.

Staff training remains an integral part of a thriving afterschool program. Afterschool Matters Dialogue: Approaches to OST [Out-of-School Time] Staff Training, a new webinar from the National Institute on Out-of-School Time, explores strategies for remote and in-person staff training. The webinar features perspectives from several afterschool leaders, including examples of how they have modified staff training during remote programming.

If your afterschool team is meeting virtually, you can still offer meaningful, engaging professional learning opportunities for your staff. This article from Edutopia lists key elements for designing remote professional learning. It also provides examples and links to resources.

Every year, college students work in summer and afterschool programs, but they rarely continue as career professionals in the field of expanded learning. “The Value of Mentoring,” an article in AfterSchool Today, the National AfterSchool Association's official publication, explores the role that professional mentoring plays in encouraging young expanded learning staff to become career professionals. The article outlines the traits of good mentors and mentees and explains how mentoring represents an investment in afterschool programs.