VPOST Conference details and more available in your January VPOST News!

- Tweet0
- 0
- Pin It 0
- 0
- Subscribe to RSS
Subscribe

Subject: VPOST Conference details and more available in your January VPOST News!

Join us on March 27th in Blacksburg, VA!

VPOST will be returning to an in-person event in Blacksburg, VA on March 27, 2023, for our 14th annual conference, Future Ready, Starts Today. This year’s conference theme speaks to the need to prepare young people for a future we might not yet imagine while recognizing the importance of the here and now. Registration coming soon!

RFP Closes Soon

Does this idea speak to you and do you have an area of expertise to share with the out-of-school time community? VPOST is looking for those that have insights, proven strategies, inspiration, and innovations in the field!

Full details are in the Request for Proposals, which are due January 16, 2023.

View the RFP

Sponsors and Exhibitors Info Available

Sponsorship and Exhibition opportunities will be coming soon. Questions can be directed to Christine Jones Monaccio, Professional Development and Quality Coordinator at Christine.jones-monaccio@v-post.org.

View the Opportunities

January is National Mentoring Month!

Join MENTOR Virginia and supporters across the nation for a day of mentoring advocacy! Capitol Hill Day is an opportunity for Members of Congress and their staff to connect with mentors, advocates, program staff, and young people to talk about the critical issues facing the nation's youth and ways to expand access to quality mentoring relationships. The deadline to sign up is January 13th! This event is free and open to the public.

Learn more about resources and events for mentoring month at https://mentorva.org/

On Friday, Dec. 23 the House passed an omnibus appropriations bill and the president signed the bill into law. It includes an increase to $1.7 trillion from the $1.5 trillion for FY 22 including increased afterschool and summer learning funding. The omnibus spending bill appropriates a $40 million increase for the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative. This is in addition to a $50 million one-time increase for 21st CCLC that was included in the Bipartisan Safe Communities Act that passed in June. While the additional funding is appreciated by the out-of-school-time field, it is not sufficient to meet the increased demand for quality afterschool and summer learning program. Full details here.

Up to $100,00 in Afterschool Grant Funding!

The New York Life Foundation is seeking applications from afterschool, summer, or expanded learning programs serving underserved middle-school youth. In total, $1.8 million in grants will be awarded to programs all across the country.

Grant categories:

$100,000 Level
- Ten (10) grants of $50,000 per year over the span of two years (for a total award of $100,000) will go to OST programs with annual program budgets of $250,000 or more and annual organizational budgets of $500,000 or more.

$50,000 Level
- Ten (10) grants of $25,000 per year over the span of two years (for a total award of $50,000) will go to OST programs with annual organizational budgets of $250,000 or more.

$15,000 Level
- Twenty (20) awards of $15,000 over one year will go to OST programs with annual organizational budgets of $150,000 or more.
  - Ten (10) will focus on racial equity and social justice, and
  - Ten (10) will focus on youth well-being.

Applications are due February 1, 2023 at 5 p.m. ET. Learn more about the grant application, view the RFP, and submit your application.

Level the Playing Field collects lightly used and new sports equipment and redistributes it to youth programs, leagues, and schools serving under-resourced youths and communities.

Programs that are interested in receiving equipment must serve economically disadvantaged children, and provide free or low-cost service to participants. Athletics should be a component of a comprehensive program. Programs that receive equipment would need to coordinate the delivery of equipment from Silver Spring, MD.

For more information, including how to apply please click here. Questions can be directed to Daniel Griffin at daniel@levelingtheplayingfield.org

It's time! The National Afterschool Association (NAA) is excited to announce their annual conference: You. Us. All. Together We Shine. Taking place in sunny Orlando, Florida, from March 19-22, this is the perfect event for powering human connections, inspired learning, and meaningful recognition for OST professionals! VPOST, as the state affiliate, will be leading the Virginia meet-up and delegation. Registration is officially open and you can register here.

Deadline Extended!-Power of Us Workforce Survey: Calling All Youth-Serving Professionals and Volunteers

Every person who works with young people is committed to helping them thrive. Through the Power of Us Workforce Survey, youth-serving professionals and volunteers can contribute to a national effort to explore, define, and elevate their profession.

Virginia just needs 20 more responses to meet our goal and obtain vital data on the workforce used to advocate for the field. Can you help us meet our goal by taking the survey? You will automatically be entered into the monthly drawing where 10 participants will receive a $100 Amazon gift card.

Take the survey today! www.powerofussurvey.org

Virginian Pilot Online

Opinion: Local Boys & Girls Clubs lift kids to brighter futures

by Kevin Will

December 17, 2022

At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia, we see every day the inequities and roadblocks facing our country’s young people. It’s with that in mind that we commit to providing every child the opportunity for a better future, no matter their background, and assuring success is within reach for every young person who enters our doors and that everyone reaches their full potential. But we can’t do it alone.

Boys & Girls Clubs provide safe places where young people can learn and grow. We believe every kid and teen deserves access to experiences and opportunities that change their lives for the better — regardless of their socio-economic status, color of their skin, or other factors that contribute to inequities. Through caring mentors, innovative programming and an unwavering commitment to safety, clubs across the nation do whatever it takes to support youth on their path to a great future.

With youth spending more time out of school than in, access to afterschool programs can make a considerable difference in their lives at the present and in the future. Decades of research shows that afterschool programs help kids learn, grow and be safe. Access to quality and impactful afterschool programs is an economic, moral and national imperative for our country.

Whether through tutoring and homework help, access to technology, college and career readiness programs or skills development, Clubs have an outstanding track record of helping young people make academic strides. The success of our programs can be seen by the achievements of our youth, as we guide them along the road to high school graduation, with a solid plan for the future.

Here in Southeast Virginia, 100% of our club members graduate from high school, 97% found a mentor or role model at the club and 82% of members plan to further their education at a community college or four-year university.

We also know that investment in after-school opportunities creates impact in local communities, especially for working families that rely on Boys & Girls Clubs as a means to be employed full-time. Every $1 invested in a Boys & Girls Clubs returns $9.60 in current and future earnings and cost-savings to their communities.

“Whatever It Takes” is our mantra — our promise — as we help kids become their best selves on their paths to great futures. Focusing on six key areas, we create safe places; provide caring mentorship; meet youth mental health needs; bridge the workforce readiness gap; champion diversity, equity and inclusion; and ensure our youth advocacy elevates issues impacting youth.

Our kids’ success isn’t just on the president or Congress or our state legislature. It’s on all of us to move the needle for youth in America, creating real opportunity based on kids’ potential — not on the circumstances that surround them. Our young people are the promise of tomorrow. Prioritizing and investing in afterschool time not only leads to better outcomes for our kids, but also to a healthier, safer and more prosperous nation.

The Boys & Girls Club movement needs you. Without volunteer, partner and alumni support, millions of America’s youth would be left on their own during critical out-of-school time. Be a part of the Boys & Girls Club Movement. Visit us at bgcseva.org to learn more about volunteering, donating and supporting.

Kevin Will of Virginia Beach is the president and chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia. He has been with the Boys & Girls Clubs movement since 2016 and serves as president of the Virginia Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs.

Donate

Subscribe

Subject: VPOST Conference details and more available in your January VPOST News!