Welcome! Welcome to the first edition of the Leadership Advisory Council Bulletin. We created this communication to keep you, the VPOST Leadership Advisory Council, up to date on the recent work of VPOST. This includes recent developments the staff and board have to share, but we also invite you to contribute with items of interest, which can be done by emailing Christine. We plan to distribute the newsletter a week prior to the Leadership Advisory Council meetings, allowing for us to go into the meetings informed and ready to use the short time we have together for active discussion and planning.
Updates from the VPOST Staff Virginia After 3 PM: In December, Afterschool Alliance released America After 3 PM 2020, which is a critical report based on survey responses from more than 30,000 American households. The data is broken down to state-level and therefore we have Virginia After 3 PM. Reports on Greater Richmond are also available. Overall, the Virginia results mirror the national survey findings, which show support for afterschool programs is strong, but the unmet demand for afterschool programs is soaring. Full national information on America After 3 PM can be found on the Afterschool Alliance's website. Virginia information is available on VPOST, as we are trying to raise awareness of this information, including the upcoming tweet chat on January 27th. We can use this data to tell the story of afterschool in our community and calibrate our approaches to service delivery. SAFE PLACE TO LEARN (SPL) PD Proposal: We have submitted a proposal to the Smart Beginnings of Pittsylvania/Danville for VPOST to host a 6 part, once monthly technical training for their vendors enrolled in the Safe Place to Learn Program. In this program, via the Ready Regions initiative, providers create virtual learning support centers for K-5 learners engaged in virtual learning. VPOST is currently awaiting a response from Smart Beginnings of Pittsylvania/Danville. Cypherworx: Christine and Blaire have been in frequent planning meetings with Cypherworx to reassess our approach to the structure of our contract and plan for engagement with the field. Look for updates coming soon.
STEM STEM Coalition: In alignment with the Million Girls Moonshot Grant, we are in the recruitment phase of starting the Equity in OST STEM Coalition. As the convener, VPOST is currently seeking coalition members with a dedicated interest in increasing access and quality of STEM-based out-of-school time opportunities for girls, non-binary youth, and other underrepresented groups. Our initial goal is to connect STEM OST providers across the state, gain an understanding of the landscape of STEM OST in Virginia and to share challenges and successes in engaging underrepresented groups in STEM. STEM Coaching Cohort: We have 22 people signed up for the Virginia STEM Coaching Cohort, which is being administered by ACRES (Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM), which will have its first meetings (day and evening) on January 14, 2020. DoS (Dimensions of Success) Observer Certification: Christine will be undergoing the process to become a Certified DoS Observer via the PEAR Institute. DoS pinpoints twelve indicators of STEM program quality in out-of-school time. Once certified, observers visit sites to assign ratings for each dimension that are backed up with evidence from the observation. Scores can then be aggregated across settings in particular geographic regions to look at trends or used for feedback and coaching at a particular site. The certification is good for 2 years.
Updates from the Sub Committees | 
