Subject: VPOST October 2020 VPOST News: Lights on Afterschool and more!

Lights on Afterschool is October 22, 2020. Celebrate all week!

VPOST would love to hear from you on how you are keeping the Lights on Afterschool in Virginia. Share with us by emailing Professional Development and Quality Coordinator, Christine at Christine.jones-monaccio@v-post.org or tag us on social media @VPOST4VA kids on Twitter and @VirginiaPatershipforOutofSchoolTime on Facebook and use the #LightsonAfterschool

There are also a TON of national virtual events this year!

Tuesday, 10/20, 5:30 PM ET - Bring SEL to Life: Virtual Field Trip Watch & Play Party with Wings for Kids

Wednesday, 10/21, 5 PM ET - Youth Entrepreneur Day with the Ohio Afterschool Network, Venture Lab, & Young Entrepreneur Institute

Wednesday, 10/21, 6 PM ET - Draw with Young Rembrandts Art Activity

Thursday, 10/22, 4 PM- Tweet Chat on Twitter. Use #LightsonAfterschool

Thursday, October 22 at 6 PM. ET for the centerpiece event of our Lights On Afterschool celebrations: the Youth Town Hall.

Friday, 10/23, 3 PM ET - NASA & Million Girls Moonshot Host Live Q&A with Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli

Friday, 10/23, 5 PM ET - Mindfulness Session with Committee for Children

And don't forget to post your best #LightbulbChallenge photo to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! This year, Afterschool Alliance has new #LightsOnAfterschool Instagram filters that you're not going to want to miss out on using. Learn how to get them on your phone here.

Lights on Afterschool Events

Barbara Couto Sipe has worked in the Greater Richmond community for over 19 years developing several large-scale collective initiatives to improve the lives of children, youth, and older adults including Smart Beginnings of Greater Richmond and the Regional Age Wave Plan. Previously, as Vice President of Community Impact at United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg, Barbara directed staff teams and coalition efforts resulting in improvement and expansion of the scope of youth services across the Richmond area.

In 2013, the NextUp RVA Board of Managers hired Barbara as its first employee and Executive Director. Barbara has since led the organization through start-up to proof-of-concept to now a strong 7-year-old organization poised to accomplish its vision that all RPS middle schoolers have access to high-quality out-of-school-time learning experiences that engage them in school and keep them on track. Welcome to the VPOST Leadership Advisory Council, Barbara!

Brent Holsinger of VPOST's Leadership Advisory Council and On the Road Collaborative, acceptance into the RILEY INSTITUTE AT FURMAN 2020-21 AFTERSCHOOL & EXPANDED LEARNING POLICY FELLOW

Leaders across all 50 states are working together to grow and strengthen afterschool and expanded learning programs as the country’s education gap widens due to the pandemic.

Brent Holsinger of VPOST's Leadership Advisory Council and President and Founder of On the Road Collaborative in Harrisonburg, VA was just one of 16 afterschool leaders nationally selected by The Riley Institute at Furman University to participate in the White-Riley-Peterson (WRP) Policy Fellowship. Brent's fellowship will focus on expanding technology and broadband access across the Commonwealth. Read the full press release here.

Governor Northam Directs More Than $220 Million in CARES Act Funding to Virginia’s K-12 Schools

Governor Northam announced earlier this month a new allocation of more than $220 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act dollars to help K-12 public schools in Virginia. The funding will support COVID-19 preparedness and response measures for the 2020–2021 school year, including testing supplies, personal protective equipment, sanitization, and technology for distance learning. Funding will be distributed to all 132 public school districts using an allocation formula of $175 per pupil based on fall enrollment, with a minimum of $100,000 for each school division. Read the full press release here.

Calling all Richmond OST Programs: Complete the fall options survey.

The Richmond OST (Out-of-School Time) Alliance is developing a comprehensive directory of childcare, out-of-school time, and facilitated learning center options for families this fall. Complete the survey to give the Alliance a sense of your program design plans for this fall and get your information added to the directory. Contact Shanelle Ebanks, OST System Coordinator at OSTCoordinator@CFRichmond.org with any questions.

Virginia has recognized October as Disability History and Awareness Month (DHAM)

Virginia has recognized October as Disability History and Awareness Month (DHAM) and the Youth Credo: Disability history education and awareness will promote positive attitudes in schools creating a culture of mutual respect, understanding, and equal opportunities for all. Staff members from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, the Virginia Commonwealth University Partnership for People with Disabilities (VCU), the Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC), and the VDOE’s Training and Technical Assistance Centers (TTAC), continue to develop a variety of resources that can be used to promote and highlight DHAM in Virginia.

One of our favorite resources is the Sample Inclusion Project Activities developed by the youth leaders on the Inclusion Project Steering Committee, which are broken down by age group.

More info on DHAM can be found on the full press release here.

Rebuild Virginia

The Rebuild VA Grant Fund is a program to help small businesses and non-profits whose normal operations were disrupted by COVID-19. Rebuild VA grantees may receive up to 3 times their average monthly eligible expenses up to a maximum of $10,000. Applications became available on August 10, 2020. Learn more here.

Virginia Humanities Grants for Fall are Open

Virginia Humanities grants support projects that explore the stories of Virginia—its history, people, communities, and cultural traditions—as well as issues and questions that impact the lives of Virginians in the present day.

Any non-profit organization may apply for a Virginia Humanities grant. Projects of interest are those addressing the following themes:

Equity and Democracy
Amplifying Virginia’s Stories
Cultures and Communities in Transition

Learn more here!

COVID-19 Remote Learning Emergency Fund For Educators

National Geographic Society has launched an emergency fund for innovative educators who are designing instructional resources — whether in the classroom, teaching remotely, or a combination of the two. The fund will distribute support ranging from $1,000–$8,000 to individual educators, which includes informal educators, (or to an individual educator working in collaboration with other educators or National Geographic Explorers) to design instructional resources that help educators effectively teach in remote or hybrid learning environments. Applicants may use up to 100 percent of their budget as compensation for the time they devote to the proposed project, as well as the time of any co-creators. Learn more here.

Million Girls Moonshot Engineering Practice Support Equity Part III [three- webinar series]

Tuesday, November 10, 12:00 pm PST / 3:00 pm EST (Part III)

Participants will dive into part three of the critical features of an engineering mindset and will discuss specific ways to broaden the participation of girls in engineering.

Registration Link

Part III: https://bit.ly/3hwAIWJ

Equity & Inclusion in Afterschool: The Importance of Broadening Participation

October 20, 2020, 3:00pm-4:00pm EST

Experts: National Girls Collaborative Team

In this webinar, we will explore the Equity & Inclusion Framework developed for the Million Girls Moonshot, focusing specifically on the concept of Broadening Participation. Broadening Participation relies on strategies such as engaging the community and using data and evaluation to inform programming.

Registration: https://bit.ly/2GacqEx

Join the National Afterschool Association (NAA)

Did you know VPOST is the state affiliate for the National Afterschool Association (NAA)? If you have not already, join NAA, the national professional membership association for afterschool professionals and leaders. An Ambassador membership is a free, starter membership designed for entry-level and developing afterschool professionals. Join at or upgrade to the Executive level membership for just $99/year to receive benefits designed specifically for afterschool leaders.

Virginia Autism Council Lunch Webinar Series

This is a series of free webinars hosted by the Virginia Autism Council on the 3rd Wednesday of every Month from 12:00-1:30 PM

October 21, 2020- Trauma and Resilience Oriented Care at Home and in the Classroom with Dr. Allison Jackson
November 18, 2020- Helping Police and First Responders Better Communicate with People with autism with Christina Giuliano
December 16, 2020- A review of the 2021 Competencies with Sharon Jones & Daniel Irwin

The new Mizzen by Mott app helps afterschool programs serve kids wherever they are. Activities feature STEM, arts, music, and more. Supported by the Mott Foundation, Mizzen by Mott is free to download from your favorite app store.

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Subject: VPOST October 2020 VPOST News: Lights on Afterschool and more!

COVID-19 Remote Learning Emergency Fund For Educators