| Save the Date: September 15, 2025
VPOST's 16th Annual Conference, The Heartbeat of OST: Relationships that Inspire, Empower, and Transform will be held at the Virginia Crossings Hotel and Conference Center in Richmond, VA on September 15, 2025.
Sponsor or Exhibit at our Conference
VPOST is searching for partnering organizations to sponsor or exhibit at our conference. We welcome companies and organizations with products or services that support and provide solutions for educators, children, and families. Get the Sponsor and Exhibitor Info Packet here. | | | | 2025 Flight Crew Application deadline is extended! The Flight Crew is a highly visible youth ambassador program led by STEM Next Opportunity Fund, elevating youth from every state who can speak about the power of STEM learning outside of school. ALL youth ages 13-18 are encouraged to apply! The application for STEM Next’s 2025 Flight Crew is closing soon on March 19th! We encourage youth ages 13-18, with experience in afterschool and summer STEM learning and an interest in public speaking, to apply today. APPLICATION FOUND HERE. What's new this year? ALL YOUTH, including boys, are encouraged to apply! This program is now nesting under STEM Next as a core initiative, versus as a program of the Million Girls Moonshot.
Questions about the application process? Reach STEM Next's team at flightcrew@stemnext.org | | | | Share your Shoutout for Afterschool Appreciation Week VPOST is celebrating Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week, April 21-25, to recognize, appreciate, and advocate for those who work with young people during out-of-school hours.
Join us by sharing your shoutout of a colleague or afterschool professional in your life here and we will feature them in our communications! | | Here are some other ideas on how you to show your appreciation: o Use the hashtag #HeartOfAfterschool to declare the difference Afterschool professionals make in the lives of young people. o Give a hand-written card from you and/or your child to the afterschool professionals you know. o Send an email to an afterschool professional's supervisor describing why that person is appreciated. o Make healthy or non-food treats for the staff at your afterschool program. | | | The proposed budget for Fairfax County Government eliminates the Fairfax County Middle School afterschool and its summer programs for middle school students. This impacts 27 programs, 25 outside organizations, and more than 23,000 middle school students and their parents. If you live or work in Fairfax County, we need you to contact your representative on the Board of Supervisors and School Board and convince them that this is not the solution. Send your message here. | | Proposed Changes to Childcare Exemption for Out of School Time Programs
A new bill impacting out-of-school time programs has passed the Virginia Senate and is awaiting the Governor's signature. This new bill updates childcare licensing rules in Virginia, specifically focusing on out-of-school time programs that serve school-aged children. It clarifies that certain programs whose organization is nationally affiliated and has established and compliant health and safety requirements similar to those found in the Code of Virginia, Childcare Licensure may be exempt from needing a childcare license. The bill requires that the Superintendent of Public Instruction establish a work group to review health and safety expectations for out-of-school time programs defined in this bill. The workgroup will include representatives of organizations, including VPOST. Read the full bill here. | | Jeanine Turner of Richmond Selected as National Ambassador | | The Afterschool Alliance's Afterschool Ambassador program identifies afterschool providers and advocates of special achievement and helps them raise their voices in support of afterschool. Each year, the Alliance selects just 12 to 20 Ambassadors from around the country. This year Jeanine Turner, Chief Impact Officer at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond (BGCMR), will serve as a 2025 Afterschool Ambassador. She will engage with community leaders and policy makers to organize events and in other ways grow support for the afterschool and summer learning programs that students and families rely on. “We are absolutely delighted that Jeanine Turner will serve as a 2025 Afterschool Ambassador for the Afterschool Alliance,” said Jodi Grant, Afterschool Alliance executive director. “This is going to be a pivotal year when we simply must continue the progress in making afterschool and summer learning programs available to more students, even as federal education spending is under scrutiny. We intend to continue spreading the word that afterschool programs are a wise, essential investment because they keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, and give parents peace of mind that their children are safe and supervised after the school day ends. Turner is exactly the kind of champion we need.” To learn more about the program head to Afterschool Alliance page and to read the full feature from Richmond Family Magazine click here. | | Policy Pulse Webinar Series | | Every second Friday at noon, Afterschool Alliance Senior VP of Policy, Erik Peterson, will recap the latest policy developments, what we know (or don’t know!) about how they may impact afterschool and summer programs, and what may be coming up next. Watch recent webinars and sign up for the upcoming ones here. |
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