Afterschool and Math The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development has developed an article, Supporting High-Quality Math Learning – After School, that focuses on high-quality mathematics exercises conducted after-school to increase student achievement and improve attitudes toward learning math. It highlights six practices and identifies nine principles that should guide practitioners in their planning and designing of after-school math programs. Download the article.
Kid's PEAK Program REI and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics have joined together to develop the PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) program. Using a variety of games and activities, these free programs are designed to teach participants the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace. These are: 1. Plan and Prepare 2. Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces 3. Dispose of Waste Properly 4. Leave What You Find 5. Minimize Campfire Impacts 6. Respect Wildlife 7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors The goal of these principles is to encourage minimal impact in wilderness and natural areas and help ensure a positive and safe experience. To find out how to host an REI Peak presentation at your next youth group meeting contact Katie Ulvin, REI Outreach Specialist by phone at (401) 275-5250 ext 207 or via email kulvin@rei.com.
CATCH CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health) is an evidence-based Coordinated School Health Program designed to promote physical activity and healthy food choices, and prevent tobacco use in elementary school-aged children. By teaching children that eating healthy and being physically active every day can be FUN, the CATCH Program has proven that establishing healthy habits in childhood can promote behavior changes that can last a lifetime. Visit http://catchinfo.org/ for more information.
Children's Garden Network The Children's Garden Network (CGN) is a community of support - people, programs and resources - that provides information, guidance and services to Rhode Island's schools and youth organizations to assist them to build successful garden education programs. For more information visit http://www.childrensgardennetwork.org.
Rhode Island FarmWays Rhode Island FarmWays is a special initiative of the Rhode Island Center for Agricultural Promotion and Education (RICAPE), established to make our farms and nature based sites - on land and by the sea - more visible and accessible to people of all ages and interests. For more information visit http://www.rifarmways.org/.
21st Century Afterschool Science Project (21st CASP) Exploring Water Science curricula and facilitators guide are available online from the 21st Century Afterschool Science Project. The project was a collaboration among the New Jersey Department of Education, Liberty Science Center and the New Jersey School-Age Care Coalition (NJSACC), to develop, pilot test and document a replicable model to enrich student learning and engagement in the afterschool setting. Funding was from the 21st Century Afterschool Science Project. Visit http://www.state.nj.us/education/21cclc/casp/ for more information.
Dance Your Animal The Dance Your Animal program is a one-hour / weekly storytelling and movement program targeted for ages 7-12 (although it can be modified for older or younger students). Based on Native American practices of accessing one’s personal power and confidence by tapping into the positive qualities and characteristics of animals, students use movement and stories to get in touch with their inner guidance. This program is available for afterschool and for summer camps. For more information, please contact Janet Novack. Phone: 401-423-1321, email: janova.11@cox.net.
Exploratorium Digital Library Afterschool Project The goal of the Exploratorium Digital Library Afterschool Project is to bring more science and math enrichment into out-of-school time using resources from the Exploratorium's Digital Library, one of the many collections from the National Science Digital Library. Educators visiting the site will learn different afterschool activities through digital videos, concept maps, links to other STEM resources in NSDL, science explanations, educator tips, and related activities. Portable media in the form of a DVD is also available as well. For more information visit http://www.exploratorium.edu/afterschool/
More resources from Southwest Educational Development Laboratory!
AFTERSCHOOL TRAINING TOOLKIT FOR THE ARTS: This free online staff development resource includes video clips, resources, and lesson plans on promising practices in the arts.To access the toolkit please visit: http://www.stun1.com.
AfterSchoolPRO.net The website, AfterSchoolPRO.net , is a centralized, online resource for afterschool and out-of-school time professionals and programs. This new website will be your access point to an incredible array of information.
RI PBS offers video streaming for afterschool programs Rhode Island PBS is proud to be the first and only organization in Rhode Island offering video streaming services, a cutting edge technology that places a powerful new instructional tool in the hands of teachers, students, and afterschool programs. Video streaming features include: teacher and student access to 5,000 full-length videos and 50,000 clips of indexed curriculum over the Internet in areas of core curriculum such as life science and biology, earth and space science, physical science, chemistry, social studies, math, language arts and reading, health and prevention, general science, and early childhood; access to curriculum-based videos and clips in Spanish; samples of lesson plans, teacher guides, student activities, state Correlations, and online pre-tests and post-tests for students; access to the image library, clip art gallery, and the calendar of historical events; access to the quiz center, assignment builders, and writing prompts; access to thousands of samples of educational materials for teaching and learning; use of the Discovery Educator Network; annual video streaming utilization reports indicating the number of videos and clips downloaded by the school; and hands-on-training granting CEUs at no cost. If your after school program wishes to subscribe to video streaming services please email Eucation@RIpbs.orgor call Lourdes Pichardo at (401) 222-3636, ext. 382.
AFTERSCHOOL HOOPS available for afterschool programs
AFTER SCHOOL HOOPS is an after school basketball 6-8 week program for aspiring young players.The one-hour weekly instructional sessions combine fundamental skills instruction with organized team competition with the goal of providing an enjoyable and educational after school athletic event.AFTER SCHOOL HOOPS is conducted by skilled instructors that have been trained extensively to teach young players the game of basketball. All of the instructors recognize the importance of learning the fundamentals at a young age.For further information, please contact Frank Luca, Regional Director frank@1on1basketball.com or (401) 231-3808.
Afterschool curricula for grades K-12 A variety of educational curricula for afterschool programs are available for purchase through Great Source, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company.The web site is http://www.greatsource.com/and on the main page click on "afterschool".
Teacher's Resource Guide for Bike Smart and Walk Smart CD-ROM programs for children in grades K-3 Bike Smart and Walk Smart are interactive CD-ROM programs designed for children in grades K-3. They were produced, with support from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, by the Oregon Center for Applied Science. Using animations and video demonstrations, these self-paced programs are fun and engaging. They teach children the basic skills and knowledge they need to be safe as pedestrians and on their bicycles.Concerned parents, educators and safety officials were directly involved in the design and evaluation of Walk Smart and Bike Smart. Pedestrian/motor vehicle accidents are the most common cause of death from trauma for children 5-9 years old. These accidents most often occur while the child is walking along, playing in, or crossing the street. Non-fatal bicycle accidents represent one of the most common causes of serious brain injury in children--with more than 138,000 children under the age of 14 sustaining bicycle-related head injuries each year.The Resource Guide is available free for download at: http://childsafety.hcimarketplace.com
New Multicultural Youth Leadership Curriculum available!
We are pleased to announce the online release of the Multicultural Youth Leadership curriculum, a project of SOAR, helping kids reach for the sky.Multicultural Youth Leadership is a curriculum module for youth professionals to address culture, leadership, identity & empowerment with diverse youth ages 14-18.This curriculum is now available FREE online at: http://www.childrenandyouth.org/youthleadership. You can also receive a hard copy in the mail for free by contacting Debs Gardner at dgardner@uwkc.org .Although the curriculum is free of charge, SOAR asks that: 1) You recognize that the curriculum was developed by SOAR, helping kids reach for the sky in Seattle/King County, WA and 2) You share with SOAR your experiences and feedback about using the curriculum; contact information is below as well as on the website.
Curriculum and Contests for Active Kids
The National Football League and the American Heart Association have partnered to develop a new program, What Moves U, designed to encourage more active and healthy lifestyles for children and youth.The program offers a curriculum for educators and includes an interactive website for children asking them to share their favorite "moves," blog, play games, enter contests and win prizes.To access the site, visit www.whatmovesu.com.
Math Curriculum available for K-5 students!
Learning.com has developed a new web-based supplemental math curriculum, Aha!Math, for students in kindergarten through grade five.The program consists of interactive math problems and educational games, and includes a feature that allows instructors to track students' progress.More information is available at http://www.learning.com/ahamath/index.htm.
Real-Life Civics Instruction
C-SPAN recently announced a new initiative as part of its C-SPAN Classroom website.It will now offer weekly video coverage of the 2008 presidential race to help students understand the issues as they play out in the election.To access the website, go to http://www.c-spanclassroom.org/.
Free afterschool science and engineering resources from PBS’ Fetch and Design Squad
Part game show, part reality TV, FETCH! features real kids, real science, and an unreal host – Ruff Ruffman. (Yes, he is an animated, lovable, slightly neurotic dog.) Now with a second season on PBS, Ruff must step up to the plate and send the six new contestants on increasingly fascinating and hilarious escapades.And to top it all off, his boss has sent a cat intern to “help” him run the show from his doghouse! Go to http://pbskidsgo.org/fetch to play games, meet the contestants, and find out when FETCH! is playing on your local PBS station.
Make your kids feel like contestants on FETCH! by bringing the challenges home to your afterschool setting! With the FETCH! Challenge Pack, you’ll have all the tools to offer 12 FETCH! activities or run a FETCH! Club for 12 weeks! Kids can noodle with balance, train their brains, and create cars that set sail — to name a few! Each reproducible activity instruction sheet comes with science explanations and extension activities (for kids who finish early). Many activities are available in Spanish and all use inexpensive and easy-to-find materials. The pack also includes a tip sheet to help you prepare and lead the activities.
Order your free FETCH! resources by emailing fetchnews@wgbh.org. Please include your name, organization, mailing address (please indicate work or home address), and phone number.
Design Squad, a new PBS reality competition series, puts eight high school contestants into the engineering fast lane. In just 13 episodes, they tackle projects that just won’t work on the first try—from converting tricycles into dragsters to designing musical instruments for a rock band. But in the end, the contestants think smart, build fast, and eventually succeed! Go to http://pbskidsgo.org/designsquad to watch episodes online and find out when it’s playing in your neighborhood.
Bring Design Squad to your program so your kids can learn to think and build like the kids on the show! The Design Squad Educator’s Guide is here to help you with 10 hands-on engineering challenges that emphasize teamwork and creative problem-solving. Challenges include designing an electronic dance pad and building a sculpture that moves in the wind (without falling over!). The materials are inexpensive and easy-to-find (like tin foil, cardboard, and some simple electronics). The guide includes leader notes, discussion questions, reproducible challenge sheets, and a list of where you can find all the materials for cheap!
Order your free Educator’s Guide by emailing designsquad_feedback@wgbh.org. Please include your name, organization, mailing address (please indicate work or home address), and phone number.
Books Are Wings
Books Are Wings is a nonprofit program that puts free books in the hands of children from infants to teens.Books Are Wingsholds" book parties" in libraries, community centers, after school sites, parks, schools, daycare centers and many other fun, children-friendly places as a means to bring books into children's hands. Entertainment, refreshments, games and educational programs are often part of these great parties.For more information contact Jocelynn, Volunteer Coordinator, 603-767-8356, volunteerbaw@yahoo.com.
Afterschool Checkmate
The United States Chess Federation (USCF) provides many resources for afterschool programs interested in scholastic chess programs. Through membership, youth can participate in USCF-sponsored tournaments or more informally with intra-club games, school-to-school events, and online play using a variety of websites. Another resource, the "Think Like a King" chess software system, is an interactive tool, including a standardized curriculum, for coaches and students. For further information on USCF programs, membership and tournaments, visit www.uschess.org. For more information on "Think Like a King," go to www.schoolchess.com.
ReCharge!
The New England Dairy Council presents its ReCharge! Afterschool Program, a fun, innovative way to get kids moving afterschool. This program is based on the energy-in, energy-out concept for good health. Download their brochure in PDF format for more information.
F.A.S.T. Athletics symbolizes Fitness, Agility, Skills and Teamwork. We are an after school athletics program that teaches such sports as basketball, soccer, flag football, dodgeball, kickball, volleyball and cheerleading. Our programs run between 6 and 8 weeks, once a week for 1 hour. Students will learn skills associated with each sport and incorporate them into fun and exciting games at the end of each class.
Food Source Plus is a food and supply purchasing services and management consulting company which works exclusively with the non-profit, human service sector. Food Source Plus provides the best food and supply group purchasing value in the country. Food Source Plus professionals will perform an audit of your organization's food and supply purchases. Based upon the results, Food Source Plus will implement practical purchasing procedures and systems to enable management to make intelligent, cost effective decisions with regard to food and supply expenditures. Most Food Source Plus members realize 10% - 50% in annual savings.
Contact Julie Valladares the Rhode Island Food Source Plus Consultant @ 401-219-6615 or email: jvalladares@foodsourceplus.com.
Abrakadoodle art classes feature exciting visual arts projects that will inspire children’s imagination. The Abrakadoodle art experience engages children with creativity tools, and introduces them to artists, art vocabulary and the styles and techniques of the masters, while focusing on individual expression. We are dedicated to cultivating creativity in every child – not just the artistically gifted – through wide-ranging classes in painting, sculpting, drawing, collage, mosaics, and more. While Abrakadoodle emphasizes active learning, its presentation of children’s final projects using our own Frame Doodles has earned praise from parents and participants alike. Classes meet once per week, for one hour, for 5-8 week sessions. Other options are also available.
For more information, please contact Lucy Silva at (401)392-4278 or LSilva@abrakadoodle.com.
Revolution Prep is an alternative to the Princeton and Kaplan SAT preparation classes, with scholarships available. The benefits of a partnership with Revolution Prep include unlimited scholarships, fundraising opportunities and free test-taking workshops. Revolution Prep students receive comprehensive review of SAT problem types and strategies, 5 Full-Length Practice Exams administered in a realistic “Saturday Morning Proctored Environment”, personal attention from teachers and lessons that cultivate life-long critical thinking skills—not just “SAT Tricks”. For more information visit www.RevolutionPrep.com or download their brochure.
A mentoring program for boys and girls (ages 6 to 14) who have a parent currently in prison. Children are paired with mentors who will spend at least six hours each month with them, engaged in community-based activities. RISE mentors commit for a minimum of one year.Children in the program may also be eligible for scholarships, academic tutoring, high school preparation help and summer camps. Please call for more information. RISE is a non-profit community organization.
Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education (RISE) 17 Gordon Avenue, Suite 004, Providence, RI 02905 401-421-2010
Increasing Media Awareness and Encouraging Good Health The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has a new program geared toward educating 11 to 13 year olds about how the media influences the choices they make.Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! focuses on media awareness, media production, nutrition and physical activity.This health promotion program encourages children to think critically about the images they are presented with and how these images can affect their decisions about nutrition.For information on the program, visit www.nichd.nih.gov/msy.To order a free kit, please contact NICDHInformationResourceCenter@mail.nih.gov or call 1-800-370-2943.
Reading and Telling Stories with ChildrenAll the evidence points to the fact that children who hear stories frequently often read at an earlier age. Even as kids get older, reading or telling stories is a great way to build connections and stretch the synapses. Storyteller and author Mark Binder leads workshops on "Reading and Telling Stories with Children" and many other topics. For more information about Mark Binder's storytelling events, cds and books, please visit www.markbinder.com/
The InLight Project
A program for afterschool programs aims to encourage adolescents’ development of new and traditional literacies (including visual and media literacies as well as traditional reading and writing), pro-social relationships/community engagement, and self-esteem through documentary photography production, writing lab, and intensive small group process.Typically, a small group of youth (8-10 in number) engage in a 12 week program that meets at least 4 hours per week, either after school or as a small group during school hours.Skills and capacities are developed as the group’s members explore their personal identities, communities and experiences through documentary photography and writing.Emphasis is placed on the commonality of experience between group members.The group concludes with a public showing of the young peoples’ images and words.For more information contact Cary Donaldson at 401-432-6684 and cary4444@hotmail.com or caryd@post.harvard.edu.
Social Justice Math Website
A new website called RadicalMath.org has been launched to support K-12 math teachers in helping their students develop mathematical literacy through learning to understand and address community problems.Packed with over 750 standards-based lesson plans, articles, data sets, and graphs that are searchable by both math skills and social justice issues, RadicalMath.org is hoping to revolutionize the way that people think about mathematics education in this country. Visit www.RadicalMath.org for more or email info@radicalmath.org Contact: Paul Berger; 541 349-4822 Direct ; 866 846-4880 Toll-free; pberger@hcimarketplace.com
Interactive Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Skills Programs
HealthComm Interactive, Inc. announces release of two multimedia CD-ROM programs, Walk Smart and Bike Smart. Both programs are designed for children in grades K-3 and were produced, with support from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, by the Oregon Center for Applied Science. Using animations and video demonstrations, these self-paced programs are fun and engaging. They teach children the basic skills and knowledge they need to be safe as pedestrians and on their bicycles.Detailed information, including research evaluation reports and program sample clips are available at www.childsafety.hcimarketplace.com . Each program costs $19.95. They are available directly from HealthComm Interactive through the website or by calling 866 846-4880 Toll-free.
Kids4Broadway
Kids4Broadway offers afterschool theatre workshops in how to run a successful and engaging after school theatre program.The workshops are very pro-active and hands-on, with the staff members receiving training in and performing the very activities they would be teaching their students. Improvisations, pantomimes, theatre games, emotions, vocal exercises, etc. are all included. For more information, visit www.kids4broadway.com
Afterschool Community-to-Business Toolkit available.The Afterschool Community-to-Business Toolkit includes: Q&A with Corporate Voices President and CEO Donna Klein where Klein offers tips and insight from her more than 25 years in business; "After School for All: A Call to Action from the Business Community," outlining the critical components of a high quality after school program; statistics and information about why business should care about after school programs with an emphasis on the impact of after school programs on lower-wage working families; case studies and profiles of successful after school advocates working with business; an after school resource guide with a list of organizations that can provide information on after school programs that are successfully serving working families from around the country. For a DVD of the After School Toolkit please contact Susan Holbrook at sholbrook@cvworkingfamilies.org or call 202-333-8922.
Nurturing Participation/Achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) The IBM Corporation, New York Hall of Science and Association of Science-Technology Centers have created two new online resources – www.TryScience.org and www.TryEngineering.org.They offer experiments, and science and engineering activities, for teachers and students to share. The websites also offer online field trips to science museums and laboratories worldwide. IBM Corporation has also created www.Mentorplace.org, an online resource that matches adult science professionals with students interested in science careers.
The Algebra Project provides resources and programs to improve the math literacy of minority students, including curriculum that is relevant to real life situations youth may encounter, professional development for educators and advocacy at the national level.For more information, visit www.algebra.org.
The Heritage of America Educational and Cultural Foundation has launched a free online version of Aprendamos Mathematica, a Spanish-language course for students in first through third grades.The group has created a beta website hosting free podcasts of each of the program's 450 lessons of 24 to 28 minutes each.The lessons are based on APREMAT/USA, a Spanish radio-based math course.For further information, visit www.apremat.org/bienvenidos.html.
Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc. is offering the new, award-winning, We Count Pedometer Walking Program, which includes a leader manual, ten-minute mini-lessons on physical activity and nutrition, a student newsletter, a parent newsletter, walking logs and certificates.For further information, visit www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/pedometers.htm.For grant writing assistance in the implementation of this project, visit www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/grants.htm.
The Small Business Administration has joined Junior Achievement in promoting youth entrepreneurship by expanding student activities on the "Mind Your Own Business" website.New features include suggested group activities teaching the fundamentals of business ownership and a guide for volunteers assisting teens.In addition, the site provides general information on how to begin and run a successful small business.For more information, visit www.mindyourownbiz.org.
Promoting College Access for First Generation Scholars: What Kids Can Do, Inc. has launched a new online resource site for youth who are the first in their families to go to college.The website provides advice for youth, resources on how to make the college application process less daunting, and planning checklists for students in ninth through twelfth grade.To access the site, go to www.firstinthefamily.org.
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Healthy Lifestyle Choices (HLC) has developed a program dedicated to reducing risk behaviors in children and youth such as poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, unintentional injuries and substance abuse.The HLC Behavioral-Health Curriculum for grades K through 6 has proven to significantly increase health knowledge and actually change youth behaviors.The program is easy and fun. It can be taught in an after-school or summer camp setting. This curriculum meets all National Health Education standards and can help meet the requirements of the USDA wellness mandate.Please visit www.hlconline.org.On the website, you will find an overview and trainings that will walk you through the curriculums.Or request a 60-day review from our publisher Kendall/Hunt at 800-247-3458 ext.4.
