Ready News: March 8, 2022
March 8, 2022
Putting Data to Work for Young People: Bridging Practice and Research through Continuous Improvement
Every Hour Counts Webinar in collaboration with the Afterschool Alliance, National AfterSchool Association, the Forum for Youth Investment, and National Summer Learning Association
Thursday, March 17, 2022, 3:00-4:15 pm ET
In this webinar hosted by Every Hour Counts, participants will discuss why data collection is essential, how we can use data to advance equity goals, and effective practices for both. Every Hour Counts will also preview their newly released Measurement Framework and accompanying Guidebook, resources to help communities set a shared vision and process for using data for improvement—with a focus on advancing equitable systems—at the youth, program, and system levels.
Jennifer McCombs from Learning Policy Institute and the RAND Corporation and Anamarie Whitaker with the University of Delaware, who led the design of the Every Hour Counts Measurement Framework and Guidebook, will share useful tips on how intermediaries and out-of-school time networks can apply the measurement framework to their own continuous improvement processes. Participants will hear how one intermediary, Boston After School & Beyond, put the framework into practice. Femi Vance, of the American Institutes for Research, will share insights based on her observations of how organizations are staging their use of the Framework.
This webinar is made possible with support from The Wallace Foundation.
Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison Application Now Open
The Forum for Youth Investment is excited to share that the application is now LIVE for the SECOND Cohort of the Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison Program. The Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison program is a virtual program that will train participants in the skills required to successfully meet with members of Congress and their staff.
The program is open to current or former Opportunity Youth up to age 26 (Opportunity Youth are young people who have been disconnected from both school and work). Applications are open from now until March 16, 2022.
Congressional Liaisons will join online trainings twice per month, participate in short assignments and check-ins, and share their experiences with each other as they learn to be advocates for themselves and their communities, speaking up on behalf of Opportunity Youth to hold politicians accountable to the communities they serve. Congressional Liaisons will receive $2,000 through the course of the program upon completion of assignments.
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. On athletic fields, in afterschool programs, in libraries, in faith-based institutions, youth-serving professionals and volunteers are making a difference every day. 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. Take the survey today!
Help them Grow or Watch them Go: Strategies for Supporting Staff Wellness
Afterschool Alliance Webinar
Thursday, March 17, 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Research on successful out-of-school time programming identifies that positive impacts for youth and families are directly related to highly skilled and trained youth-serving professionals. In this moment, it is urgent for programs and the field to focus on attracting, selecting, and retaining high-quality staff, with an intentional priority on supporting healthy relationships and wellness with all staff.
This upcoming webinar will feature a presentation and interactive discussion with Dr. Robin Elliott, Associate Dean & Director of SEL at Long Island University, and Larry Taylor, Executive Director of Youth Development at YMCA of Greater Houston, in which they will discuss proven strategies to support front-line staff and help them stay centered while simultaneously working to recruit, hire, and retain new staff. After brief presentations, there will be a panel discussion facilitated by Elle Essenmacher with Harmony SEL and an open Q&A with the audience.