Workshops & Webinars
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & NETWORKING
MAKING CONNECTIONS IN WYOMING
Afterschool programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, and give working parents peace of mind. They help children learn, grow, and reach their full potential, offering new learning opportunities that help students do better in school and in life. Children in afterschool programs attend school more often, get better grades, and are more likely to graduate. Afterschool providers connect to young people across the state of Wyoming. To encourage professional development and networking, the Alliance offers opportunities to convene and to learn from each other.
Celebration of Learning
Mark Year 1 of the RIDE Student-Centered Learning Pilot
Wyoming’s Future of Learning is inviting all Wyoming school districts to participate in a special opportunity to celebrate the transformation and learning taking place in districts across the state in Year 1 of the RIDE Student-Centered Learning Pilots. The event will be held Friday, May 3 from 9:00am-3:30pm at Central Wyoming Community College in Riverton. This unique convening will foster celebration, conversation, and collaboration around shifts in learning, practices, and policies that support a more student-centered approach in Wyoming’s K-12 schools. Download the PDF invitation: click here.
WYAA Session: Cultivating connections across our small town with long streets. What might be possible if we worked better together?
Please join us from 12:00-1:30pm to think together about your aspirations for student success in your community and explore how we work better together to broker the resources in your community, that can help you get there. In this interactive discussion, we’ll delve into the intersection of education and community to create enriched learning environments. Attendees will consider how to effectively tap into community assets and to connect to resources further afield to enhance educational experiences.
Asking Purposeful Questions
Exciting Professional Development Opportunity from WYAA and ACRES
WYAA Program Associate Emily Vercoe is leading the ACRES training on Asking Purposeful Questions for out-of-school time (OST) professionals and volunteers. The training is designed for educators who would like to grow in their practice in facilitating STEM learning within a supportive community.
Would you like to learn more about upcoming sessions? Complete the simple online form! Click here.
Participants:
- build skills in connecting and communicating with youth,
- do some STEM stuff as a group and on your own, and
- reflect on your own practice in a brave space!
The training will be held in three two-hour sessions over Zoom. Some work will be conducted asynchronously for a total contact time of ten hours. Participants are expected to join all three sessions and be active members of the coaching cohort. Completing Asking Purposeful Questions is a pre-requisite for exciting ACRES Trainings!
Registration is free!
ACRES is a nationally acclaimed coaching program that is a project of the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA) that builds knowledge, skills, and confidence among participants who are interested in facilitating STEM experiences. While the program is designed for afterschool and out-of-school time educators, anyone with an interest and desire to learn more about ways to connect with youth is welcome to join! Learn about the organization at acrescoaching.org.
Thanks to funding from the National Science Foundation grant #2115229, #1713134, and STEM Next Opportunity Fund. This training supports the mission of the Million Girls Moonshot.
Ask about PTSB and STARS Credits! For more information, please contact Emily, emilyv@wycf.org or 307-721-8300.
Leaders Learning Network
Afterschool professionals and volunteers are creative and resourceful. This fall, the Wyoming Afterschool Alliance invites dynamic youth professionals to a series of conversations that will introduce evidence-based practice through concrete examples in action, showcase innovation and ideas happening in Wyoming, and cultivate connections among peers across the state.
October 26: The Use of Trauma Informed Practices – Watch the Recording
The first session was held on October 26 and highlighted the use of trauma informed practices in out of school settings. It began with an overview of trauma informed practice from Julia Cathey and then profiled the experience of the Boys and Girls Club of Douglas as Director Joey Burke worked to transitioning the club’s practices to a trauma informed organization.
Featured Resources
- Laurence Steinberg – Age of Opportunity
- Alex Korb, PhD – The Upward Spiral
- Wheel of Life
- NAA – The Afterschool Guide to Trauma-Sensitive Practices
- Afterschool Alliance – Building a Trauma Informed Care Approach for Afterschool
- HHS – Workplace Well Being
- Wyoming Community Foundation – Grants
November 9: Building Powerful Partnerships – Watch the Recording
What if we invest in connecting systems and supports so that all young people can reach their highest potential? This is the compelling question posed by the School Superintendents Association in their Power of Partnerships initiative. Over the last two years, our systems have shown that they are flexible and agile. We now have new funding streams that make it possible to work toward that goal. Forming and sustaining strong partnerships takes intention and trying new approaches. Dr. Margaret Crespo, Superintendent of Laramie County School District #1 and Carisa Barnett, Director of Operations K-12 Programs for Teton Literacy Center shared their perspectives about the value of partnerships.
Featured Resources
- School Superintendents Association – Power of Partnerships
November 30: The Impact of Elevating Youth Voices – Watch the Recording
When young people are involved in meaningful opportunities to plan, implement and evaluate program activities they are more likely to stay engaged as they deepen their learning and skills. We gathered together to discuss ways that youth professionals can partner with youth to support strategies that promote young peoples’ agency and contributions to our communities. Artist and educator Aubrey Edwards spoke about the Youth Justice Institute – a paid program for Wyoming teens where youth participants learn how to investigate the inner-workings of Wyoming’s juvenile justice system and communicate what they have learned through multimedia arts projects. Dr. Susie Markus, Coordinator of the Wyoming Youth and Young Adult (YAYA) Council. The Council’s mission is to create an engaging environment among Wyoming’s youth and young adults to improve our health and well-being through connection to resources, education, community, and policy.
Featured Resources
- Laurence Steinberg – Age of Opportunity
- Risk and Protective Factors for Youth – youth.gov
- The Science of Resilience – Center on the Developing Child
- Street Data – Jennifer Gonzales
- YaYA Recruitment Flyer – Click Here
Mission: The Wyoming Afterschool Alliance is a statewide network working to create the conditions for young people to reach their full potential. We are a priority fund of the Wyoming Community Foundation.
Family of Funds
