Afterschool Backpack 2024
What do you need in Your Backpack?
Fill Your Backpack with Tools to Help Cultivate Connections with Young People
Did you know that young people spend 80% of their time out of school? That’s a lot of time! With true collaboration among afterschool programs, schools, and community partners, we can meet the needs of kids and families today—and forge a new future where every child is cared for, included, educated, and inspired.
How can adults help young people thrive? Many adults, even afterschool professionals, could use new tools to help them cultivate connections. We’ve been hearing from afterschool program providers and other educators across Wyoming. We’re here to help you fill your backpack with the tools that really work.
For Programs: National AfterSchool Association’s Fall 2024 Products & Services Catalog
Are you ready to take on fall planning and programming? Look no further! The Fall 2024 NAA Products & Services Catalog features a diverse range of tools, resources, and products. This catalog has been curated by NAA and their trusted partners to serve as your ultimate guide for outstanding fall programming. Click here!
The Alliance is proud to be the NAA Affiliate for Wyoming. Click here!
For Communities, Programs, and Families: WYAA Tips & Conversation Starters for Teenagers
While the teenage years often get a bad rap, this is a deeply formative time for young people. The experiences they have—especially ones that are hands on and in authentic relationships with adults— really do change their brains!
The quality of a child’s early childhood years (pre-birth through the age of five) is considered a sensitive period and sets the foundation for children’s long-term health. Adolescence is considered a second sensitive period and is equally important to young people’s growth and development but in different ways. Learn more in WYAA’s one-pager reference guide with tips and conversation starters.
For Businesses: Develop an Internship or Job Program that Helps You Accomplish Your Goals While Supporting Young People in Your Community
Wyoming employers need access to a well-prepared workforce, and they have a significant role to play in preparing that workforce. You can leverage the power of out of school time to grow talent, increase competitive advantage and support working families.
For School District Administrators, Site Coordinators, Program Providers, Teachers, and Families: The interactive map provides connections at your fingertips!
Find youth serving organizations and other content-specific resources across Wyoming! WYAA’s interactive afterschool map not only provides important information to families and schools, but it also helps identify where more capacity is needed to serve youth. Take some time to explore the listings in your community and be sure to note that we have an update tool!
For Managers: PQPs set the stage for development of a comprehensive and coordinated system of services that best serve Wyoming’s children and youth.
During the back-to-afterschool season, consider checking out WYAA’s Program Quality Practices (PQPs). PQPs are research-based guidance that provide a common understanding of the essential components of quality practice in afterschool and youth development programs. The PQPs provide programs, communities, and stakeholders with a way to voluntarily examine the quality of programs and to engage in important discussions about program quality. They are a great way to help create a shared value that demonstrates a commitment to quality, and provides a framework to help you improve your practices over time.
For Programs: A Framework to Help Find Power Skills
Active Engagement, Assertiveness, Belonging, and Reflection: These are the four essential elements that form the Clover Model. Through many years of research and practical experience, Dr. Gil Noam and PEAR have developed the Clover Model. It’s called Clover to convey growth, luck, nurturance, and balance. The framework helps us understand human developmental needs. It establishes a common language that can be used to communicate the strengths and challenges of children and youth.
For Programs: Strategies to Inspire Young People’s Curiosity
Questions are the beginning of a path towards discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. We can help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them! Asking Purposeful Questions was developed by ACRES, a nationally acclaimed coaching program that builds knowledge and skills so afterschool educators, librarians and anyone who works with youth in out-of-school settings can confidently facilitate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) experiences.
For Programs and Families: Cent$ible Nutrition Shares Money-Saving Tips for Back to (After)School
Ready to ace your back-to-school shopping? We know that balancing a healthy lifestyle with budget-friendly choices can be challenging. That’s why Cent$ible Nutrition shared three savvy money-saving tips to help you stretch your food budget this season! From smart planning to budget-friendly snacking, they have you covered. Find recipe ideas at uwyocnp.org/recipes.
For Site Coordinators, Program Providers, Teachers, and Families: The Afterschool Alliance is preparing for 2024 Lights On Afterschool!
To celebrate the impact of afterschool, join by taking part in Lights On Afterschool on Thursday, October 24, 2024. Afterschool programs are encouraged to customize Lights On in ways that elevate your work: Make plans to host a community-wide open house, take the Lightbulb Challenge, or dream up anything in-between! Take any opportunity you can to highlight that afterschool programs keep kids safe, help working families, and inspire learning. Share what you already know that out of school time opportunities help young people develop into successful adults.
Program Spotlight: Lights On in Lander + The Million Girls Moonshot
A student from Lander Valley High School is representing Wyoming on the Million Girls Moonshot Flight Crew. A rising senior and Lights On In Lander class helper, Ally is one of the 51 young people from 50 states who are part of the 2024 cohort. The Flight Crew is a group of youth advocates promoting the value of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning for young people across the nation. The group embodies the mission of the Million Girls Moonshot to elevate afterschool STEM learning to build a better future for young people everywhere.
Mission: We bridge the gap between Wyoming’s out-of-school programs and the communities they uplift, fueling them with resources, support and opportunities that inspire lifelong learning, growth and connection.
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