"It is not enough to send our kids to school and hope they learn what they need to do to go on to college and a career. It’s not enough simply to wish our children would stay out of trouble when we can’t be with them. Afterschool participants receive better grades, miss fewer days of school, and have higher high school graduation rates. Unsupervised teens are 37% more likely to become pregnant and unsupervised children are at a greater risk for truancy, poor grades, depression, and lower achievement."
-- Senator Kay Hagan, NC CAP SYNERGY Summit 2008

This Action Page includes:

• Ways to Connect with NC CAP
• Standards and Criteria for Afterschool Programs
• Professional Development Resources
• Physical Activity Resources
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Resources
• Advocacy Measures - NC CAP Regional Summits
• Helpful Statistics

 
Click to join NC_CAP!

Or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nc_cap/

NC CAP e-Newsletter
Sign up to receive our free electronic newsletter, the Afterschool Observer. This newsletter is distributed every month to over 4,300 subscribers, including all legislators, county commissioners, superintendents, mayors, select city council members, afterschool advocates, community leaders, and educators. The Afterschool Observer offers national, state and local perspectives on afterschool issues.


Become a Fan of NC CAP on Facebook!
NC CAP has joined the ranks of nonprofits using social media networks to expand its reach across the state. Our new Facebook page connects afterschool supporters with the latest news about our work, including updates on SYNERGY, opportunities for resources and prizes, such as tickets to sports games across the state, and other news. There also opportunities to join discussion boards and share pictures of your afterschool events.

Help us spread the word by suggesting 3 of your friends become “Fans” today! Click the Facebook link below to join the site. 
                                                           

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Afterschool Standards

NC CAP Established Standards of Excellence Self-Assessment Tool: K-12
One of the first steps for the North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) was to examine how programs best support children and youth. Representing the diversity of North Carolina afterschool programs, the NC CAP advisory board considered the thinking and experience of providers, researchers, and other professionals, in North Carolina and across the country, to determine what high quality programs have in common. In response, the center endorses nine quality indicators described in the Tool. Understanding that improving quality is an on-going process that includes careful self-assessment, NC CAP offers this useful tool that can help programs chart their progress in each of the listed areas. Click on the below image to access the Standards.

Completing the Standards - FAQ, resources, and samples coming soon!


North Carolina Afterschool Funders Criteria
The Afterschool Funders Criteria were developed in 2009 by a group of state and federal funders of afterschool programs, including the NC Departments of Juvenile Justice, Public Instruction, Health and Human Services and Governor’s Crime Commission. Led by the NC Center for Afterschool Programs, the agencies designed the criteria as a roadmap for afterschool programs to develop a quality baseline and improve the quality of services to children and youth in North Carolina.

The criteria have been adopted by the NC Committee on Dropout Prevention, NC Departments of Juvenile Justice, Public Instruction (21st Century Community Learning Centers and Supplemental Education Services), Health and Human Services (Division of Child Development and TANF) and Governor’s Crime Commission. Each agency is incorporating the criteria into their Request for Proposal (RFP) and evaluation criteria, beginning with the 2009-2010 academic year. Click on the image below for an electronic version of the criteria.

NC CAP has created a supplementary criteria manual to provide additional resources for afterschool programs to implement the criteria. Additional quality resources are available on this website, or by calling (919) 781-6833.

Professional Development Resources

New Release!! North Carolina Afterschool Professional Core Competencies

The NC Afterschool Professional Development Work Group has recently completed two years worth of work on tiered staff competencies for afterschool providers (Click the image above to access). These competencies are modeled after leading national examples, including the Mott Foundation, National Afterschool Association, US Military School-Age Competencies, and the Kansas/Missouri Statewide Afterschool Networks. The competencies focus on eight content areas that provide a framework of the knowledge and skills needed for professional development in the field of afterschool care. Work Group members and NC CAP graduate students researched and validated each of the 546 competencies. Following these initial steps, seven focus groups were conducted between October 2009 and March 2010 throughout the state to review the competencies and provide feedback. 84 people participated in this process, including front-line staff, directors and administrators. The NC Community College System also conducted an on-line focus group to gain input from faculty. After the focus groups were held, a subcommittee of the Work Group met to add the generated feedback into the competencies and to fine tune the document for preparation of the Work Group’s Consensus Panel. The Consensus Panel was used to generate input and buy-in from a wide variety of stakeholders throughout the state in one setting. Following the Consensus Panel, members were asked to present the document to another outside source for further review and validation. Once this process was completed, the subcommittee of the Work Group met again to incorporate final feedback and finalize the document. The Professional Development Work Group released the Core Competencies during NC CAP's Afterschool Regional Summits in Fall of 2010.

Competencies Toolkit - to help you implement the Competencies
The NC Afterschool Professional Development Work Group is developing a tool kit to help you implement the Core Competencies. This is just a draft of the toolkit - we need your help in determining what resources you need! Feel free to email suggestions to Katie Biggerstaff, NC CAP Program Officer, at kbiggerstaff@ncforum.org. Included in the tool kit:

• Core Competencies (click image above)
• Competencies Checklist/Evaluation (DRAFT VERSION-2/2011)
• Sample Job Descriptions (included are Group Leader and Site Director)
• Sample Professional Development Plans
  • Planning Your Professional Growth for Early Childhood and Afterschool Professionals
  • Sample Professional Development Plan, through the California Statewide Afterschool Network
  • Professional Development Plan Templates - BLANK and COMPLETED(as example)
  • Creating a Professional Development Plan
• Lessons about creating your own evaluation

Check out www.MoveMoreAfterschoolNC.com, a website to support physical activity in after-school programs. Each page on the site provides helpful tools and resources to support the recommendations in the Move More North Carolina: Recommended Standards for After-School Physical Activity. Released in the spring of 2009, the standards outline how after-school programs can contribute to young people meeting the recommended 60 minutes or more of daily physical activity.

The standards are available for download on the Move More After School site or by clicking the image above. You will also find a wealth of resources to support the standards including parent resources, funding opportunities and upcoming trainings. In addition the site contains a variety of physical activities that you can use in your program. Check it out today!

If you have any questions about the Move More After-School Standards, contact Lori Schneider from the North Carolina Division of Public Health at 919-707-5224 or Lori.Schneider@nc.dhhs.gov.  


The Move More NC Recommended Standards for After-School Physical Activity were released during SYNERGY 2009: Move into Action for Afterschool. Heba and Ed, contestants from NBC's The Biggest Loser, and Dr. Robert Schwartz from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center were on hand to discuss the importance of keeping kids active. Click the images below to watch videos from the conference.

Move More Standards on the Governor's Blog!
Check it out by clicking here.

Eat Smart, Move More NC
Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina is a statewide movement that promotes increased opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity wherever people live, learn, earn, play and pray. They work to help communities, schools and businesses make it easy for people to eat healthy food and be physically active. They also encourage individuals to think differently about what they eat and how much they move, and to make choices that will help them feel good and live better. A number of helpful resources can be found on the website, including County Profiles. The County Profiles can be used as talking points to educate others on the obesity burden in North Carolina and on the positive changes that are being made across the state. These profiles highlight local accomplishments that increase opportunities for community members to eat smart and move more in each of North Carolina's 100 counties. However, they also point out the need for more policies and environments to help people achieve a healthy weight.

Be Active North Carolina
Be Active North Carolina, Inc. is the statewide initiative committed to empowering North Carolinians to live healthy, physically active lives. Through regular engagement, education and encouragement, Be Active is determined to help one million North Carolinians become more active, more often. Be Active uses a community-based approach to help individuals and organizations establish policies that make physical activity and good health the easy choice. Through partnerships with Appalachian State University in Western North Carolina and UNC Greensboro in the Triad, Be Active expands its reach, giving people the knowledge, skills and opportunities to transform the health of their communities. Since 1991, the organization has worked to increase public awareness of the negative effects of inactivity, build grassroots advocacy and volunteerism, create model statewide programs and advocate for policies that reduce barriers and create opportunities for physical activity. Be Active also has a number of After-School Energizers, like the examples listed below from DPI.

Afterschool Energizers from NC Dept. of Public Instruction
AfterSchool Energizers is the third edition of classroom energizers and developed specifically for 21st Century Community Learning Centers.  The afterschool environment is different from the in-school environment. Students often arrive at afterschool programs after a day of structured learning and they need time to move around.  The goal of AfterSchool Energizers is to provide activities and movements that students will enjoy doing as they learn.  Students can learn character development, life skills training and academic enrichment through the use of AfterSchool Energizers activities and reflections. AfterSchool Energizers provides ideas for more than 50 activities including “Bring the Noise, Bring the Funk,” “Oh No You Didn’t!” and “Racing to Good Character.” Can be found on DPI's website, HS137, 2009, $14


NC School Health Connection
NC Prevention Partners and NC Healthy Schools launched the NC School Health Connection, a unique collaboration and an innovative web-tool to assist North Carolina schools with combating childhood obesity. The website, www.ncschoolhealthconnection.org, maps school-based obesity prevention programs across the state and aims to increase accessibility of these programs to school leaders. The site also encourages collaboration among organizations working with schools and encourages organizations to proactively reach out to school districts with fewer programs in place. Schools can also use the site to find grant resources to fund initiatives for healthier schools.

NC Prevention Partners
NC Prevention Partners is a non-profit organization that helps make North Carolina a healthier place to live and work. We focus on nutrition, physical activity and quitting tobacco use to achieve our mission of "Prevention first for a healthier North Carolina." Find out more at www.ncpreventionpartners.org. NCPP oversees Zone Health, a program funded by GlaxoSmithKline, that assists NC schools in establishing healthy school environments to address childhood obesity.

NC Healthy Schools
The NC Healthy Schools Partnership works with state and local partners to promote health and academic achievement for all North Carolina K-12 public school students through a coordinated School Health Approach. Learn more at www.nchealthyschools.org.

FitKids NC
The NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund has created a website that provides resources, curriculum, guides, and activities for incorporating physical activity into home life, schools, and afterschool programs. Visit the FitKids NC website for more information. 

WNC Healthy Kids
Western North Carolina Health Kids serves 16 western NC counties to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity. Visit their website for ideas, best practices, policy issues, and training opportunities so you can be a part of this great initiative!

NC Collaborative for Children, Youth, and Families
The North Carolina State Collaborative for Children and Families, through a System of Care framework, provides a forum for collaboration, advocacy and action among families, public and private child and family serving agencies and community partners to improve outcomes for all children, youth and families.

NC Ag in the Classroom
A service of the NC Farm Bureau, Ag in the Classroom is an educational program designed to provide teachers with quality materials to teach students, through North Carolina competency-based lessons, about the sources of their food and fiber, and the importance of agriculture to the economy.

National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research Launches Surveillance Resource
NCCOR’s Catalogue of Surveillance Systems describes in detail existing surveillance systems that collect data related to childhood obesity. It provides one-stop access to more than 75 surveys and other data sets, allowing users to search and select surveys that provide a wealth of data at the national, state, and local levels on a range of variables, including school policies and health outcomes, as well as eating and exercise behaviors. Health officials at the city and state level also can find data related to their programs.

Fun, free activities for children to promote physical activity!
This website was developed for 21st Century Afterschool programs in Florida.
The games on this website have been chosen with three specific goals in mind. The first is to maximize each student's participation time. Secondly, we want to focus on fitness components we hope will continue with the child into adulthood. And thirdly, we should avoid eliminating or singling-out students. These types of games encourage children to be physically active. Traditional games often do not incorporate these goals. However, many games can be modified to be more appropriate. When activities are planned with these goals in mind, students are more likely to have a positive, enjoyable experience. Therefore, they are more likely to continue being active throughout their lifetime. On this website, you will find fun, easy activities that require a minimal amount of equipment.

Monthly Updates from the Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch (NC Division of Public Health)
August 2009
Dec 2009-Jan 2010 Physical Activity              Dec 2009-Jan 2010 Nutrition
February 2010 Physical Activity                     February 2010 Nutrition
March 2010 Physical Activity                          March 2010 Nutrition
April 2010 Physical Activity                             April 2010 Nutrition
May 2010 Physical Activity                              May 2010 Nutrition
June 2010 Physical Activity                            June 2010 Nutrition
July/August 2010 Physical Activity                July/August 2010 Nutrition
October 2010 Physical Activity                      October 2010 Nutrition


New York State Afterschool Network (NYSAN) Policy Brief: Expanding the Role of Afterschool Programs in Promoting Health and Wellness
Physical health and wellness are among the core developmental needs critical to child well-being, and afterschool programs are venues that can support good health by providing nutritious food, creating opportunities for physical activity, and offering health education. This policy brief will focus on the issues related to child and youth health, the resources afterschool programs provide, and how to expand the role of afterschool programs to better promote healthy physical development.


2010 Child Well-being Index
The 2010 annual release of the Foundation for Child Development's Child Well-Being Index (CWI) is the first report to offer comprehensive data on the impact of the Great Recession on American children's quality-of-life. Vist the Foundation for Child Development's website to access the report.

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STEM Resources

NC CAP's SYNERGY 2010 Afterschool Conference - STEMulate Your Afterschool Program!
225 afterschool providers, community leaders, and elected officials attended NC CAP’s annual statewide SYNERGY conference in Greensboro from March 1-2, 2010. The two day conference focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics - how to incorporate curriculum, lessons and activities into your afterschool program.  Nationally renowned Foundations, Inc hosted a pre-conference workshop on incorporating STEM into afterschool programs. Dr. Robert Panoff, Executive Director of the Shodor Foundation, keynote speaker, addressed the importance of better preparing students in the fields of math and science for college and future careers. Click here for a list of STEM-related websites, given to our SYNERGY attendees.


STEM Education News Goes Online in North Carolina
Local Tech Wire recently announced a new partnership with the NC STEM Community Collaborative, MCNC, and the North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center (SMT Center) to advocate for the importance of STEM education and to launch a special section devoted entirely to coverage of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Today, that new section goes live at www.localtechwire.com.

With content provided by NC STEM, MCNC, the SMT Center and other sources, this "STEM News " section has editorial plans to touch on legislative and policy issues, funding opportunities, industry impacts and economic development, knowledge workforce demands and transformation, discussions on 21st century schools, the importance of high-speed connectivity in classrooms, Race to the Top, STEM events, what local communities are doing on the ground, exclusive interviews with state and national thought leaders, and much more.

This weekly update will provide critical information and the real-world impact STEM has in North Carolina and nationwide. Additionally, Local Tech Wire will be inviting STEM students to its Executive Exchange programs, which focus on information technology and life science issues, and plans to sponsor a STEM-focused Executive Exchange later this year.

"Local Tech Wire has been an aggressive provider of STEM coverage in the past, and we will be even more so in the future, " said LTW Editor Rick Smith. "Workforce preparation is a growing concern in North Carolina and the United States. Companies need more well-educated employees who are skilled in STEM. Our intention with this new section is to help bring more attention to STEM. By involving students, we hope to ultimately encourage more young people to choose a career in STEM."

"The reality is that North Carolina's economic future is tied to having a STEM-educated workforce in all areas of the state," added Karl Rectanus, leader of NC STEM, a state organization working with communities to ensure students engage in rigorous STEM education. "This exciting new section in LTW will provide leaders in the tech and business sectors information to help us all drive STEM education and our economy further faster."

MCNC President and CEO Joe Freddoso said there continues to be a strong link between high-quality STEM education and economic development. "Through Local Tech Wire, we will highlight the good work being done in communities all over the state, pose and inspire new ideas, share leading-edge news, collaborate with state and national experts, and increase awareness of STEM education to ensure all of our students are prepared for 21st century jobs, " added Freddoso. "This will provide an outlet to gain additional understanding of the role of STEM in our economic prosperity, improved healthcare, and care of the environment. Our future depends on it."

"The importance of STEM education applies not only to students, but to the citizens of this state, " concurred Sam Houston, president of the SMT Center, which aims to systematically improve performance in science, mathematics, and technology preK-12 education. "The future of the state 's economy is knowledge based, and that begins with STEM."

Story ideas and contributions are welcome. For information about how you, your company, school or organization can participate, contact Rick Smith at Local Tech Wire (rsmith@wral.com) or Noah Garrett at NGC Communications (noah@thinkngc.com). 


MCNC
MCNC provides advanced communications technologies and support services that enable access to 21st century learning applications that improve teaching, learning, research and collaboration among North Carolina's K-20 education community. MCNC, through its management of NCREN and its predecessor networks, has serviced the advanced networking technology needs of the University of North Carolina General Administration institutions and other higher education clients for the past 20 years.


NC STEM Community Collaborative
The NC STEM Community Collaborative helps communities throughout North Carolina ensure that all students engage in rigorous and relevant science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education that provides them with good choices in life and bolsters the economic strength of their communities. The NC STEM Community Collaborative is funded through the generous support of MCNC, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Battelle Memorial Institute and community partners.


North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center (SMT Center)
The SMT Center's mission is to systematically improve performance in science, mathematics, and technology preK-12 education as a means of providing all children in North Carolina with the necessary knowledge and skills in science, mathematics, and technology to have successful careers, be good citizens, and advance the economy of the state.The impetus for founding the SMT Center came in 1995 when the Public School Forum of North Carolina surveyed the status of science and math education in the state and found that despite a wealth of resources, education in mathematics and the sciences had failed to live up to its potential. Six years later, it was clear that some things had changed since the Forum's report, but more was needed. After two years of preliminary research and with the aid of a group of policy and education experts from across the country, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund launched the SMT Center in 2002. A 22-member board of directors comprising N.C. leaders in education, business, and government oversees the center.


Coalition for Science After School

Informal environments beyond the school day promote flexibility that lets children engage in science in the same way they play sports or create art. Playing with bubbles, blocks, robots and plants not only helps students when it comes time to learn physics, chemistry and biology—but it also sparks an interest in science that translates to future classroom and career success. The Coalition for Science After School strives to make science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) integral components of afterschool programming, bringing together the experience and commitment of hundreds of individuals and organizations to improve the quality and quantity of STEM learning opportunities.

The National After School Science Directory, through the Coalition for Science After School and Time Warner Cable's Connect a Million Minds, is a searchable database designed to increase access to high-quality science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education beyond the classroom for youth and families across the nation. The Directory houses thousands of STEM opportunities, submitted by science centers, museums, schools and other youth-serving organizations. Search our Directory to view opportunities to connect the America’s youth to high-quality STEM learning experiences.

Connect a Million Minds Initiative
As Time Warner Cable continues their Connect a Million Minds initiative to support STEM programming in out of school time opportunities, they have available funding for middle school afterschool STEM programming. Funds from this grant will allow organizations to provide high-quality STEM programming to the youth that they serve. Click the title above to apply for the Connect a Million Minds funding. Applications are on a rolling basis, but programs are encouraged to apply soon while funds are still available. If you have questions about this funding, contact Dan Ballister (dan.ballister@twcable.com) or Stephanie Richin (Stephanie.richin@twcable.com).  

Programs are also encouraged to join the Time Warner Cable connectory above– a great resource to publicize STEM events and look for volunteers. Time Warner Cable employee volunteers are constantly looking for new volunteer opportunities with afterschool programs.
 
Why do Science Afterschool?
The After-School Corporation recently released a series of short videos that make the case for doing science after school. The videos are each 1-2 minutes in length, and show kids and their group leaders engaging in lively hands-on science activities in after-school programs.


Science for All: What Do Our Kids Say?
How do we interest more children in science – particularly those who come from communities not well served by classroom, informal, after-school, or summer science programs? The Noyce Foundation partnered with Techbridge, the World Café Community Foundation, and Youth Radio to host a series of conversations on science with 7th and 8th graders from Edendale Middle School in San Lorenzo, California. Highlights of these conversations can be seen in the video “Science for All: What Do Our Kids Say?” The video was created as part of the Noyce Foundation’s efforts to encourage science in afterschool programs which offer a safe, hands-on setting for kids to explore science ideas in ways that aren’t possible in school. The video illustrates what youth think about science and what would turn them on to learning science. The accompanying “conversation guide” was developed by the project partners to share what they learned about creating similar conversations with youth that could be used as a way to help invite and motivate youth to become more engaged in science activities and learning in and out of school.

For additional information on the Noyce Foundation’s informal science efforts, see www.noycefdn.org/informalScience.php.


How to Grow Science and Math Kids (Strategies for Parents) by Carr Thompson
A guide for parents.


Science Shows Making Lessons