When I used to work in the West Haven Community House summer program we would go on field trips five days per week. These trips kept the staff engaged, and while sometimes repetitive (like Indian Wells and Wadsworth Falls State Parks at least 4 times over the summer), everyone enjoyed their time with one another […]
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As the out-of-school time research base grows demonstrating the benefits of afterschool and summer programs, opportunities for growth and advancement in the field as a viable career have become reality. Organizations that were either small or non-existent 25 years ago are now major parts of the support system. These include the 50 State Afterschool Network […]
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The word quality comes up all the time, but we seldom take the time to reflect on what it means. When we think of quality, it could pertain to any number of things. The quality of a doordash delivery, the quality of the roads in your neighborhood, the quality of the air we breathe, or […]
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Teaching the children we work with the importance of giving back to the community is a cornerstone of the work we do. This could be intergenerational programming, service learning projects, or the performing or visual arts. Creating community connections has positive benefits not only for the children served, but also for the larger community. When […]
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The cold winter months have given way to moderate temperatures over the last few weeks. Children and staff want to get outside, to run around, play games, and get some sun and muddy shoes. While we take in the warmer days, we know summer is not far away, fall remains off in the distance. Just […]
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People talk about spring as a time of renewal, early spring flowers poke sprouts through the thawing ground. Days get a little longer and, after months of playing board games and basketball in the gym, going outside is finally more than a 10 minute option. While the winter season allows for more and varied small […]
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As the mid-winter approaches, and the February cold starts to set in we are reminded of spreadsheets and budget projections for the coming year. Out-of-school time programs large and small need balanced budgets that both maintain what is necessary, and at the same time foster innovation and growth in programming. Resoundingly, Afterschool Professionals have risen […]
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The term unsung heroes is commonly used when referring to afterschool professionals. A workforce that shows up everyday from 3:00 – 6:00, sometimes later. It is often a job that requires you to think on your feet, come up with a project using only cardboard, some tape, markers, and imagination. We stay in the field […]
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The out-of-school time field (also known as after school, school-age childcare, enrichment, etc.) has a long history, starting in the late 1800’s in response to the Industrial Revolution in order to help give youth a place away from their work in factories as labor laws changed. Few in the field are aware of the rich […]
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The holidays have passed and the cold bleak of mid-winter is setting in. Staffing has stabilized for the most part and you are busy working on the new staff schedules to coincide with the changes that may have been made. January is a good time to reset. To rethink how the first half of the […]
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