Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. James Baldwin, Nobody Knows My Name (1961) I am quoting James Baldwin not only because he’s my favorite author, but because that sentence highlights the importance of modeling for children and youth. They trust what they see… Read more »
Category: Best Practices
Be Flexible! Ways to Provide Quality Summer Experiences for VT Youth
The uncertainty that looms over our head, lost opportunities, canceled events, physical isolation, career setbacks, and physical, mental, and economic hardships caused by the global pandemic has affected us all. The primary focus for many of us has been all about safety. We are all trying our best to keep all parts of our lives… Read more »
Youth Voice Community of Practice: Supporting Youth and Each Other
The Youth Voice Community of Practice gathered again this month to discuss their work and how we can all do better in supporting youth voice. After a silly icebreaker that involved guessing chain restaurants from obscured pictures of their logos, we got into the real heart of the discussion. First up was Russell Bradbury-Carlin, who… Read more »
Getting Started with “Engineering Mindset” in Afterschool STEM Programs
As part of the Million Girls Moonshot, Vermont Afterschool is promoting the broad resources collected and produced by the STEM Next Opportunity Fund. The Million Girls Moonshot is a new initiative that aims to “inspire and prepare the next generation of innovators by engaging one million more girls in STEM learning opportunities through afterschool and… Read more »
LIRA + LEAD = Two great training opportunities
We have a couple of incredible training opportunities for afterschool leaders who are looking to advance their skills and learning. LEAD 1.0 This four-part series is for leaders of licensed programs in the afterschool field in Vermont. The Leadership, Exploration, And Development (LEAD) program will provide afterschool professionals with the tools to hone their strengths… Read more »
Lessons from the Field: Examining Exemplar Principal & Afterschool Partnerships
This year I received a unique writing assignment. Inspired by the National Association of Elementary School Principals, who profiled two principals in Vermont who are strong supporters of afterschool programs, I decided to interview a few select Vermont principals with the goal of gathering information on what makes a stellar afterschool/principal partnership. Given that the… Read more »
