Latest News

What's Hot in STEAM this Summer

Join us for the “What’s Hot in STEAM this Summer” webinar series presented by the Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network (PSAYDN). This 5-part series will share ways to bring STEAM to life for out-of-school time youth through exploration of entrepreneurship, career paths, empathy in engineering, service learning and more.

Center Staff Receives Youth Advocate Award

Center for Schools and Communities is pleased to announce that Nichole Fisher received the 2020 Youth Advocate Award from the Academy for Adolescent Health. Each year since 2005, they award an individual that embodies the Academy’s philosophy and foundation.

We May Be Physically Distant, but We Need to Stay Socially Connected

The phrase “social distancing” is so counterintuitive. We are asked to be physically distant to stay healthy, and we need to be socially connected to stay healthy. Luckily, those setting policies are beginning to understand this. In March, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that, “while maintaining a physical distance” was “absolutely essential” amid the global pandemic, “it does not mean that socially we have to disconnect from our loved ones, from our family.”¹ This idea is gaining ground with more people beginning to use the phrase, physically distant.

Let’s Work Together to Keep Parents as Teachers Home Visiting Available to Families during COVID-19

Pennsylvania Parents as Teachers (PAT) State Office at Center for Schools and Communities is joining with the national PAT organization to mobilize at every level to proactively and aggressively protect the health and well-being of children and families. As part of this effort, we are pleased to share their recent, relevant and reliable information and tools to assist Pennsylvania affiliates in making your voices heard.

Pennsylvania Youth Hold Town Hall with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman

Student-led virtual event aims to address concerns about COVID-19, schools and afterschool programs

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Today, Pennsylvania youth will lead a town hall meeting with Lt. Gov. and Second Lady Fetterman. The virtual event provides an opportunity and platform for young people to share concerns about COVID-19 effects on their families; and ask questions about the afterschool and out-of-school time programs they rely on for academic help, extracurricular activities, service learning and career exploration.

New Resource for Pennsylvania Educators of English Learners

Everybody’s Kids is an e-newsletter for all Pennsylvania educators of English learners, including administrators, content-area and classroom teachers and ESL specialists. The 2020 spring edition of Everybody’s Kids discusses how teachers can use instructional scaffolding to enable their English Learners to develop new linguistic and cognitive resources to use both in and beyond the classroom. Similar to the construction scaffolding placed around the exterior of a building, instructional scaffolds are temporary supports for students to build onto their existing knowledge, and these learning supports are removed or shifted once students meet their goals. Teachers should think about the specific needs of their students as well as their learning strengths and personal backgrounds when selecting scaffolding strategies. In order to help ELs achieve English language proficiency, teachers can utilize a myriad of instructional supports, such as establishing classroom routines, using consistent language patterns, modeling student activities, intentionally gesturing and using visuals. The goal of instructional scaffolding is to provide students with the support they need until they can do (or say) what they want on their own.

Call for Presenters 2020 Safe Schools Conference

2020 Safe Schools Conference “Keeping our Children Safe: Strategies for Schools and Communities”
December 8-9 | Hilton, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | #SafeSchoolsConf2020

High quality, effective presentations addressing best practices relative to school safety and youth violence prevention are needed. Based upon that criteria, and professional development needs expressed by Pennsylvania educators and administrators, the following conference themes have been identified: Bullying Prevention; Cybersecurity; Effective, Safe and Secure Virtual Instructional Programming; Emergency Response and Crisis Management; Positive School Climate; Student Wellness; Youth Violence Prevention; and Open Category.

Submission deadline: Friday, June 5, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Submit a Proposal

Mizzen by Mott: New, Free App for Afterschool Providers

As champions for children, you are doing everything you can during this time to keep youth safe and continue to serve them. We also know you are doing all you can to support your staff. You have risen to the challenge in every way. In support of your efforts, Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool Youth Development Network (PSAYDN) at Center for Schools and Communities has a new resource to share with you.

Change: The New Norm

Family support professionals face many obstacles and changes in their careers. However, what happens when family support professionals face a global health crisis that drastically changes their life and their careers? COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) recently changed the lives of everyone, including family support professionals and the families they serve. Now, more than ever, family workers must overcome new obstacles and make changes to their lives. Some of the changes include washing your hands frequently, wearing a mask and gloves, sheltering in place, teaching your children at home and serving families virtually. This article presents helpful tips for staff as they adapt to change and embrace new norms during this pandemic.

Center for Schools and Communities Leadership to Present during National COVID-19 School Safety Event

Center for Schools and Communities Director Shileste Overton Morris, Ed.D. will be a featured speaker and panelist at the national “School Safety in the Time of COVID-19” webinar on May 1 at 1 p.m. EST.

COVID-19 required the nation to close school buildings to ensure the safety of students, staff and the larger community. Unfortunately, this important measure has also intensified existing – and created some new – threats to safety.

Summer Learning Planning for Afterschool Providers during the Pandemic

PSAYDN will conduct a virtual forum on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. ET where Pennsylvania afterschool and summer learning professionals can discuss challenges, planning and adaptation needed for summer programming in light of emerging issues from COVID-19.

PSAYDN Partners with Earth Day to Reach Pennsylvania Youth

Online events and citizen science projects planned

Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool Youth Development Network (PSAYDN) has partnered with Earth Day to help afterschool and out-of-school time program providers involve their youth in important activities for Earth Day on April 22, 2020. To mark 50 years of action for our planet, Earth Day is returning to its roots to build an intergenerational movement demanding change. The theme for Earth Day 2020 is climate action. The enormous challenge — but also the vast opportunities — of action on climate change have distinguished the issue as the most pressing topic for the 50th anniversary.