Juneau Junior Sophia Owen is the only Alaskan young person selected into the Million Girls Moonshot Flight Crew, an effort to use afterschool and STEM learning (science, technology, engineering, and math) to build a better future where young girls everywhere can envision a place for themself in STEM roles. Motivated by impactful STEM experiences beyond the classroom in afterschool programs, the Flight Crew, including Sophia, is currently working in their communities to break down stereotypes and spark their peers' curiosity in STEM.
Welcome to Afterschool, Jun!
Back to Afterschool: The Best Part of The Day!
For thousands of Alaska’s children and youth, the return of school means the return of what Karen says is “the best part of the day”, afterschool! This week and next, schools are starting and afterschool programs across the state are welcoming staff and opening their doors for Alaska’s children and youth. While exciting, this time can also be stressful for staff and students alike. However, there are some easy things that program providers can do to make sure the year gets off to a strong start for all.
Summer Learning Week 2022: Program Highlights!
Here at the Alaska Afterschool Network, we know that summer learning programs play an integral role in supporting Alaska’s children and youth, providing space for them to grow, play, and develop new friendships. Summer learning programs also interact with children and youth as students – though the ‘classroom’ is a bit different during summer! Programs across Alaska provide opportunities for Alaska’s kids to learn in new and different ways, preventing “learning loss” throughout the summer and encouraging space to take advantage of unrealized potential. Summer Learning Week (July 11th – 15th) gives us all a chance to recognize the incredible work being done for Alaska’s kids. The week is a national celebration that highlights programs that contribute to the holistic development of youth. All throughout Alaska, thousands of our youth are participating in dynamic, meaningful, and empowering summer learning opportunities. To celebrate this, we are highlighting a few OST programs!
What the YMCA Youth Governor’s Conference Taught Me About Youth Voice
The Youth Governor’s Conference is part of the Youth and Government program run by the YMCA where young people form model state governments to write, pass, and endorse bills to their actual state government. Modeled after the National Governors Association, the Youth Governor’s Conference brings together the Youth Governors from almost all 50 states to collaborate on the issues we are passionate about and learn from existing programs around the nation. This year, Alaska will begin forming its own Youth and Government program starting with the executive branch.
Wide awake in the hot Washington DC morning, I walked to the lobby of our hotel unprepared for the five incredible days of lasting friendships, deep conversations, and unforgettable experiences that amplified my passion for youth-driven change. I felt incredibly excited to learn about the issues that were important to my peers from all over the nation and how the program varied state by state, never having been in a room with people from so many different places at once. Yet, what I found was that despite our sometimes-towering differences and unique backgrounds, we shared many of the same experiences: we were all kids with voices we wanted to be heard.
Sitka Sound Science Center Uses New York Life Grant to Make Math Meaningful
Afterschool educators know the power of providing opportunities for youth to make real-world connections to what they are learning - of closing the gap between knowledge and application. When a young person sees how their skills could be used in a career, or how their efforts can make a noticeable difference in their community, these can be the sparks needed to ignite that young person’s curiosity about a subject they struggle with or have come to believe is out of their reach. Sitka Sound Science Center’s Science With Math afterschool program set out to make this connection possible for mathematics and Middle School students, using a new funding source from a competitive out-of-school time learning grant.
Welcome to the team, Hanna!
Hello! My name is Hanna Ervasti, and I am recent graduate of Grove City College in English and Communications Secondary Education. As my major suggests, I am passionate about English and teaching young people; however, I also enjoy hiking, photography, and reading. I grew up as a military child, so a few of my ‘homes’ have included Okinawa, D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Alaska. This summer, I will be working with the Alaska Afterschool Network to implement preventative measures against child abuse through strengthening families and promoting the welfare of children outside of school.
Welcome to the team, Lillian!
My name is Lillian Yang and I am joining the Network team as a summer intern. I am currently a rising senior at West Anchorage High School interested in majoring in psychology, political science, or statistics in college. My interest in preventing child abuse and neglect stems from my passion for adolescent mental health and restorative juvenile justice. I currently heavily participate in Youth Alliance for a Healthier Alaska, a youth organization that focuses on adolescent public health, and Anchorage Youth Court, a non-profit focused on providing justice for youth, by youth. These activities are meaningful to me because they are focused directly on the well-being of youth in my community and work to break down the damaging stereotypes and stigmas that affect us. I hope my experience as an intern here will help me learn more about how non-profits operate and I hope to greatly contribute to our amazing work building happy, resilient, and inclusive youth communities in Alaska!
Alaska Afterschool Superhero Awards 2022
Due to COVID-19, the challenges facing our students, families, and communities this year couldn’t be greater, and once more afterschool professionals across Alaska rose to meet challenges to ensure student success! In a flash, these afterschool educators transformed their programs to meet new student needs caused by the pandemic while ensuring safety and relationship building was at the core of their actions. The Alaska Afterschool Network is thrilled to recognize five outstanding afterschool professionals who act as everyday superheroes in our youths’ lives during Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week, April 19 - 23, 2021.
These five Afterschool Superheroes inspired teens to reach for greatness, transforming a hockey rink into a summer camp, helping students understand the legal system, creating safe places for teens to connect online, and engaging students in outdoor education via Zoom. Join us in celebrating their incredible commitment and passion for our youth!