2021 State of Black Learning Conference
United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania is sponsoring this year’s State of Black Learning Conference (SBL). The conference will be in person on Thursday, August 12, 2021 at the Energy Innovation Center, and virtual on Friday, August 13. United Way is excited to share that we will be covering the cost of up to 30 of our partners to attend the conference.
This year’s conference theme is How Do We Go From Here? which will focus on strategies and ideas to support educators in their service to Black students as they continue responding to the impacts of the pandemic and the ever changing learning landscape. For the purpose of SBL an educator is defined as any person who provides positive instruction or education to students in the areas of academics, citizenship, sports and social/family support.
The conference’s keynote speaker and panel feature is Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr, Chair of the African American History Department at Princeton University.
There are a limited number of registrations available and will be given on a first come first serve basis.
If you are interested in attending, sending staff to this conference, or have any other questions, please reach out to Damon Bethea at damon.bethea@unitedwayswpa.org .
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A New Tool from Every Hour Counts
Systems that coordinate afterschool, summer and other out-of-school-time programming communitywide have emerged in a number of U.S. cities and counties over the last 15 years or so. The organizations that oversee these systems increasingly recognize the need for periodic pulse checks to evaluate their efforts and inform improvements. But what, exactly, should out-of-school-time system leaders assess and how?
A tool — Putting Data to Work for Young People: A Framework for Measurement, Continuous Improvement, and Equitable Systems —can help answer that.
Developed by Every Hours Counts—a national coalition of citywide organizations that seeks to increase access to high-quality learning opportunities, particularly for students in underserved communities—the framework updates a tool created in 2014. It is accompanied by a comprehensive guide to help the range of out-of-school-time systems across the United States use the revised framework in the ways that make sense for them.
The heart of the framework is 11 desired system outcomes, some or all of which organizations might want to measure progress toward, depending on their needs and circumstances. Five are directly related to overall system work and include whether a common goal for afterschool has been established. Three regard the efforts of programs, stressing, for instance, that they use management practices that enhance program quality. And three are related to young people—the rate of youth participation in programs, among them.
The framework and guidebook were developed with support from The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and The Wallace Foundation.
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Looking for SEL Resources?
During the spring, nine organizations participated in a six-session SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) fellowship where attendees discussed and learned more about incorporating SEL into their programming. This fellowship was offered through the generous support of the Grable Foundation.
Numerous resources were shared during the sessions. Check this link to see all of the SEL resources!
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Health Resources for Children and Families
Community Health Department at UPMC's Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh has a list of health resources for children and families.
Check them out here!
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Pittsburgh Learning Collaborative
As a response to the COVID crisis, A+ Schools spearheaded the development of a coalition of nearly 80 regional organizations and individuals across Pittsburgh’s learning community to create the Pittsburgh Learning Collaborative (PLC).
From the emergency school closures at the beginning of the pandemic through reopening plans and into the next school year in all its forms, the purpose of the PLC has been to serve as a coordinated asset to ensure equitable learning opportunities and resources for every student.
During the pandemic, the PLC’s focus was on increasing technology and internet access, improving family communications and at-home learning environments, and out-of-school time.
Connect to PLC resources.
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You Decide
Big Brothers Big Sisters Need Bigs!
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) is looking for bigs to serve at their Arsenal & Schiller school sites through Be A Middle School Mentor and with their Mentor 2.0 program for the 2021-2022 school year. Please consider becoming a big and please share this need with those in your network.
To learn more, visit BBBS's website. Also, sign up here!
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