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- STEM Club Application
- $50 Million for Afterschool Webinar
- 21st CCLC Summer Symposium
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ACT Now Resource Highlight!
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ACT Now's Gender and Sexuality in OST 101 Resource Guide helps providers learn more about how gender and sexuality affect programming in afterschool. Click here to access the guide.
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Apply Now for ACT Now’s FY25 STEM Club!
ACT Now is excited to announce that applications for our FY25 STEM Club are now open! Check out this month's blog to learn more about this exciting opportunity. Click here to read the blog!
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ACT Now STEM Club Application
ACT Now Illinois is continuing to advance the implementation of high-quality STEM in afterschool programming. During the 2023-25 school year, two NEW and EXCITING areas of STEM will be introduced to afterschool clubs.
ACT Now is seeking 10 sites throughout the state of Illinois to participate in using these curricula for the 2024-25 school year. The supplies provided will serve about 25 students per site. The curriculum is tailored to middle grades (roughly fifth through eighth grade).
Programs that participate will receive FREE access to the following:
• Programs will receive 2 full curricula
• STEM kits that include materials for 25 students
• Training and follow-up technical assistance with ACT NOW Afterschool STEM Specialist
• Access to insights in STEM quality, STEM surveys and observation data
Applications are due Wednesday, July 10, 2024. All programs will be notified by August 1, 2024 of their participation status.
If you have any questions, please contact Kim Turnbull at turnbullk@actnowillinois.org.
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State Updates
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$50 Million More for Afterschool and Summer Programs
To learn more, register for our webinar below.
Afterschool and summer programs have won a historic victory in Illinois, with $50 million in new funding included in the state’s budget bill for afterschool programs. We are grateful to the General Assembly for taking steps to ensure that children and youth in low-income communities do not lose access to essential afterschool and summer programming.
A year ago, the Illinois State Board of Education announced that 300 21st Century Community Learning Center sites would lose funding beginning in the summer of 2023 and continuing into the summer of 2024 – impacting an estimated 40,000 children across the state.
A grant program of this size requires ISBE Board approval before it can be executed. The ISBE Board will meet again on June 12, 2024, but is not scheduled to meet in July. It is imperative that this funding be issued immediately to avoid program closures when grants end on June 30, 2024. Afterschool advocates will work with legislators and ISBE to ensure this funding is delivered to the field as soon as possible.
We thank our legislative champions in both the House and Senate for taking the lead on preserving the afterschool infrastructure that families, schools, and communities rely on to keep youth safe, support working parents, and give children the skills and experiences they need to thrive in school and in life. We also extend a thank you to the afterschool programs and advocates who attended advocacy days, sent letters, came to press conferences, shared public testimony, and did so much more!
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| ACT Now will hold a webinar TODAY June 4, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. to discuss this new funding for afterschool. Join us as we share the latest updates, explore the implications for the field, and address any questions you may have. |
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Federal Updates
Afterschool for All Challenge
We are excited to be joining advocates from around the country in Washington DC next week to highlight the importance of funding our afterschool and summer learning programs! You can continue to take action as well! On June 10 and 11, 2024, take action from home to remind Congress that afterschool is crucial.
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To register for all upcoming ACT Now trainings and events please sign up for ACT Now Center for Afterschool Learning (ANCAL). ANCAL (hosted through Collabornation) is an online learning and training platform that is FREE for all Illinois afterschool and OST professionals.
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Administration
Toolkit to Support Immigrant and Refugee Youth
The U.S. Department of Education released the Newcomer Toolkit, a resource to support engagement and connection with those who directly serve immigrant and refugee children in educational settings.
Safety, Health, and Nutrition
Activities that Foster Health and Wellness!
"Foster Health and Wellness with Richmond Brown, Jr.", is a new activity playlist from Mizzen filled with enriching and fun-filled activities and games for summer.
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Administration
The Chicago Learning Exchange is Hiring
The Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX) is hiring a Program Associate! The Program Associate will lead the work of growing and activating CLX’s Member Network. The Associate will develop and implement outreach strategies to build awareness and relationships with organizations working in and serving Chicago’s South and West Side communities. Applications will be accepted until the role is filled.
Apply Now to be a Teen Science Cafe Fellow!
The Teen Science Cafe (TSC) Fellows initiative is a ten-month training program designed to help informal educators implement Teen Science Cafes in their community. Teen Science Cafe Fellows receive one-on-one support from TSC Guides to launch a cafe program and host three cafe events during the year. Fellows receive a $2,500 stipend to support their work! Apply by August 1, 2024!
21st Century Community Learning Centers 2024 Summer Symposium
Join the U.S. Department of Education from July 31 to August 1, 2024, for the 21st CCLC Summer Symposium in San Francisco! Attendees will hear from nationally recognized speakers during plenary sessions and work closely with education experts and peers during interactive workshops.
Empower Their Voice Well-Being Survey
Empower Their Voice and Sinai Chicago's Urban Health Institute have released their well-being survey. The Empower Their Voice study aims to understand the experiences of school-aged youth between the ages of 12 and 18 who self-identify as female in Chicago related to mental health, educational aspirations, exposure to trauma, and well-being. The findings from this study will be used to inform policy, resource development, and future research.
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For archived funding updates, click here.
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