October 21, 2020

Y4Y’s new course on supporting English learners provides 21^st CCLC programs with a roadmap for helping students succeed when their first language isn’t English. That includes helping newcomers to this country adapt to their new environment while honoring the languages and cultures they’ve brought with them. Instructional strategies and family engagement challenges set this population apart, but with Y4Y’s design and implementation ideas, you’re sure to foster togetherness among all your students. Host Katarina will guide you through a rich, colorful experience at the CultureFest, where the celebration of togetherness is vivid.

Tip: You need to be logged in to the You for Youth (Y4Y) portal in order to save course progress and receive certificates of completion. You might see a pop-up reminding you to log in or sign up. If you want to explore the course without tracking your progress, select “cancel” to dismiss the reminder.

If you complete the course introduction, you’ll take away knowledge on the four types of English learners (ELs) you’re likely to encounter in your program, the history of supporting these students, the overall benefits to your program and ways to incorporate supportive instruction. The introduction also walks you through planning for an impactful experience. You’ll examine ways to assess ELs’ needs and strengths, identify steps for designing and implementing activities that meet diverse EL language levels among EL students and families, and describe the basics for creating safe and language-rich environments that value the diverse cultures and languages of your ELs. You’ll get a Basic Level certificate when you complete this section of the course.

Want to take a deeper dive and earn an Advanced Level certificate? Move ahead to the Implementation Strategies portion of the course, where you’ll develop strategies to

• Build your EL foundation
• Build your EL program design team
• Conduct an EL needs assessment of your community
• Develop EL SMART goals for your program
• Map your EL program and community assets
• Consider logistics around your EL implementation
• Intentionally design activities that address your EL SMART goals
• Intentionally recruit students, based on your EL needs assessment of your community
• Recruit and train high-quality staff, with a particular focus on multilingual and multicultural appreciation and knowledge
• Engage families who may have barriers to participation
• Implement all these steps with fidelity
• Celebrate your achievements in supporting ELs

Looking to provide professional development on supporting ELs? You can get a Leadership Level certificate by completing the Coaching My Staff portion of the course. Investigate how your program’s collective efforts in gathering data, incorporating the proven strategy for ELs of total physical response, and building vocabularies will build comfort and confidence in your students. Work with staff to create your professional learning plan, assess the needs of your ELs, create a safe learning environment, build their background knowledge and academic vocabulary, and review coaching/learning tips to ensuring success with supporting ELs.

As with every Y4Y course, you can download many helpful tools and customize them to meet the unique needs of your staff and students. These tools range from Marzano’s Six Steps for Vocabulary Instruction to a Home Language Survey to help you home in on the specific needs of your community to a Supporting English Learners Intentional Activity Design Planner. You can also download four separate Trainings To Go for your staff, starting with Creating a Safe Learning Environment for English Learners.

There is so much more that unites us than divides us. With help from Y4Y, your efforts to support English learners will unite students and staff in a new togetherness that honors differences while moving everyone toward a common goal: reaching our full potential.

April 11, 2019

Did you know the last full week of each April is Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week? Of course, it’s never too early or too late to recognize 21^st CCLC staff members for their efforts and contributions. There are all kinds of creative ways to say “You rock!” Use these tips to boost energy, confidence and morale year-round.

Be specific. It’s good to hear “Thanks for all you do.” It’s even better to hear “I’m so glad you agreed to mentor our newest staff member. Alyson has really grown professionally in the three months since she joined us, and she told me she’s very grateful for your support. You have a knack for encouraging people to grow.”

Take notice when staff members…

• Learn a new skill.
• Offer a new idea.
• Solve a problem.
• Do something for the first time.
• Do something well, and consistently, over time.
• Make a positive difference for a colleague, student, family or the community.

Whether you recognize someone in public or in private, verbally or in writing, use stories and examples. This shows you were paying attention, and it signals that their actions were memorable and noteworthy.

Find creative ways to say “thank you.”

• Feature staff members’ good work in a newsletter, newspaper, website, blog, bulletin board or another public place.
• Spotlight their contributions at a staff meeting or program event.
• Treat the team to breakfast.
• Surprise them (e.g., with an act of service, a treat or words of affirmation).
• Provide an opportunity (e.g., to try something new, or to learn something new).
• Share the mic (e.g., provide a forum for staff to hear directly from students, families, colleagues and others).  

Acknowledge individual and team accomplishments. Did a staff member earn a professional certificate, or wow the local school board with a presentation about your program? Recognize these accomplishments at your next staff meeting! Teamwork is equally important. When staff members team with colleagues, families, partners, school-day teachers or community members, cheer for their success, and acknowledge what they accomplish.

Don’t wait! Year-end awards are great, but people need encouragement along the way.

When you catch someone doing good work, let them know right away. As Leslie coaches students in slapstick comedy, or as Jim lets his students teach him some dance moves, maybe you can snap a photo and send it in a text message: “Those kids are having a great time, thanks to you!” Hint: Action shots are also great for bulletin boards and newsletters, which are ways to provide public recognition.

September 30, 2016

Y4Y Showcase Webinar: College and Career Readiness
Thursday, October 13 from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. ET

How does college and career readiness fit with 21st CCLC programs? Learn more through this Showcase event highlighting You for Youth's new course, College and Career Readiness. During the Showcase you will discover resources and real life 21st CCLC program examples to help you design enriching activities, develop key partnerships and engage families in college and career readiness. Our guest expert, Jennifer Kobrin, Director of myPLACE & Digital Initiatives for the Mayor's Commission on Literacy in Philadelphia and former content specialist for the You for Youth website, will be joining the discussion. Jennifer will share her expertise on effective college and career readiness programming and building partnerships with families and communities.

Get Registered here!

Project-Based Learning
Wednesdays from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET
October 19 through November 9

Engaging students through exciting activities, aligning with school-day standards and training inexperienced staff can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, project-based learning can help you plan for success.

This free, four-part learning experience, featuring Y4Y Education Specialists Monique McDowell-Russell and Allyson Zalewski, combines online webinars and discussions with offline activities and explorations.

We encourage 21st CCLC program directors, site coordinators, academic liaisons and instructional directors to attend. Registrants will commit to attend all four webinars and to participate in online discussions and other activities. For participating in at least three of the four webinars, you can earn a certificate of participation to provide to your district, state or employing organization.

Don't miss this opportunity to build a strong instructional foundation for your program. 

Register Now!

September 19, 2016

What were your favorite books as a child? Did you stay up late imagining the fantastical worlds of A Wrinkle in Time or Bridge to Terabithia? Did you scare yourself silly courtesy of Stephen King or Edgar Allen Poe? Maybe you laughed your head off at The Cat in the Hat, or cried your eyes out at Where the Red Fern Grows.

Whatever books you loved, there’s a good chance your local libraries helped put them in your hands. Libraries make indispensable partners for educators because they provide support as children build literacy skills and develop a love of reading. We hope you’ll participate in the American Library Association’s Library Card Sign-up Month. Help children in your program find their local libraries, and encourage them and their families to get library cards today!

Libraries also support the free Open eBooks program. This piece of the White House ConnectED Initiative starts with educators, program leaders and librarians who work with in-need youth. These adults can register free; then, every child in the program can get a personal access code to download up to 10 eBooks at a time.

June 2, 2016

Y4Y Showcase Webinar: Implementing Your Program With Fidelity
Thursday, June 23 from 1:00-2:30 EST

Wondering how to structure your program to achieve the desired results? Learn about Y4Y's quick and easy professional learning resources in a free webinar. The Y4Y team will showcase Click & Go 3: Administer for Success: Implementing Your Program with Fidelity.  Learn from real-life examples of intentional program implementation from 21st CCLC sites, and meet Candace Ferguson, former State Coordinator for the Texas 21st CCLC Program at the Texas Education Agency. See how the mini-lessons, podcasts, tools and resources of Click & Go 3 can help check your program for intended impact.

Featured Guest Expert
Candace Moreno Ferguson, former Texas 21st CCLC state coordinator and current Human Capital Management Systems Project Manager for the Texas Center for Educator Effectiveness (TxCEE), will share her wealth of experience supporting and coaching 21st CCLC grantees to design and implement programs with intentionality and fidelity. A Q&A will follow her presentation.

Get Registered
Y4Y account users can now register for our webinars with a single click. Choose "Register Now" and log in to be automatically registered for this event. Register Now.

Don't have a Y4Y account? Creating a free account only takes a minute! Simply complete the form to join the Y4Y community and gain access to register for this showcase and other upcoming events!