With children only spending about 20 percent of their waking hours in school, greater collaboration and partnership between schools, afterschool programs, and other supports will be critical to our return to work and students’ ability to rebound quickly from the pandemic. Educators, youth developers, and project directors across New Jersey can register now for a free online summit, which will be jointly presented by NJPSA/FEA and the New Jersey School-Age Care Coalition (NJSACC) on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 from 10 am to Noon, to learn about the ways that summer and afterschool programs accelerate learning gains and support positive mental health.
Presenters will include national leaders such as Jodi Grant, Executive Director of Afterschool Alliance; Erik Peterson, Senior Vice President of Policy of Afterschool Alliance; Gina Warner, President and CEO of Afterschool Alliance; as well as panels of afterschool/summer providers and school/district leaders from across the Garden State.
As New Jersey contemplates how to invest billions of federal investment in the State’s recovery, high-quality afterschool and other out-of-school time supports will be critical levers in accelerating student learning and development. This Summit will help serve as a common first step in developing plans that harness the skills, resources, and time of the traditional school day and afterschool hours.
Research proves that high-quality afterschool programs improve students’ reading and math skills. These programs are also effective at increasing students’ school attendance, course credits, and on-time graduation. Students need not only academic support, but also social and emotional support. They need help sustaining and rebuilding relationships, talking about their experiences and emotions, developing as leaders and agents of change, and re-engaging with their interests.
Please join us to learn how federal COVID relief dollars can be leveraged to provide a more coordinated and comprehensive approach to meeting the academic, social-emotional, and behavioral health needs of all students in New Jersey. Click on this hyperlink for more information and to see a full agenda.
Contacts: Lee Schaefer, NJSACC, lee@njsacc.org
Mary Reece, NJPSA/FEA, mreece@njpsa.org