Being a leader often means that you are the one that everyone sees as the organizer and planner of events. As we all know, it takes a team to pull off any large scale event or production. I remember when we used to do winter plays and each site would...

By now, mid-October afterschool programs are moving along at a good pace. Children and staff know established routines, relationships have been formed, and we are rapidly moving toward the holiday season. This is a time to bring together the community, create connections and opportunities beyond the program, and recognize the...

When we hear the terms “high-quality”, “impactful programming”, “standards of excellence”, “continuous quality improvement” they often sound like a far-off place we would like our programs to get to. An aspiration, something that takes time, effort, buy-in, and money. In the day-to-day of programming, integrating intentional quality improvement efforts are...

By now, most programming is moving along. There may be some bugs to iron out, schedules to adjust, and supplies to buy for the upcoming season. How are you orchestrating all of the parts of the program? Are there key staff that help make it happen? October is a time...

On Thursday, September 26th, Michelle Doucette Cunninham, Executive Director, spoke to one small part of the changes. Specifically, the Office of Early Childhood has changed the regulation for after school programs to allow 15 students to one teacher (instead of 10:1). Michelle spoke to the benefits this will provide families,...

As the new school year starts we have an opportunity to rethink old habits, start new ones, explore interests, and become engaged in the field beyond your program. The Out-of-School Time field has grown and evolved over the past 24 years since the start of the Millenium. The field offers...

Summer is a time for outdoors, water fun, and laughing with friends. However for millions of children across the country, summer is a time of isolation and choices that may have negative consequences for years to come in their lives. While middle and high income peers are provided a multitude...

In an effort to elevate the out-of-school time (OST) profession and enhance the well-being of OST professionals nationwide, the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) has proudly unveiled the Out-of-School Time Job Quality Standards (JQS). Developed in collaboration with leading experts and stakeholders in the field, these standards represent a pivotal milestone...

Back in February, Shawna shared a worksheet to help staff create activities based on their own interests, and as promised she’s back with her tie-dye inspired activity, Ice Dye Color Theory. Shawna found her love for tie-dye, especially using the ice dye technique, during the pandemic. We even hosted a...

This month Shawna had the team help her demo a few Mizzen activities! They gathered to create a call for art for the fall conference using the Teens Curate Teens Collection. The collection is a series of 6 activities, empowering teens to curate their very own art exhibition. The activities...

The Network surveyed the field recently, and found that you wanted more arts content, so Shawna’s answering the call with this month's PD Bite. She explored the first two activities in the Making Comics! Mizzen collection. A collection with 7 different parts, making it an easy to implement curriculum.  The...

Are you struggling to keep students engaged during program time? Finding activities, a little dry, even for you? Have you ever thought about developing activities based on your interests? Shawna created a worksheet for you to explore just that. In this month's PD Bite, Shawna linked the worksheet so you...

Now that the weather is cold, that means more program time is spent inside. It can be hard to keep kids engaged while they are all cooped up. I’ve explored the Mizzen App to find some activities that are great for the colder months.  One of my favorite activities I...

The Network is celebrating 35 years of after school excellence...and more! In 1989, the Network was founded as the Connecticut School Age Child Care Alliance (CSACCA) at the first After School Conference. Since then, we changed names (2x), moved to several locations and employed over 20 people. In addition to...

The Connecticut Science Center and CT Network for Children and Youth (CTNCY) are thrilled to offer a brand-new series of workshops centered around developing skills, expertise, and programming to assist afterschool providers in creating meaningful, fun STEM experiences and engagement opportunities for students. We know your time is very valuable,...

Welcome to this month’s Simply STEM activity! Today, we are making snow dough! This snow dough is supposed to mimic the look of real snow. Your students will be able to play around with it and mold it because of its unique texture! Experience all the fun of snow without...

The place of out-of-school time programming in supporting young people’s learning and growth is well established. Yet little is known about the staff and volunteers who support young people. In the latest issue of the Afterschool Matters Journal, these topics are unpacked not only through data, but practitioner stories. What...

Welcome to this month’s Simply STEM activity! Today, we are going to test how different liquids react with marshmallows! This fun and easy activity is perfect for your students to practice their observation skills while using the scientific method. A bonus to this experiment is that you can eat any...

Two years ago, I created a YouTube video highlighting the playlist feature on the Mizzen app. The playlist “Art Projects for K-5th Grade at Home or in Small Groups” included the “Building 3D Sandwiches” & “Color Collage” Activities. My 3D Sandwich is one of my most prized decorations in my...

Welcome to this month’s Simply STEM activity! Today, we are creating our own spiderweb! This activity is a fun and creative way to teach your students about how spiders catch their prey. Your students will design and create their own spider web that is able to hold at least 3...