How are you refreshing your playlist for the New Year?

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As we all continue to care for our children and youth and one another and navigate the uncertainty related to this ongoing public health crisis, many thanks and much gratitude to Melina O'Grady for sharing this helpful tip sheet to get us to think more intentionally about . . . 
how  we are unplugging and moving physically . . . 
how  we are stretching our brains mentally . . . 
And what is making us laugh?  Read more here.
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If you'd like to share resources with your colleagues,  tell us how you are coping and healing, and helping the youth and families that you work with to heal, and continuing to find joy,  please submit a blog post by emailing.  Here are some tips to help get you started. 

​The Liberation of Leadership Series
​January 2022 -June 2022

Thank you for your interest.  Liberation of Leadership Cohort 2 Participants have been selected.
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​This live training series engages a cohort of Cambridge OST leaders in a liberatory approach to leadership development.
The Program responds to the need communicated to AFCOST by program and executive leadership in the Cambridge OST coalition that effective leadership is essential to shaping an equitable OST system that responds to the realities of young people, families, and staff in our OST community. In addition, as our OST community moves into a post-pandemic new world, preparing leadership at all levels to re-imagine and then create the OST future we want for our Cambridge youth and families has never been more important.  
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Is Your Program a Safe Space?

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Is your program a safe space for gender nonconforming and transgender youth?
Click here to read the latest AFCOST blog post written by Beck Govoni, Afterschool Director @CambridgeYCMA.  Learn more about how you can ensure that all youth feel safe and have fun in out-of-school time programs.

Do you have some wisdom to share that would be helpful to share with your out-of-school time professional colleagues?  Write about what you are learning and email it to AFCOST so we can publish and share with the Cambridge OST Community, and beyond.  
Here are some tips to get  you started.  We want to hear from you.
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We are so excited to welcome you to our new Cambridge OST Learning Institute!
The OST Learning Institute is an online repository of high-quality, multi-faceted, learning opportunities, experiences, and resources to support the professional growth, enrichment and development of all Cambridge OST professionals. 
The OST Learning Institute will provide access to:
  • Trainings (both live and recorded organized by type and level); 
  • Communities of Practice; 
  • Annual OST Symposium;
  • Newsletter Archive; 
  • Tools & Resources to support your OST work and self-care; and
  • AFCOST Blog.
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Still time to Register! 

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We are, We Connect, We Create:  Exploring Social Emotional Learning in OST Practice
Register now for this Live 3-part Series, facilitated by Melina O’Grady, you will explore building culturally responsive relationships, supporting youth agency, connection and decision-making.   Curious about Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in your classroom and OST program? Want to know more about updates in the field and how SEL is changing in response to COVID and calls for racial equity? 
This Series aims to deepen your understanding and sharpen your skills, while you learn together with your peers.  Participants should register for all three sessions.

The Series includes three (3) Live sessions on Zoom
October 29th, November 5th and November 12th 9-11am. 
​Themes over the three sessions will include:
  • SEL definitions and models
  • Culturally responsive SEL
  • Integrating SEL into your own program. ​
​So join us for this not-to-miss SEL training series.

Fall  2021 Opportunities Guides Available

Check out our new flyer with QR codes!

Live web version of MSN Guide:
https://bit.ly/MSNAfterschoolGuide2021

Live web version of the ESON Guide:
https://bit.ly/ESONAfterschoolGuide2021

Request copies!  We will deliver them to you!
Both Guides are on Find It Cambridge

​CPS COVID-19 Safety Training for OST Programs, Aug 31, 2021

Signed CPS Partner MOUs should be returned to Khari at kmilner@cpsd.us by 9/8/21. 
If you have any questions or concerns please email or call  Khari (617-349-6553(o), 617-874-6787 (c)
If you missed it, please share this recording of a training hosted by the Cambridge Public Schools to share key safety procedures in the out-of-school hours. 
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Slide deck from 8.31.21 Training session
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8.31.21 COVID Procedure Training - CPS Partners Q&A

​SY 21-22 CPS Partner MOU
This MOU should be completed and signed by organizations with programs and/or programming that:
a) Take place in a CPS building.
b) Receive CPS students who ride CPS buses to your programs after school.

Watch our newest Story of Family Partnership
Parent Voices: Committing to Racial Equity

Reimagining OST
and
Innovating into the Future

​Thank you to everyone who attended!
​
Check here for links to videos and notes.

Watch "Caste in the Classroom, Education for Second-Class" 

If you will join tomorrow's OST Clubhouse conversation, you can join us or watch on your own.
Check out the study guide and feedback questionnaire
  1. Study Guide
  2. Feedback Questionnaire

Summer  Opportunities Guides 2021

Summer is around the corner, and after the year we've had, we are looking forward to the warmth of the sun and reconnecting safely for joyful learning and exploration with Cambridge children and youth. 

Our Summer Opportunities Guides highlight affordable, high quality programs located in Cambridge.  These documents are updated  LIVE.   
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America After 3PM 2020 Report
The Afterschool Alliance's 4th edition of America After 3PM provides a detailed account of children in the afterschool hours, identifying: trends of participation in, and unmet demand for, afterschool programs; the experiences and opportunities programs afford; and which children and families are missing out, and why.  ​http://afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM/
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Read the latest report from the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women,  Child Care and Education During COVID-19: A Report on the Economic and Social Impact on Women in Massachusetts.  

For those of you who could not join, or if you would
​like to revisit the event, please view the recording:
Passcode: O!y7&qAr

In addition, we encourage you to learn more about the Common Start Coalition, a statewide partnership of organizations, providers, and individuals working together to make high-quality early education and childcare affordable and accessible to all Massachusetts families. Their goal is to ensure that all children in the Commonwealth have the same, strong start and enter school on a level playing field. https://commonstartma.org/.

Write a blog post for the OST Community

Check out our blog and write to tell us more about how you are staying connected and supporting co-workers and families during this time.  Here are some tips for writing a blog post.

Some Free Resources for Home Learning

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 Click here to share your favorites with us!

OST Symposium 2019
Check out our Slide Show
Seeing Possibilities: Racial Justice, Equity & Access
Connecting, reflecting, teaching, sharing, learning!  

AFCOST Youth Connectors Damilola Oluwole and Medjine Lucien and AFCOST Coach and Trainer Melinda Barbosa pulled together these slides, reflections, and photos of the Symposium to inspire staff who work to support youth development in out of school time programs. 

​What inspires you to work with young people? 

Find Common Ground

​​Nelhai Mallebay-Vacqueur, a teacher in the King Open Extended Day program, shares an account of her journey working to build bridges of cultural understanding with the families of the children in her program.

​Keeping it Real in Family Partnership: A Facilitator’s Guide 

​This facilitator’s guide is intended to provide instruction and inspiration for how members of the Cambridge OST community might use the Family Partnership Stories produced by the Agenda for Children to enrich staff development efforts. This guide provides: a brief summary of each story, story-specific reflection questions, and ideas for interactive activities that can help deepen participants’ engagement with the material. 

Parent Voices on 
​Family Partnership

Cambridge OST parents share their thoughts on how Cambridge out-of-school time programs can best partner with families.

New Report Highlights Critical Importance of Family Partnership

Equity-based family engagement helps parents and caretakers in underserved communities become effective advocates and culture-bearers in schools, which boosts educational quality and relevance. Learn more in this new report published by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. ​

Show Them that They Matter

 In our latest story, OST Practitioner Ayesha Wilson shares her journey learning about the diverse cultures of her students' families.

Showing us What they Know

 An OST parent shares her thoughts on what makes a family event engaging and fun for parents.

Keeping it Real

 OST Leader & father Joseph Corbie tells us about the importance of keeping it real with families.

The Path to College Success

Our latest blog post explores how parents and CSI work together to support College Success for students.

Youth Voices on Relationships & Self-Discovery

​In this video story, youth enrolled at the Gately Youth Center in Cambridge reflect on the importance of their relationships with staff.

Engaging Middle School Youth in Out-of-School-Time Opportunities

Why are some middle school youth still missing out on OST opportunities? What can we do to help?

Connecting Books and (Reluctant) Readers

Librarian Emily Meyer highlights tips and resources to help young people find books they'll enjoy reading this summer. 

Building a Welcoming Culture

Families and staff of the Cambridge Community Center share the importance of their monthly family nights.

The Power of the Outdoors

Explore the benefits of outdoor education for your program and your own health & well-being.

Building Dialogue

Vanessa Fisher, director of the Frisoli Youth Center, tells us how she engages families by building dialogue and relationships.

4  games to get kids excited about mindfulness

Read how a youth worker changed her whole approach to mindfulness in her program by using games.

Quality, Equity & Innovation

Uniting the out-of-school time community of Cambridge through peer learning & professional development.

Cambridge Agenda for Children out-of-school time

Looking for something?
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51 Inman Street 
Cambridge MA 02139
​617-349-4099
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​159 Thorndike Street
Cambridge MA 02139 
617-349-6553

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