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 Register today - Space is limited at the Afterschool for All Challenge! Registration closes at midnight, February 17 (deadline extended!)

On Tuesday, March 10, we're teaming up with the Afterschool Alliance and afterschool professionals from around the country to meet face to face with members of Congress and urge them to support kids and families who rely on afterschool programs. Signup for the Afterschool for All Challenge and bring your powerful stories to our nation's capital to share with our federal elected officials. At the Convention, we’ll host workshops and trainings to prepare you to meet with your representative, and learn ways you can engage with your local policymakers when you return home. 

By participating in the National Afterschool Association Convention and Afterschool for All Challenge, you'll have the opportunity to hear from leaders around the country who are working to provide opportunities for health and wellness in afterschool, pilot efforts for kids and afterschool staff to earn digital badges, provide STEM learning opportunities after school and much more. You'll receive training on how to be an effective advocate for afterschool and then you'll hone those advocacy skills by participating in meetings on Capitol Hill with your elected officials.

Join Us Online
Even if you can't make it to DC to meet face to face, we will need your help to amplify the message. You're the local expert on afterschool. Members of Congress need to hear from constituents like you who care about making afterschool for all a reality. In the coming months we'll be sharing everything you need to reach out from home, including sample scripts and a guide for planning a district meeting with your local Congressional office, courtesy of the Afterschool Alliance.

2014 Highlights
Last year, participants from 46 states met with their senators and representatives to talk about the many ways afterschool programs support children, families, school and communities, and to urge them to support the Afterschool for America's Children Act. Hundreds more afterschool supporters participated in the event from their own communities. As a result of these efforts, the number of co-sponsors of the Afterschool for America's Children Act more than quadrupled!

Make plans to join us in DC today!

There are five key strands for this year's convention. Please select the one strand that fits your proposal best.

1. Developing Afterschool and Youth Professionals. NAA is committed to professionalizing the field of afterschool. If you have a presentation that focuses on professional development or leadership, this is the place for you!
   
   Example session topics include: career pathways, higher education, supporting staff, giving and receiving feedback, leadership development, internal communication, organizational culture, using data, observation and assessment,         management, work/life balance, stress management, research, organizational practices, coaching and supervision, staff recruitment and retention, workforce development, etc.
   
   
2. Building Partnerships and Sustaining Programs. Partnerships and funding are two key elements for a successful afterschool program. If you have developed partnerships in your community, found new ways to secure funding, or are just great at writing grants, we need you to teach others. Overall, these sessions focus on how to engage specific communities and/or how to fundraise and sustain programs.
   
   Example session topics include: collaboration, strategies for working with school districts, community-based organizations, families, parents, communities, PTA's, local government, community schools, community partnerships, corporate partnerships, partnerships with colleges and universities, fundraising, grant writing, non-profit management, board development, etc.
   
   
3. Quality and Innovative Programming. Programming is at the heart of the NAA Convention (not to mention the heart of afterschool programs). If you're creating excellent programming, using new techniques or tools, integrating technology, or achieving high academic results thanks to a new approach to learning, we need you to teach others how to replicate it.
   
   Example session topics include: aligning to the Common Core, using technology in the classroom, visual, culinary and performance arts, project-based learning, learning environments, curriculum implementation, academic and school day alignment, imagination and creativity, hands-on and experiential learning activities, STEM, cultural enrichment, financial literacy, service learning, summer programming, research, etc.
   
   
4. Supporting the Whole Child. For sessions tailored to specific children, address certain needs., or focused on health and wellness. If your program is saving money by eating organic, supporting social-emotional development, or have fun new exercises and recreation ideas, we need to learn from you!
   
   Example session topics include: social-emotional learning, health and wellness, nutrition, youth engagement, mentoring, , college readiness, risk behavior prevention, youth-led learning, early learning, middle-year engagement, engaging older youth, safety, nutrition, physical activity, recreation, mental health, meals/snacks, healthy eating, bully prevention, recognizing and responding to child abuse and neglect, character education, behavior guidance, classroom management, healthy start, inclusion, special needs, etc.
   
   
5. Telling Your Story. Storytelling is a powerful tool, and can be used in the boardroom, classroom, and Capitol Hill. How are you telling your story? Are you a social media guru? A policy specialist? A poet? We're calling on storytellers from all walks of life to help us improve our communication techniques.
   
   Example session topics include: public speaking, public relations, communications, marketing, media, social media, blogs, writing, policy, visual, culinary and performance arts, poetry, drama, data visualization, infographics, social interaction, intercultural communication, small group communication, facilitation, nonverbal communication, etc.

There are two different session formats offered at Convention:

• Workshop – 75 ­minute sessions that can be a hands-on training, discussion, lecture, or panel presentation (maximum of three panelists and a moderator for panels). At least 15-minutes of audience Q&A is required.
• Learning Express – Quick, 30-minute sessions that share ideas participants can use right away. No Q&A time required.

Workshop Strands
There are five key strands for all workshops offered at Convention:

1. Developing High Quality and Innovative Programs (Core Knowledge Competencies 1, 2, 3). Subtopics include:

a. Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
b. STEM (Science, Education, Technology, and Math)
c. Curricula and Activity Ideas
d. Developing Learning Environments
e. Supporting the Whole Child
f. Project Based Learning

2. Youth Engagement (Core Knowledge Competencies 4, 5, 6). Subtopics include:

a. Youth Voice and Choice
b. Youth Leadership
c. Youth Planning
d. Creating Community and Group Experiences
e. Interactions
f. Cooperative Learning
g. Positive Guidance strategies
h. Bullying Prevention
i. Cultural Competence
j. Inclusion

3. Healthy Eating, Physical Activity (HEPA), Community and Family Engagement (Core Knowledge Competencies 7, 8). Subtopics include:

a. NAA HEPA Standards
b. Healthy Eating Curricula, Activity Ideas, and Resources
c. Physical Activity Curricula, Activity Ideas, and Resources
d. Snack and Meals Resources
e. Creating Healthy Communities
f. Family Engagement

4. Program and Professional Development (Core Knowledge Competencies 9, 10). Subtopics include:

a. Continuous Program Improvement
b. Funding and Sustainability
c. Program Evaluation
d. Core Competencies
e. Human Resources 101
f. Staff Supervision
g. Coaching
h. Aligning with the School Day
i. Youth Recruitment Strategies
j. Program Marketing

5. Theme-Related Strand: Super People, Super Powers. Subtopics include:

a. Time Management
b. Work/Life Balance
c. Success Stories
d. Bringing Your Best Self to Work
e. Emotional Intelligence
f. Telling Your Story
g. Afterschool Heroes

Questions?
Download our Presenter FAQs for more detailed information. You can also contact Erin Leonard at leonard@collaborativecommunications.com.