The South Dakota Afterschool Network works to better our state and its communities by connecting providers, parents and policymakers with proven tools and resources to increase the quality of and access to out-of-school time programming for K-12 children and youth.

Afterschool is a lifeline that keeps youth safe, helps kids learn and grow, and provides parents the ability to work without worry. While South Dakota is home to more than 300 afterschool programs, the demand for programs exceeds available spaces. In fact, 1 in 3 South Dakota children (34 percent) who are not in an afterschool program would be enrolled if it were available. That’s more than 42,000 children who are missing out on opportunities to participate in programming that supports their development academically, socially and economically.

Afterschool can provide valuable opportunities for students to explore STEM, and we are here to help your program succeed in STEM Learning! From webinars and trainings to our signature TMC Trailers that bring turnkey STEM activities to your doorstep, our diverse collection of resources meets you and your students where you are and provides the support you need to deliver quality programming to your students at any age. 

The South Dakota Afterschool Network wanted to create a mapping tool to better understand the landscape of afterschool and summer programs available for children and families. From the initial launch of the new mapping tool, we have identified some startling findings.

Training: ACRES: Info Session about Micro-credentials and Digital Badging

ACRES (Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM) is excited to offer additional Information Sessions about STEM micro-credentials, which are competency-based, digital badges for afterschool and out-of-school professionals offered through the National Afterschool Association. These sessions are free, live, interactive, and one hour in length.  You will learn about what Micro-credentials are and how to […]

Diversity Panel

This panel presentation will elevate the voices of immigrant and refugee residents as they speak to their backgrounds, what brought them to the US, some key points regarding life in their homeland, the main challenges in adjusting to life in the US and perspectives on how to support success for our culturally diverse clients. This […]

Training: ACRES Coaching: Elevating Youth Voice and Choice (For OST professionals who have completed Asking Purposeful Questions)

How often do youth in your program get to choose what they’re investigating or designing, the materials they might use and/or how they engage with the work? In this module, participants try out strategies for elevating youth voice and choice and apply the ideas as they redesign a STEM activity to incorporate a greater variety […]

Cross-Cultural Communication and Working with Interpreters Evening Session

This 2-hour training will include 2 parts: Part 1: Cross-Cultural Communication Engage in a language immersion experience and discuss the challenges of language acquisition. Learn key insights about the backgrounds of multi-lingual learners. Finally, participants will learn and practice some techniques for effective communication with multi-lingual learners or non-native English speakers. Part 2: Working with […]

Training: ACRES Coaching: Facilitating Engineering Practices Questions

Engineering has become a staple of STEM programming for youth. How can we confidently bring engineering into our programming and support youth as they engage in problem solving? In this module, participants gain first-hand experience with engineering by solving a design problem. They examine the components of the engineering design process and discuss ways to […]

Training: ACRES Coaching: Elevating Youth Voice and Choice (For OST professionals who have completed Asking Purposeful Questions)

How often do youth in your program get to choose what they’re investigating or designing, the materials they might use and/or how they engage with the work? In this module, participants try out strategies for elevating youth voice and choice and apply the ideas as they redesign a STEM activity to incorporate a greater variety […]

SD STEM Education Conference

Crossroads Event Center - Huron Huron, South Dakota

The 2024 South Dakota STEM Education Conference will feature a track specifically designed for elementary and informal educators like those in out-of-school time programs. Speakers will discuss ways to engage students in STEM and how to connect the learning that takes place during the school day with their afterschool experience. Some of the topics include: Tangible curriculum resources you can take […]

Training: Click2Engineering: Asking Purposeful Questions Coaching

Click2Engineering is offering an ACRES (Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM) training on Asking Purposeful Questions in February and March 2024. ACRES supports educators who engage youth in STEM learning experiences. This training is fully virtual and FREE with the goal of moving the needle on your skills to facilitate quality STEM experiences regardless of the age […]

Culturally Competent Outreach and Engagement Evening Session

In this session, we will review some everyday cross-cultural scenarios and discuss qualities and approaches that would yield positive outcomes. Participants will explore ways to show respect and sensitivity and effectively engage with the diverse communities they serve. Training Partner: Lutheran Social Services of SD This training is being offered through the WIC Community Innovation […]