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.

February STEM Activities for Programs

  • Engineering is Elementary’s NASA Partnership free units – A suite of free NASA-funded STEM resources for students in grades 3-8. All resources are research-based and classroom-tested. They are designed to support students’ understanding of space, while helping them see themselves as capable problem solvers.
  • STEM Educators Academy Activity Toolkit from ExpandED Schools — This Activity Toolkit offers hybrid learning engineering design challenges, STEM facilitation skill builder videos, and engineering design activities categorized by content areas. 
  • 30 Active Math and Activities for Kids Who Love to Move – When kids think of math, they usually picture worksheets and flashcards. But math doesn’t have to be dull! These active math games get kids up and moving, using their whole bodies to learn facts and skills. Lots of these ideas can be adapted to suit a variety of math concepts, so choose a few to try out with your math students soon.
  • 21 Cool Math Games and Activities for Kids in Elementary School – The following list of cool math games and activities for kids includes math video games, math board games, math puzzles and brain teasers, and other fun math game and activity ideas. These cool math games and activities are perfect for lesson plans, at home learning, summer session, and more. Which one will be your favorite?
  • Math Communities – Students, parents, and educators coming together to play with math!  Math Communities creates a virtual community that provides free access to joyful collaborative activities designed by professional mathematicians and math educators  for K-12 students, educators, and families. There are lots of ways to communicate with other folks interested in math.

Related

Activities & Resources for Programs – March

Activities & Resources for Programs – March

Activities Mathematics & Probability Science Activity: Asked to get an estimate for the famed mathematical constant, Pi, you might do what the ancient Greeks did: Divide the circumference of a circle by its diameter. Or you can estimate Pi by a less conventional...

Training and Professional Development – March

Training and Professional Development – March

LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES SoDakSACA Leadership Retreat April 18-20: The SoDakSACA Leadership Retreat is always a great spring event. Don't miss out. Register here.     ____________________________________________________________________________ WEBINARS Trainings...

Training and Professional Development – February

Training and Professional Development – February

LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES Child & Family Resource Network On-Demand Training Access a variety of on-demand style training from the Child & Family Resource Network. From Child Care Orientation to Ongoing Health & Safety Training, staff have quick and easy access...