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 and Professional Development – April

SDAN TRAINING

May Fireside Chat: Youth Resiliency Thursday, May 4

Join guest speaker, Joel Kaskinen, Community Engagement Manager with Lost & Found as we discuss actionable ways to support youth resiliency.

About Lost & Found: Lost&Found delivers comprehensive, data-driven, and resilience-focused suicide prevention and postvention programs and services for youth and young adults (ages 10-34) and their support networks.​

Register here.

SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES

Early Access to Free DNA Kits to Celebrate DNA Day!

Afterschool programs connected with the Moonshot get EARLY ACCESS to Illumina’s DNA kits! Every year, Illumina celebrates DNA Day throughout the month of April. Together with schools, districts and nonprofit partners, they provide educational programs and activities for all grade levels. 

Illumina is providing “Moonshot educators” the materials and support to guide meaningful learning experiences for youth to discover the power of genomics. Visit their DNA Day site to receive illumina’s genomics learning materials/DNA Kits and learn more about available resources 

Early Access Code: Million Girls Moonshot 

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WEBINARS

ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Math Practices Wednesdays: 4/12/2023, 4/26/2023, and 5/10/2023 11:00 AM-1:00 PM EST / 8:00-10:00 am PST

Are you looking for fun ways to help youth build number sense and problem-solving skills? Math can take on new meaning when it is integrated into daily routines in our afterschool programs. In this module, afterschool educators will explore and practice strategies for making math engaging and accessible. Asking Purposeful Questions is a prerequisite to this skill. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend. REGISTER HERE Code: AC228PQ

ACRES Training Cohort: Asking Purposeful Questions: Wednesdays:  

05/03/2023, 05/17/2023, 05/31/2023 12:00 pm-2:00 pm EST/ 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM PST

Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop their reasoning through the questions we ask them? This module is a great way to train staff on how to facilitate STEM learning. Experienced educators also love being part of a cohort as a way to connect with other educators across the country, to learn new lesson plans, and to reflect on practice.  This is our introductory module and a prerequisite to other opportunities. *The expectation is that you will be live at all three sessions and an active member of this coaching cohort. Recordings are not available if you are unable to attend. REGISTER HERE Code: AC288PQ

ACRES Training Cohort: Facilitating Science Practices: Wednesdays: 05/31/2023, 06/14/2023, 06/28/2023 3:30 pm-5:30 pm EST/ 12:30-2:30 pm PST

How can we make sure that our ‘hands on’ science experiences for youth are also ‘minds on?’ In this module, participants learn how to support youth as they engage in science practices to learn science ideas, including planning and conducting investigations around testable questions. They’ll talk about the similarities and differences between questioning in science versus questioning in engineering contexts. REGISTER HERE Code: AC225SP

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PEAR DIMENSIONS OF SUCCESS (DoS) Training & Certification April 20, 2023 10:00am-4:00pm EST/ 7:00 am-1:00 pm PST (Registration deadline is April 6th)

Developed by PEAR, the Dimensions of Success (DoS), is a research-based observation tool that measures the quality of students’ STEM learning experiences. The DoS training and certification  process involves a two-day live webinar training, completion of video calibration exercises, a one-hour live calibration session, and successful completion of two practice observations in the field. Certification is provided at no cost Network and program leads affiliated with the Moonshot. REGISTER HERE

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Click2Engineering Spring Community of Practice April 5, April 19, May 3, and 17 2023

The Click2Engineering community of practice (CoP) introduces out-of-school time educators to the basics of engineering and leading engineering activities with youth. The CoP is organized around the 10 Practices for an Engineering Mindset, and includes hands-on engineering activities, developing engineering experiences for youth, and learning skills to facilitate engineering practices.  The CoP is four meetings over 8 weeks. REGISTER HERE

Click2CS Virtual Workshop: Supporting Productive Failure April 26, 2023 3:00-4:00 pm EST/ 12:00-1:00 pm PST

Knowing how to help youth see how failure can be productive is critical for developing an engineering mindset. Join this virtual workshop to learn how you can create learning experiences that support youth and help them persist through their frustration and learn from failures. By engaging in authentic engineering work, youth develop engineering identities and the mindset to solve problems and change the world. REGISTER HERE

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Afterschool Math Plus Curriculum Training Thursdays: April 18, May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15, September 19, October 17, and November 28, 2023 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST 

REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSION HERE

Date and Time Afterschool Math Plus Curriculum Topic Areas
April 18th

1:00-2:00pm EST

Jump Rope Math: Everyday Math & Exploring Jump Ropes

Collect data about participants’ jump rope techniques. Use the data to create bar graphs, draw conclusions, and ask questions about jumping rope.

May 16th

1:00-2:00pm EST

Jump Rope Math: The Whys of Jumping Rope

Conduct surveys about why people jump rope and use data to create bar graphs and Venn diagrams to represent people’s answers.

June 20th

1:00-2:00pm EST

Jump Rope Math: How Far Can You Go?

Create line graphs and use data to make predictions about how far jumpers can travel in a set amount of time.

July 18th

1:00-2:00pm EST

Jump Rope Math: Going to Great Lengths

Observe patterns, create a scatter graph, and analyze data to make predictions about connections between jump rope length and jumper height.

August 15th

1:00-2:00pm EST

Jump Rope Math: Designing a Math Investigation 

Use bar graphs, line graphs, scatter graphs and Venn diagrams to explore different ways of answering math questions about jumping rope. 

September 19th

1:00-2:00pm EST

MusicMath: Unexpected Math, Creating Rhythms, and Making Rhythm Patterns

Create musical patterns, then repeat the patterns and think about how to represent the patterns using words, pictures, and symbols.

October 17th

1:00-2:00pm EST

MusicMath: Composing Music (with Math!)

Experiment with repeating patterns and create new arrangements using similar sounds in different sequences.

November 14th 

1:00-2:00pm EST

MusicMath: Discovering Music Fractions

Identify and represent parts of fractions using music and explore combinations and permutations, or ways of creating variety while still using the same elements.

December 12th 

1:00-2:00pm EST

MusicMath: Orchestration

Use fractions to create musical compositions, then perform the compositions using found instruments (pans, boxes, pencils, whistles). Create new combinations and permutations for the music fractions.

 

Note: Each webinar will include strategies to support a positive Math Identity (e.g., role models, career connections, family connections, literacy connections). 

REGISTER FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SESSION HERE

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