Everything you need for afterschool programming
Resource Center
Everything you need for afterschool programming
ND Afterschool Networks Resource Archive
Welcome To The Resource Center
Welcome to our Resource Center! This is a collection of our network’s afterschool resources, covering topics such as Curriculum, Best Practices, and Continuous Improvement. If you can’t seem to find what you are looking for here, contact our Network and we will assist you.
- 21CCLC
- Parent, School & Community Partnerships
- Health, Safety, Nutrition & Wellness
- Research & Data
- Staffing & Professional Development
- Social Emotional Learning
- College & Career Readiness
- STEM
- Funding, Program Design & Administration
- Curriculum, Lesson Plans & Programming Ideas
- Quality, Best-Practices, and Continuous Improvement
- Other Resources
21st Century Community Learning Centers
21CCLC is a critical source of funding for many afterschool and summer learning programs, providing academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students of lower incomes.
National: Inspiring Learning. Supporting Families. Earning Results
Brief from Afterschool Alliance provides an overview and infographics on 21CCLC.
North Dakota: Inspiring Students to Learn, Helping Them Make Smart Choices, and Giving Parents Peace of Mind
Brief on afterschool and 21CCLC programming, needs, and information specific to ND.
U.S. Department of Education
ND Department of Public Instruction
Title IV, Part B- 21st Century Community Learning Centers
You for Youth
Free online professional learning and technical assistance for 21st Century Community Learning Centers offered by the U.S. Department of Education.
Afterschool Alliance
Find 21CCLC facts, figures, legislation overview, data and evaluation, and funding and advocacy information from the Afterschool Alliance.
Parent, School & Community Partnerships
10 Tips for Aligning the Learning Day
Learning Heroes
Research-based (free and bilingual) resources to help you work with families to advance student social, emotional, and academic development, including a road map for communicating with parents.
Creating Holistic Partnerships Between School and Afterschool
Library and Afterschool Partnerships
How afterschool providers are working together with public libraries.
Health, Safety, Nutrition & Wellness
USDA Food & Nutrition Service
Afterschool Meals.
Healthy Eating & Physical Activity
Afterschool and summer learning programs are well-positioned to be key partners in a comprehensive effort to fight childhood obesity & work towards lifelong health for our youth. Find options for afterschool meals, information on child nutrition in afterschool, and healthy eating and physical activity standards, staff training, curriculum, and social support.
Parents Lead
Parents Lead is an evidence-based prevention program that provides parents, professionals, and caregivers with a wide variety of tools & resources to support them in creating a safe environment for children that promotes behavioral health. Find activities, talking tips, and tools.
Research & Data
America After 3pm
Every five years, the Afterschool Alliance conducts the largest nationwide survey related to afterschool. The survey is primarily targeted to parents of school-age children. Data includes attendance, demand, benefits, and support for afterschool programming.
Expanding Minds and Opportunities
A collection of over 90 research articles related to afterschool and expanded learning.
Afterschool Alliance
Find the most comprehensive national, searchable database of afterschool research and briefs, covering a variety of topics including academic enrichment, arts, college & career, evaluation & data, funding & sustainability, social & emotional learning, STEM, and more.
Wallace Foundation
Knowledge center includes reports, research, data, and information around evaluation to help make high-quality afterschool programming more readily available to all young people.
Staffing & Professional Development
CypherWorx
The ND Afterschool Network has partnered with CypherWorx, an online learning management system offering access to the latest out-of-school time professional development courses. Hundreds of courses are available, including a 54-course series of online training designed specifically for afterschool professionals. Programs have the capability to create your own courses, add content, and assign & keep track of training records. This platform is currently being offered for FREE to afterschool programs across ND.
You for Youth
Free online professional learning and technical assistance for 21st Century Community Learning Centers offered by the U.S. Department of Education.
BOOST Collaborative
The BOOST Collaborative is a unique, purpose-driven organization committed to supporting those serving youth in the in and out-of-school time hours by providing quality professional development, opportunities for networking & partnerships, and leadership training.
National Afterschool Association
Core Knowledge & Competencies
NAA offers a wide range of tools and downloads designed to both grow the career of the afterschool professional and strengthen the program, including core knowledge & competencies, publications, afterschool code of ethics, professional development, and events. The ND Afterschool Network is a state affiliate of NAA.
National Summer Learning Association
Training, research, and information briefs around summer programming.
College & Career Readiness
Afterschool & summer learning programs inspire students to learn, spark interests, and foster essential skills that will be needed for the future, like communication, collaboration, teamwork, and critical thinking.
This is Afterschool in North Dakota: Preparing the Emerging Workforce for a Changing Economy
To address the workforce gap, young people across North Dakota need access to expanded learning opportunities made possible by afterschool and summer learning programs. This brief highlights the opportunities, needs, and shares examples of programs operating in ND to help students gain valuable skills needed for our future workforce.
Building Workforce Skills in Afterschool
The brief from Afterschool Alliance shares research, data, examples, and recommendations of how afterschool programs are providing a ladder of supports that helps students reach their career aspirations.
The Importance of College and Career Experiences in Out-of-School Time Programs
A guide to facilitating engaging college & career readiness in your afterschool program from ACT Now! Afterschool for Children and Teens, including resources for Elementary, Middle, and High Schools, including curriculum, funding opportunities, and afterschool & community partnerships.
Afterschool and Workforce: Opportunities for System-Level Alignment
An American Youth Policy Forum White Paper.
Ready for Work? How Afterschool Programs Can Support Employability Through Social and Emotional Learning
American Institutes for Research brief.
STEM
Million Girls Moonshot
Launched in September 2020, the Million Girls Moonshot will inspire and prepare the next generation of innovators by engaging one million more girls in STEM learning opportunities through afterschool and summer programs over the next 5 years. The Moonshot will be active in out-of-school programs in all 50 states, leveraging the Mott-funded 50 State Afterschool Network.
Girl STEAM Ahead with NASA Free Resources
This “Exemplary Practices using ‘Girls STEM Ahead with NASA’ Free Resources” recorded webinar will explore the free NASA resources, along with accompanying exemplary practices.
Gender Equity in Online Learning
When engaging girls in STEM there are many strategies and practices that support gender equity and access, but how do those strategies work in online or hybrid learning environments? Explore what works for girls from preschool and early elementary to middle school and high school, potential adaptations, and new ideas to consider when teaching girls STEM online.
Role Models Matter & Mentoring Works
The National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity believes that one of the most effective ways to encourage students to consider non-traditional careers is to introduce them to diverse role models. This webpage serves as a resource for educators seeking STEM role models and mentors for their students.
Role Model Profiles Video Archives SciGirls CONNECTSciGirls
Incorporating videos from diverse STEM role models into your afterschool program is a quick way to expose students to role models. Pair your STEM activities with a video so students can begin making connections between afterschool, the real-world, and career.
She Can STEM | So Can You
Meet the women & girls of STEM. They build robots, find new sources of energy, study animals, play with slime, and invent apps. They help make the world a better place to be. Each story will give your students a sneak peek into how they got their start in STEM and help them begin their journey too!
Student Activities: Girlstart STEM at Home
Created by Girlstart to empower families and communities in STEM, find free Girlstart curriculum, STEM resources, effective messaging tips, and collaboration opportunities.
Student Activities: EngineerGirl Try This! Design Challenge
Hands-on activities using common household items. Challenges include: design a mini catapult, paper airplane, and sorting machine.
ND STEM Ecosystem
The ND STEM Ecosystem seeks to advance all students as problem solvers and lifelong learners through STEM.
STEM Programming & Curriculum
Techbridge
Techbridge Girls excites, educates, and equips girls from low-income communities by delivering high-quality STEM programming that empowers a girl to achieve economic mobility and better life chances.
Girls Who Code
The ND Afterschool Network is a community partner of Girls Who Code. Afterschool clubs for 3rd – 12th-grade girls explore coding in a fun & friendly environment. Summer programming and virtual programming is also available, all for free! Sign up for a club and gain access to resources, programming, and grant opportunities for your afterschool program. Mention the “ND Afterschool Network” as your community partner on your application for access to even more resources.
Gateway to Science
Gateway to Science is North Dakota’s hands-on science center with the mission to inspire the discovery of science through hands-on experiences. For 25 years, Gateway to Science has been igniting a passion for STEM in students of all ages through an interactive exhibit gallery, year-round programming, and outreach across the state.
National Afterschool Association STEM Gems
STEM Gems are short, discovery-based experiences that involve little or no materials and may be easily implemented by educators who are not STEM specialists. Each STEM Gem is designed to engage young people in active experiential learning.
ND EPSCoR
North Dakota EPSCoR seeks to help improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education among middle school and high school students, and to build a pathway for students in ND who are interested in pursuing careers in STEM disciplines. Find events, learning modules, 360 degree lab tours, and resources for K-12 education and professional development.
North Dakota State Library
STEM Kits are available for school and community-based libraries to checkout from the ND State Library for hands-on STEM learning. This is a great opportunity for an afterschool program to partner with your local library for STEM programming!
STEM 2D
High-quality STEM activities for students age 7 – 14 years that take 15 minutes up to 90+ minutes with staff facilitation guides, suggestions of STEM business partners to engage, and lesson plans ideal for afterschool & summer learning programs!
Click 2 Science
Click2SciencePD offers STEM professional development resources for out-of-school time programs. Find resources for frontline staff & volunteers, trainers & coaches, and program leaders.
Mystery Science
Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science! Hands-on lessons, curriculum, and remote learning resources for K-5.
Funding, Program Design & Administration
Building and Managing Quality Afterschool Programs
A guide from the National Center for Quality Afterschool offers key practices of successful afterschool programs organized around program organization, academic programming practices, supportive relationships in afterschool, and achieving program outcomes.
NCASE Resources on OST Workforce
The National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (NCASE) has developed a number of resources focused on supporting the out-of-school time workforce. In this publication, find resources such as “How to Develop and Support a Strong Afterschool & Summer Workforce” and “Strengthening, Supporting, and Sustaining the Out-of-School Time Workforce.”
The Afterschool Guide to Building Relationships and Routines
This eBook from the National Afterschool Association was created to help afterschool professionals create safe, supportive environments for young people though program activities that build relationships and routines. Version 2 includes activity variations to account for social distancing.
Funding & Sustainability
Afterschool Alliance
Funding tools, expert advice, and afterschool funding database.
BOOST Collaborative
The BOOST Funding page is a comprehensive compilation of available funding opportunities including grants, scholarships, awards, and contests to support your school and/or programs.
Strengthen ND
Strengthen ND supports & accelerates community development in rural North Dakota, including a one-stop-shop for the latest in nonprofit news, resources, and technical assistance.
North Dakota Community Foundation
Grant programs include Statewide Greatest Needs Program and Community Endowment Funds.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Teaching Tolerance
Classroom resources, lesson plans, student tasks & teaching strategies, and staff professional development resources for anti-bias education.
What Every Afterschool Professional Can Do To Promote Equity
Additional Tools & Resources
Beyond the Bell 4th Edition: A Toolkit for Creating Effective Afterschool and Expanded Learning Programs
Designed as a resource for both community-based and school-based programs, this practical & easy-to-use toolkit contains great information for program leaders who want to start or improve an afterschool program. Find 96 tools to support program management, design, partnerships, delivery, evaluation, and continuous program improvement.
How to Start an Afterschool Program: 10 Things to Consider
Curriculum, Lesson Plans & Programming Ideas
Mizzen by Mott
Mizzen by Mott is an app built with and for afterschool professionals to provide high-quality, engaging learning content to the afterschool field. Find lesson plans, activity playlists, and multi-week modules that can be utilized whether your program is meeting virtually or in-person. Through support from the Mott Foundation, the app and all of its content are available at no cost to afterschool programs.
ConnectEd
The Northeast Education Services Cooperative proudly supports North Dakota educators in their efforts to provide high-quality, extended day programming for students. As a contributing partner, the ND Afterschool Network extends access to live and recorded lessons for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 that can be used in any afterschool or summer learning program across ND.
50 State Afterschool Network Summer Activity Guide
A suite of 150 fun and engaging activities and challenges. Includes four age groups (5-9) (10-12) (13-15) (16-18) and adaptable for in-person and virtual instruction, as well as take-home packets based on skill-building & social-emotional learning.
National Geographic Explorer Classroom
Access an inspiring community of National Geographic Explorers – cutting-edge scientists, researchers, and powerful storytellers from around the globe – who would love to connect with your students!
Quality, Best-practices, and Continous Improvement
High-quality out-of-school time programs provide measurable benefits to youth and families. High-quality programs are intentional and committed to program structure, design, and evaluation.
Just Released! North Dakota Quality Standards for Out-of-School Time Programs
North Dakota’s guide to best practices for effective youth programs was just released in June 2021. Designed by stakeholders across the state, this guide is divided into 4 Standard Domains: Health & Safety, Relationships & Interactions, Youth-Centered Program Design, and Leadership & Management. The guide and accompanying resources are designed to help your program be the best it can be.
Teachstone Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)
CLASS uses research-driven insights to improve how teachers & staff interact with children every day to cultivate supportive, structured, and engaging classroom experiences. A pilot of CLASS as the ND 21CCLC quality evaluation tool began in late 2019. The ND Afterschool Network is supporting implementation and coaching around CLASS.
Why Quality Afterschool Matters
Focus brief from the National Afterschool Association.
Funders’ Guide to Quality in Out-of-School Time
Guide provides recommendations to grantmakers about how they can increase quality in out-of-school time through local, regional, statewide and national grantmaking and other strategies.
Other Resources
50 State Afterschool Network
For more than a decade, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation has made investments in networks of diverse groups of organizations and champions to come together to build public will and systems for afterschool and summer learning. Reaching every state, the 50-State Afterschool Network fosters partnerships and policies to develop, support, and sustain high-quality opportunities for children and youth. Find links to all 50 state networks along with key resources and research about the power of afterschool and summer learning.
COVID-19 Resources
Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs are Essential for COVID-19 Recovery
Brief from Afterschool Alliance with data, research and information about the role afterschool programs can play in COVID-19 recovery.
Preparing for Back to School and Navigating Summer in the Time of COVID-19
Brief from Afterschool Alliance with survey results and information from survey series to program providers and parents in Summer 2020.
Contact Us
Hi! I’m Kristin and I am the ND Afterschool Network Lead. If you are looking for more information on how to bring or better afterschool programs near you, shoot me a call or an email!
