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In the coming months, the Office of Out of School Time Grants and Youth Outcomes (OST Office), located in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education is looking to spotlight some of the various high-quality afterschool and summer programs that are providing District youth with meaningful opportunities beyond the school day. The goal of this series is to highlight the great work that many programs are currently providing to youth and families.
Each Learn24 newsletter hopes to highlight at least one high-quality organization in a way that showcases the plethora of programs being offered to the youth and families right here in the District. Interested organizations are asked to complete this brief preliminary form. Please complete no later than Friday, October 14, 2022 to be considered.
*Note: References to events, workshops, organizations, or activities do not serve as an endorsement or recommendation from the OST Office, Learn24, or the Government of the District of Columbia.
The Institute for Youth Development is committed to providing youth development professionals with an opportunity to gain practical skills that can be implemented in their interactions with youth immediately. This listing of upcoming workshops helps promote a positive environment with youth.
Register now! Space is limited.
Thank you to the individuals and organizations that have completed the survey thus far! The OST Office is currently having discussions about hosting a summer options exploration that provides families with the opportunity to convene with organizations to hear about the various offerings that will be available for school aged youth during the summer months. Organizations interested in participating by tabling and sharing their summer program, summer jobs, summer learning experiences, etc. should complete this form to stay informed on next steps. The survey closes Tuesday, November 1, 2022.
Complete this brief survey here.
Help families by listing your out-of-school time (OST) program(s) on the Learn24 program finder. Organizations that serve youth in the District of Columbia are encouraged to list their program. Families can use the program finder to identify out-of-school time (OST) programming in specific focus areas, ages, locations, and more for school-aged children. Complete this form to have your program listed.
 In the first newsletter of each month, The Institute for Youth Development will highlight a specific indicator from the Weikart Center's Youth Program Quality Assessment (PQA) on promising practices in the field.
Group Processing Skills
Group processing skills is knowing how to productively interact in a group. These skills are essential for youth to learn how to express themselves and work effectively with others. Examples of group processing skills are:
- Listening to others without interrupting
- Sharing ideas
- Giving and receiving constructive criticism
- Taking turns in a group
- Valuing other ideas
Group processing skills do not come naturally to students, and therefore, it is important that youth development programs intentionally provide opportunities for participants to develop, practice, and improve these skills. Staff will need to be explicit on what behaviors are expected, role model the behavior, identify when participants are doing it well or when participants are improving on the skills, and be consistent on the group expectation. Staff may recognize and praise students when participants or groups exhibit improved group processing skills. Staff must remind participants of expectations and solicit support from other participants to remind one another when participants do not exhibit group processing skills, such as interrupting other participants, or making fun of other participants. Staff can support participants’ development of group processing by:
- Incorporating opportunities for all students to contribute in discussion by calling on students to share in a group discussion, having students write down answers, or placing students in pairs or small groups.
- Providing multiple activities for students to practice group processing skills by leading a group check-in at the beginning of the program day, a reflection discussion after completing an activity, or add brainstorming sessions into the lesson.
- Alternating activities between large group, small group, and individual activities.
For additional insight to the importance of group processing skills check out these resources:
On October 24 - 26, 2022, join the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) and leaders from across the country at the 2022 national conference: Summer Changes Everything™. This three-day event will be hosted in Washington, DC and is scheduled to bring together more than 800 individuals to gather insights and solutions into the evolution of the field from closing academic achievement gaps to addressing opportunity gaps and fostering social-emotional learning. Learn more here.
The Office of Out of School Time Grants and Youth Outcomes is excited to partner with the Greater Washington Community Foundation to help provide OST programs to students with specific needs. Examples of programs that the scholarship may support include, but are not limited to, programs designed specifically for students with disabilities, advanced learners, and English Language Learners. Individuals not considered at-risk may also be eligible to receive a scholarship based on need and availability of funding. Scholarships of up to $10,000 are available for individual students for use in approved OST activities in calendar year 2022. The minimum scholarship award is $1,000. For more information, please click here.
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is releasing up to $7.5 million of funding for approximately five to seven grants to support existing successful evidence-based tutoring programs to scale. The funding period will run from approximately Jan. 9, 2023 through Sept. 30, 2024.
The RFA is available on OSSE’s website. The deadline to submit an application will be Monday, October 31, 2022 at 3 pm. If you have any questions about the grant, please email the HIT grants team at HIT.Grants@dc.gov.
The Shubert Foundation awards grants towards general operating support for dance organizations that operate in the United States. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, October 18, 2022 by 6:00 pm. Learn more about the funding criteria, past grantees, eligibility requirements, frequently asked questions, and more here.
The Capitol Hill Community Foundation will award one grant of $25,000 to support new initiatives, or programmatic expansions, that can make significant contributions to the life of the Capitol Hill community. Focus areas for this grant competition include schools and teachers; youth programming; social service programs; and neighborhood beautification and community building. The deadline to apply is Friday, October 21, 2022. More information can be found here.
Many Hands is accepting grant applications from Washington, DC area nonprofits serving women, children, and families in socioeconomic need. Focus areas include economic empowerment, education, health, and housing. One organization will receive the Many Hands $100,000 Impact Grant. Applications must be received by Friday, November 18, 2022. View the application here.
Weekly newsletter of funding opportunities.
 For resources and additional information on the District of Columbia Government’s response to coronavirus (COVID-19), please visit coronavirus.dc.gov.
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