#heartofafterschool

In Reach, Inc. 

Celebrates the Heart of Afterschool Programs During the First Ever

“AFTERSCHOOL PROFESSIONALS APPRECIATION WEEK”

April 25-29, 2016

Prince George’s County, MD, April 25, 2016 – In Reach, Inc., is joining with the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) to celebrate the professionals that are at the heart of afterschool programs during the first ever “Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week” April 25-29, 2016.

“We believe Afterschool professionals make a difference in the life of a child,” said Executive Director Toni Smith “We encourage everyone to join us this week in thanking the afterschool professionals in their lives.”

Why is it important to recognize Afterschool Professionals?

An estimated 10.2 million children participate in afterschool programs each year. Today, afterschool programs are viewed as much more than just childcare. They are widely credited as the way to enhance education in STEM, literacy, the arts, social and emotional learning, health and wellness, and more. With that demand comes increased responsibility on the estimated 850,000 of professionals who are making a difference in the lives of our children.

What is Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week?

Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week is a joint effort of community partners, afterschool programs, youth and child care workers, and individuals who have committed to dedicating time to recognize and appreciate those who work with youth during out-of-school hours. The week is marked by celebrations and public relations efforts to encourage people to thank afterschool professionals serving children in programs and organizations across the nation.

Who is an Afterschool Professional?

An Afterschool Professional is someone who works with children and youth in diverse school and community-based settings to provide a wide variety of extended learning opportunities and care during out-of-school hours. Currently, there is an estimated 850,000 afterschool professionals in the US.

How can I thank an Afterschool Professional?

--Declare on social media: “I believe Afterschool professionals make a difference in the life of a child. #heartofafterschool”

--Give a hand-written card from you and/or your child to the afterschool professional in your life.

--Send an email to an afterschool professional’s supervisor describing why that person is appreciated.

--Make treats for the staff at your afterschool program.

When was Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week introduced?

Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week was announced during the NAA Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida, on March 20, 2016, by NAA President & CEO Gina Warner.

For more information about Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week visit: http://www.heartofafterschool.com. For more information about In Reach visit www.inreachinc.org or call 301.357.8433.

Pick Up a Book and #Read with a Child

Each year on March 2, we celebrate National Read Across America Day (Dr. Seuss’ birthday) with the goal of encouraging children to read for enjoyment and providing parents and families with the tools to help them do so.

Reading is at the core of learning and children who do more of it tend to be more successful in school. According to the International Reading Association, seven out of eight students with reading problems in first grade continue to struggle with reading in 9^th grade. They get better but never catch up. Students reading on grade level read twice as much outside of school (thirty minutes a day), and students reading two grade levels above, read for a full hour a day outside of school on average.¹

Parents play an extremely important role in encouraging and supporting their child in learning to read and continuously helping him/her strengthen his/her skills. Here are some tips supporting your child in becoming an awesome reader:

1.  Stay engaged with your child's teachers to keep up with what’s going on in their classrooms. Ask teachers how you can make your child’s learning skills stronger.

2.  Use the Library - your local public library is a wonderful place to start and continue your families reading journey. There are so many amazing resources onsite and online for parents/family members to sign up for, free, as well computers available at each location to use for job search, typing resumes and much more. Don’t have a library card? Now is an excellent time to get one for everyone in the household.

3.  Subscribe to a Reading Rockets Growing Readers Newsletter for ongoing information and monthly tip sheets (available in English and Spanish) on raising strong readers and writers,  http://www.readingrockets.org/newsletters/extras.

^1. The Future of Children (2012). Literacy Challenges for the Twenty-First Century, VOLUME 22, NUMBER 2, FALL 2012. 

A Call to Action - For Immediate Release

Contact: Toni Smith, 301.357.8433 ext. 7001

A Set-up for Failure: The Disbursement of 21st Century Community Learning Centers funds in the State of Maryland 

As an organization that raises awareness about the issues that affect children, youth and families, this is certainly one of them.

In July 2015, In Reach applied for a 21^st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grant through the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and was awarded the competitive grant effective September 1, 2015. We were elated to receive our congratulatory letter. Imagine our dismay and shock over six months later that we still have not received one drop of funding and when contacting MSDE, their reply is simply "we are working on it" and funds will be released "immediately".

Several weeks have passed and nothing has been received.

In Reach, like many of the other 21^st CCLC grantees, work with some of the most underserved and at-risk children and families and being located in Prince George’s County where funding is already scarce has made this a very difficult experience. It should never take this long for an agency to disburse funds. This would be an unacceptable practice in any other business structure. Why is it that an agency that has been disbursing 21^st CCLC funds for years, still lacks the ability to execute funding in a timely and efficient manner?

The implementation of an afterschool program does not happen in one day. It takes at least four weeks to get a program up and running and that's with everything in place so not receiving funding in a timely manner sets organizations up for failure. With an understanding that the grant is retroactive to its start date of September 1^st, In Reach decided to move forward with implementing its K-8 College and Career Ready 21^st CCLC afterschool programming at three schools with the goal of operating for the proposed seven months. Expecting some type of delay, we could not have imagined that it would take over six months to receive funding for the almost 200 students that we serve, their families, our afterschool teachers, and staff.

This is unacceptable. We need funds to be released now! 21^st CCLC grantees have invested everything into their programs and many, like In Reach, will not be able to continue serving children who need afterschool programs the most. This is an atrocity and an injustice. We have been set up to fail.

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In Reach, Inc., is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization that prepares students for college, work and life. In addition to providing direct services, we raise awareness about the issues that affect children, youth and families.

The Maryland State Department of Education 21^st Century Community Learning Centers Grant Program is managed by the Office of Extended Learning. 

What are you doing for Teen Read Week?

As an organization that provides academic afterschool programs to students, we are naturally concerned with the development of their literacy skills and abilities and encouraging their life long interest in reading. These are a few reasons why each year we join the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) in recognizing and celebrating Teen Read Week™, a national adolescent literacy initiative created to encourage teens to be regular readers and library users. 

An annual celebration, this year’s theme, Get Away, encourages libraries to help teens escape from the day to day grind of school, homework, family responsibilities, part time jobs and other activities by picking up something to read. 

In Reach found the Teens' Top Ten "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year, to be an amazing resource. Readers ages twelve to eighteen vote online and the winners for that year are announced the week after Teen Read Week. Below is the Top Ten for 2014. Encourage a teen to read at least one of these today. It's a great list to use as encouragement for reading throughout the year, i.e. read-a-thon, book club and so much more. We can barely wait to see what teens from across the country select for 2015.

2014 Teens’ Top Ten

1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (Macmillan/St. Martin's Griffin)

2. Splintered by A.G. Howard (ABRAMS/Amulet Books)

3. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson (Tor Teen)

4. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (Penguin/Putnam Juvenile) 

5. Monument 14: Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne (Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends)

6. Earth Girl by Janet Edwards (Prometheus Books /Pyr)

7. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

8. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (Random House/Delacorte Press)

9. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (Macmillan/Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)

10. The Eye of Minds by James Dashner (Random House/Delacorte Press)

#ThankaPrincipal During National Principals Month

National Principals Month recognizes the essential role that principals play in making a school great. Here at In Reach we know just how important the role of the principal is in facilitating not just all of the happenings in the school, but also in building community partnerships to make each of their schools even better. This is what each one of our principals have in common. They understand their vital role in shaping and leading a robust academic community.

We are pleased to join the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and the American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA) in honoring these unsung heroes for their tireless efforts in pursuit of excellence in education.

In Reach salutes the awesome principals of its partner schools. They rock!!!

Dorothy Clowers, William Paca Elementary School

Nancy Schickner, Carrollton Elementary School

Maha Fadli, Kenmoor Middle School

David Curry, Charles Carroll Middle School

Tanya Washington, Parkdale High School

 #ThankaPrincipal today!

Upcoming Opportunities

Who Is In Your Posse?

We want to nominate you!

In Reach is a community-based nominating organization to the Posse Foundation, a national organization that identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes.

In Reach can nominate 10 rising seniors (currently in the 11^th grade)  from Prince George's County for the chance of a four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarship. The Posse Foundation will extend to selected students the opportunity to pursue personal and academic excellence by placing them in supportive, multicultural teams - Posses - of 10 students.

If you are a rising senior who is just awesome and believe you should have an opportunity to join a "Posse" and you are not being nominated by your school, please email Mrs. Katrina Robinson, manager of college access programs, krobinson@inreachinc.org for more information. In the subject line of your email type: Posse. Mrs. Robinson will contact you with further information or call 240.334.6167.

For more information about both organizations, visit In Reach and the Posse Foundation.

High School Training Internship Program

In Reach is planning the launch of its High School Internship Training Program this summer. A training program for rising juniors (current 10^th grade students), the four week program is designed to equip students with the appropriate employment, social, and workplace etiquette skills to thrive in a professional environment.

Students will receive training and then be placed in a two week internship to practice utilization of their new skills. If interested, please send an email to Ms. Samantha Trotter, partner engagement specialist, at strotter@inreachinc.org. In the subject line of your email type: HSITP. Ms. Trotter will contact you with further information or call 240.334.6167.

Congratulations to our 2015 Nominees!

In Reach is pleased to present the 18 amazing parents nominated for its Fourth Annual Celebrating Amazing Prince George's County Parents Awards. 

Mark & Monique Adams

Gwendolyn Allen

Nicole Barnett

Gayle Brown

LaShawn James

Mary Lane

Sharon Lewis

Janice Lofland

Robert Mathieu

Jerrod Mustaf

Dina Nance

Lisa Ojeda-Brown

Christine Price

Sherry A. Rather

Debbie Robinson

Ayanna Niambi Shorter

Cynthia Weaver

Join us on Sunday, June 14 to celebrate these amazing parents.

Purchase an Ad in our Program Journal.

Celebrating Amazing Prince George's County Parents 2015!

If you are a parent with a child attending a Prince George's County Public School 

or know a parent who does, we encourage you to nominate yourself 

or another parent for one of three awards, and then plan to join us at the 

dinner event on Sunday, June 14, for a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon.

We are planning a delightful celebration of parents. 

Download the Nomination Form.

Take Action! January is #Poverty Awareness Month

In recognition of Poverty Awareness Month, In Reach has prepared an informative calendar of useful resources for everyday of the month, and an accompanying infographic that provides a snapshot of Prince George's County's poverty indicators.

Poverty is the number one challenge to our mission - preparing students for college, work and life. So many of our students and their families are affected by poverty. It rears its ugly head in every imaginable way, all usually recognizable in an educational setting. We see its affects when we work with a student who can not read proficiently, who may be homeless, receive inadequate health care, is food insecure, and/or lacks self confidence. 

Please share the calendar and infographic with your family, friends, colleagues, political and civic leaders and others to raise awareness about this often misunderstood and polarizing epidemic and join us in becoming a part of the solution, a poverty buster, to reduce its horrible affects.