Education and Awareness Action Day at the Capitol: Investing in Youth, Strengthening Our Workforce
May 6, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg
Registration Is Now Open — Join Us!
Join PSAYDN and partners from across the Commonwealth for a powerful day of advocacy, education, and awareness highlighting the critical role of out-of-school time programs in supporting youth and strengthening Pennsylvania’s workforce.
Be sure to check out the STEM in OST section of this newsletter for highlights, resources, and updates from across the field.
📌 Take a Peek!
Be sure to check out the Student and Program Highlights section of this newsletter, where we spotlight outstanding students, innovative programs, and inspiring work happening across the out-of-school time field.
Special Announcements
Bipartisan FY 2026 Education Spending Bill Maintains Afterschool Support
Congress released a bipartisan, bicameral FY 2026 appropriations package that includes key education investments and sustains federal support for afterschool and summer learning programs.
The bill provides $1.329 billion for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) the main federal funding stream for afterschool and summer programs — keeping it at the same level as FY 2025 and rejecting the administration’s proposal to eliminate it.
It also funds Title I, Title IV, full-service community schools, child care block grants, and other programs that can support expanded learning opportunities for children and families.
Advocates say level funding helps protect access but urge increased investment in FY 2027 to meet growing needs and rising costs in local afterschool programs.
Decision Education: A New Approach to Driving STEM Workforce Readiness
Decision Education offers a new pathway for strengthening STEM workforce readiness. In a recent eSchool News op-ed, Mary Call Blanusa of the Alliance for Decision Education argues that teaching students how to make structured, rational decisions can bridge the gap between STEM concepts and real-world problem-solving. By integrating decision-making skills like evaluating evidence, thinking probabilistically, and recognizing cognitive biases into STEM learning, educators can help students develop core competencies that are essential for future careers. This approach aims to make STEM more relevant, accessible, and better aligned with workforce demands.
Top Education Research of 2025: What You Need to Know
Edutopia’s annual roundup highlights 10 influential education studies from 2025 that offer actionable insights for educators and leaders. Key takeaways include:
Cell Phone Bans Boost Learning
Brain Breaks Matter
Handwriting Outperforms Typing
Play Reduces Stress
Relationships Drive Success
Teaching is Complex
AI’s Role Is Nuanced
These studies span from cognitive science and classroom practices to technology, offering practical insights to inform teaching and learning strategies in the year ahead.
New STEM Resources and Stipend Opportunity for Afterschool Programs!
STEM Next, in partnership with Verizon™, has launched 2026 Afterschool STEM Learning Journeys — free, ready-to-use bundles of virtual lessons and activities hosted on the Verizon Innovative Learning HQ platform designed to help afterschool educators bring high-quality, hands-on STEM learning to your programs with minimal prep and no prior STEM expertise.
The Learning Journeys cover engaging topics like:
AI, Ethics and Real-World Use (Grades 5–8)
Nature and Sustainability (Grades 3–8)
Space, Orbits and Engineering (Grades 4–9)
Tech Makers: Circuits and Prototyping (Grades 4–9)
Programs that complete the Nature and Sustainability journey and submit a brief educator survey can qualify for a stipend of up to $1,500, scaling with the number of youth engaged.
STEM Next Virtual Training: Fostering Career Awareness in Upper Elementary
Feb. 4, 3-4 p.m. | Virtual
Join STEM Next and the Museum of Science, Boston on Feb. 4 at 3–4 p.m. ET / noon–1 p.m. PT for this free webinar exploring how hands-on engineering can build career awareness for youth in grades 3–5. Get free resources that help youth explore the skills, tools, and decisions behind disaster response and recovery careers—from aeronautical engineers to power plant operators.
STEM Next Virtual Training: Durable Skill Development and Career Exploration in Middle School
Feb. 18, 3-4 p.m. | Virtual
On Feb. 18, 2026, from 3–4 p.m. ET, this webinar highlights how open-ended engineering challenges using the YES Engineering Antivirals unit help middle school youth build collaboration, critical thinking, and connections to health careers.
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is excited to announce the Mott Million Dollar Challenge: A Pitch Competition for Kids & Teens, a national opportunity for young people in grades K–12 across the United States. This national youth pitch competition, funded by the Mott Foundation, is open to K–12 students across the United States and celebrates bold ideas that make life better.
Mott has partnered with leaders in the field to make this project a reality, including the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Young Entrepreneur Institute, VentureLab, Afterschool Alliance and Collaborative Communications. We are proud to support this project and create opportunities for young people to shine as leaders, problem solvers, and innovators through entrepreneurial thinking.
How Youth Can Participate
Young people are invited to:
Identify a problem they care about.
Create a business idea or social solution.
Submit a 30–90 second video pitch — simple, straight-to-camera, no special equipment required.
Youth can participate:
Individually or in teams of up to three.
In grade bands K–4, 5–8, and 9–12.
From any learning environment — school-day, afterschool, summer, community-based programs, or homeschool.
Key Dates
Submission deadline: Feb. 27, 2026
Finalists announced: Spring 2026
Final celebration and live pitch event: June 2026, in Flint, Michigan
Getting Engaged
The challenge is intentionally designed to be:
Accessible and low-barrier, even in low-resource settings.
Aligned with STEM, entrepreneurship, college and career readiness, and positive youth development.
A powerful affirmation of youth voice, creativity, and confidence.
You don’t need to create your own campaign, just lift and layer what works best for your audience. To make sharing easy, you can go to the Mott Million Dollar Challenge website where the team has created several resources to help your organization, educators, youth and their parents participate, including:
Session 7: STEM Next Career-connected Learning (CCL) Framework for OST Providers
Feb. 5, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Virtual
For many youth, afterschool and summer programs are where sparks of interest in science, technology, engineering and math begin. To help programs turn that interest into career pathways, STEM Next created the Career-connected Learning Framework for Out-of-School Time Providers. The Framework helps programs explicitly embed career connections into their activities in ways that are practical, age-appropriate, and grounded in both research and real-world relevance. In this training, attendees will practice developing career-connected STEM activities, exchange feedback with peers, and leave with three ready-to-use activities. Please bring one STEM activity to the workshop during the training
Meet Our Presenter
Sheila James Manager, Teen Science Cafe Network STEM Next Opportunity Fund
Sheila is a transformative leader with over 25 years of experience in youth development, known for elevating the quality of programs that serve children and youth. Her expertise in coaching, training and mentoring equips educators and program staff with innovative strategies and practical tools. With a keen eye on trends in afterschool and early childhood education, Sheila stays ahead of the curve to ensure excellence in the field. Her dedication to equity and empowering others has been the cornerstone of her impactful and purpose-driven leadership.
This online session introduces educators and youth program staff to a practical way of understanding student behavior. Participants will explore how behavior serves a purpose, learn to identify what students may be trying to get or avoid, and practice responding with curiosity rather than reaction. By focusing on strengths-based strategies and teaching replacement behaviors, staff can reduce disruptions, strengthen relationships, and create more time for meaningful programming. This workshop is intended for Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD)-funded organizations.
Join youth leaders, educators, employers and community partners for the Next Generation Youth Summit on March 3, 2026, at The Ware Center for the Arts in Lancaster, PA. This event, presented by the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association, focuses on empowering young people, building workforce readiness, and connecting stakeholders committed to supporting youth success in education and careers. Registration is now open — secure your spot to network, learn, and help shape the future for Pennsylvania’s next generation.
Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention and Child Exploitation Awareness Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Office of School Climate and Well-being has youth suicide awareness and child exploitation awareness resources to assist educators in all grade levels, including:
PSSE Advocacy Virtual Meeting Series - Story-Powered Advocacy: Shaping Pennsylvania’s Future Through Voice and Action
Join Us for Insight, Innovation and Impact
Feb. 18 | 8 - 9:30 a.m. | Agriculture and AgTech March 19 | 3 - 4:30 p.m. | Energy and Clean Tech April 21 | 8 - 9:30 a.m. | Lifescience and Biotech May 20 | 3 - 4:30 p.m. | Advanced Manufacturing June 18 | 8 - 9:30 a.m. | Robotics and Technology
The Pennsylvania Statewide STEM Ecosystem (PSSE) Advocacy Virtual Meeting Series is kicking off in January! This series combines economic insight with leadership storytelling to inspire collaboration, innovation, and advocacy across the Commonwealth.
What to Expect
Each virtual meeting is structured to:
Learn from leaders within Pennsylvania’s five economic pillars
Hear their leadership stories through the lens of 10 Great Stories Leaders Tell
Work and network with ecosystem members across the state to build connections and actionable advocacy strategies.
10 Great Stories Leaders Tell: From founding stories to vision, strategy, values, and leadership philosophy—discover the narratives that drive success.
Do you value STEM education? Do you support the STEM workforce? Do you develop or sustain career pathways in STEM, support a STEM competition and/or engage in a STEM sector? Do you embrace joint action? Do you believe in our unwavering commitment to creating a brighter future for all Pennsylvanians? If so, becoming a PSSE member is right for you! Be a part of our movement to facilitate all Pennsylvanians having access to quality STEM education and career pathways to become tomorrow’s leaders, influencers, and problem-solvers. Join the PSSE Public Membership Directory today!
The Philadelphia Office of Children and Families, Philadelphia Department of Human Services, and PHMC have posted a new Request for Proposals (RFP) for city-funded Out-of-School Time (OST) programs! We’re seeking high-performing, youth-serving organizations to deliver high-quality after school and summer programs at Casarez Elementary, Tilden Middle, and Frankford High School.
Julian Miles Henry is a dynamic and thriving high school junior and accomplished musician with proficiency in guitar, bass, and drums. He performs with several bands, including Windowsilk, Mozaic, 717, as well as several school ensembles, contributing to both modern music and jazz bands.
In 2025, Julian earned a gold medal at the local NAACP ACT-SO competition and went on to compete nationally, where he was selected to perform with the national ACT-SO ensemble. With more than 60 live shows and concerts to his credit, Julian has built a dedicated following and continues to expand his artistic reach. Julian plans to major in music production in college as he advances his growing music career.
Pennsylvania Afterschool Youth Development Network (PSAYDN) is an initiative of Center for Schools and Communities, division of Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit
275 Grandview Avenue, Suite 200, Camp Hill,PA,17011
