Thank you to everyone who added your name to PSAYDN’s sign-on letter to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Your support demonstrates the strength of our collective voice and our shared commitment to ensuring that young people across Pennsylvania have access to high-quality afterschool, summer, and out-of-school time opportunities.
Every signature helped strengthen our message that investments in youth-serving organizations and programs are investments in Pennsylvania’s young people, families, and communities.
PSAYDN delivered the sign-on letter to the Attorney General’s Office and will continue advocating for opportunities to direct Meta settlement resources toward programs that provide safe, supportive, and enriching environments for youth.
We are grateful for your partnership, your advocacy, and your willingness to stand together on behalf of Pennsylvania’s young people.
Thank you for making your voice count!
With appreciation,
Contrell Armor Director
Get ready for the 27th annual Lights On Afterschool celebration!
Lights On Afterschool (LOA) returns Oct. 22, and celebrations do not need to be large or expensive to make a meaningful impact. The Afterschool Alliance offers resources to help programs plan an engaging event that fits their capacity and budget, including a step-by-step planning timeline, promotional materials, and an updated Event Ideas Database featuring 200 new ideas searchable by theme, preparation time, and difficulty. Programs are encouraged to register their events early to receive 10 free posters and help demonstrate the nationwide support for afterschool programs. Explore the planning tools and register your event.
Every Child, Every Neighborhood: Out-of-School Time Access in Philadelphia
A new Research for Action report reveals significant gaps in access to out-of-school time programs across Philadelphia. If every family seeking an OST opportunity pursued a seat, 33% to 67% of children could be left without access, with gaps ranging from 14,000 to nearly 35,000 seats for students in grades K–8. The findings reinforce the need for sustained investment, stronger OST infrastructure, complete citywide data, and resources targeted to neighborhoods with the greatest unmet demand. Every child, in every neighborhood, deserves access to safe, supportive programs that promote learning, belonging, skill development, and career exploration.
Congress has approved a continuing resolution that prevents a federal government shutdown and maintains current funding through Dec. 11, 2026. The measure also temporarily delays proposed changes to federal grant requirements that could make it more difficult for afterschool and summer learning programs to access funding. As Congress continues negotiating the final FY 2027 spending bills, sustained advocacy will be essential to protect robust federal investments in afterschool and summer learning programs.
Meta Settlement Offers Major Opportunity for Afterschool Programs
Meta’s settlement with 47 states will provide up to $17.1 billion over 10 years to address youth mental health harms associated with social media. The agreement specifically identifies afterschool and summer programs, including sports, literacy, dance, and other activities, as recommended investments. However, funding for these programs is not guaranteed, making continued advocacy essential to ensure Pennsylvania’s settlement dollars support accessible, real-life opportunities that promote youth connection, well-being, and healthy development.
Parent Cafe Training Institute Information Session
Oct. 29, 1 p.m. | Virtual
Interested in bringing Be Strong Parent Cafés to your organization or community? Join this free information session to learn about the Be Strong Parent Café model, how Cafés create safe spaces for meaningful conversation and peer-to-peer learning, and how they help families build the Strengthening Families Protective Factors. You’ll also learn what to expect from the Parent Café Training Institute, which prepares teams to become certified to conduct Parent Cafés in their communities.
As Congress negotiates the final FY 2027 federal budget, afterschool advocates are encouraged to contact their members of Congress and urge continued investment in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. Your voice can help protect vital afterschool and summer learning opportunities that keep young people safe, support working families, and prepare students for future success.
Proposed Federal Grant Changes Could Affect OST Programs
The Office of Management and Budget has proposed significant revisions to the rules governing federal grants. The changes could affect afterschool and summer programs by expanding grant-termination authority, restricting certain advocacy and diversity-related activities, and requiring prior approval for conference and membership expenses. The proposal could impact programs supported through 21st CCLC, Title IV-A, AmeriCorps, child care funding, and other federal investments. Implementation of the proposed changes has been delayed through Dec. 11, 2026
New Report Highlights the National Impact of 21st CCLC
The U.S. Department of Education’s 2023–2024 performance report highlights the reach and impact of 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Nearly 9,800 centers served more than 1.4 million students and 457,000 family members nationwide. Participating students demonstrated improvements in academic performance, school attendance, behavior, and engagement in learning, reinforcing the important role of high-quality afterschool and summer programs in supporting student success.
The Summer Struggle: Millions of Families Face Barriers to Summer Programs
A new America After 3PM report reveals that parents of 24.6 million children want structured summer experiences, yet 51% are unable to participate. Cost remains the leading barrier, particularly for low- and middle-income families. With 89% of parents supporting public funding for summer programs, the findings underscore the need for greater investment in affordable, high-quality summer learning opportunities.
A Year of Career-Connected Learning: Early Lessons From the Field
STEM Next reflects on the first year of its Career-Connected Learning Framework, which has strengthened the capacity of 1,500 afterschool professionals serving more than 113,000 young people. Early lessons highlight the value of hands-on learning, youth choice, relatable career role models, and community partnerships in helping young people explore STEM careers and see themselves in future opportunities.
Bring Aerospace Careers to Life with the Launching Futures Toolkit
STEM Next’s free Launching Futures Toolkit, powered by RTX, helps afterschool and summer educators connect young people with the expanding world of aerospace and space-related careers. Built around STEM Next’s Career-Connected Learning Framework, the toolkit offers hands-on activities based on real-world aerospace challenges, facilitation guides, professional learning resources, career profiles, and strategies for building partnerships. Programs can use these resources to strengthen STEM learning while helping youth explore career pathways, develop future-ready skills, and understand the wide range of professionals contributing to the aerospace industry.
Schools are using hands-on STEM learning to help young people develop the skills needed for a rapidly changing world. Through project-based activities, coding, robotics, maker spaces, experiments, and real-world problem-solving, students strengthen critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and adaptability. The article also emphasizes early STEM exposure, well-prepared educators, and equitable access for girls and students in underserved communities. By encouraging curiosity, experimentation, and learning from mistakes, STEM programs prepare students not only for emerging careers but also to become innovators capable of addressing challenges in their communities and beyond
Connecting STEM Learning and Civic Engagement in Afterschool
STEM and civic education may seem distinct, but both help young people build essential skills such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving. This article explores how afterschool programs can intentionally connect STEM learning with civic engagement, empowering youth to apply their knowledge, address community challenges, and become informed, engaged changemakers.
Afterschool in Pennsylvania: Elevating Youth Voices, Staff Expertise, and Lasting Change - Sign Up for In-Person Interview
Submission deadline: Jan. 20, 2027
PSAYDN invites afterschool and summer program providers to participate in onsite, in-person interviews featuring:
Youth perspectives on their program experiences, growth and accomplishments.
Staff testimonials highlighting effective practices and their impact on young people
Program activities and successes that demonstrate the value of out-of-school time programming.
The provider and location sign-up form will be available through Jan. 20, 2027. After signing up, a PSAYDN representative will contact your program to schedule a date that works best for your staff and youth. Interview times will align with your regular program hours to make participation as convenient as possible. In preparation for the onsite interview, PSAYDN will provide step-by-step support to ensure a successful and meaningful experience for both youth and staff.
Help us amplify the stories, voices, and practices that demonstrate the positive impact of afterschool and summer programs across the Commonwealth!
Encourage Youth to Apply for 2027 STEM Next Flight Crew
Application deadline: Oct. 29
The application for the 2027 STEM Next Flight Crew is now OPEN, and you can help identify and encourage exceptional teens to apply!
The Flight Crew is a youth ambassador program of STEM Next featuring remarkable young leaders who represent their states, show what’s possible, and spark their peers’ curiosity in STEM.
Who should apply? We’re looking for teens ages 13-18 who love STEM, have participated in an afterschool or summer STEM program, and are ready to grow as leaders and inspire others with their STEM story.
Review the communications toolkit specifically for afterschool network leaders with everything you need to promote the Flight Crew opportunity, including key dates and messages, outreach tips, ready-to-use social media and newsletter copy, and FAQs for programs.
Launching Futures: A Career-Connected STEM Toolkit
The free Launching Futures Toolkit, developed by STEM Next Opportunity Fund and powered by RTX, helps afterschool and summer programs connect STEM activities with future careers. It provides practical, ready-to-use resources that enable educators to build young people’s STEM knowledge, durable skills, career awareness, and confidence as they prepare for future education and workforce opportunities.
Girls Who Code is now accepting applications for Spring Pathways 2027!
Early Application Deadline: Oct. 28, 2026 General Application Deadline: Dec. 16, 2026
In our free, virtual program for high school students, they'll connect with peers and mentors who share their passion for tech while growing together in GWC’s supportive, global community. They'll turn their interests into real-world tech projects, and learn to code over seven weeks of flexible, self-paced learning—no experience required!
Learn Their Way: The schedule, learning focus, and difficulty level is up to participants.
Explore Emerging Tech: Discover AI, Game Design, Cybersecurity and more.
Tech That Matters: Participants create purpose-driven projects that make a difference.
Encourage students to submit a Pathways Application by sharing this email or our flyer!
Join us for a statewide afterschool provider convening in Pittsburgh.
Nov. 5-7 | Homestead, Pennsylvania
PENN SACCA is bringing back its annual meeting and conference! This three-day event will be full of opportunities for engagement, growth, and education. Hosted in-person at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit at 475 E. Waterfront Dr., Homestead, PA 15120, from Thursday, Nov. 5 to Saturday, Nov. 7, this event convenes afterschool providers and team members from across PA for up to three days of collaborative workshops, networking opportunities, and learning sessions from industry leaders. Whether you want to attend one session, a full day of activities, or stop by for networking opportunities, we invite you to join us in working toward the future of afterschool education in our region.
On Nov. 8, join Parents as Teachers in celebrating the home visitors, parent educators, caregivers, and early childhood champions who help families thrive. Access the digital toolkit for social media graphics, sample messages, event materials, and other resources to help recognize their impact and amplify the importance of early childhood support.
7 Back-to-School Safety Tips Every Parent Should Know
By Center for Safe Schools
As we prepare for another school year, ensuring children’s safety and well-being is a top priority. Whether your child is heading to kindergarten or high school, here are some essential safety tips for parents to keep in mind as the school gates swing open again. Feel free to share these tips on your website and social media.
The Guiding Positive Student Behavior Toolkit and User Guide offers practical resources to help out-of-school time professionals create supportive learning environments and respond effectively to student behavior. Developed by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers National Technical Assistance Center, the toolkit explores reactions to behavior, the four functions of behavior, proactive guidance strategies, and approaches for strengthening positive relationships with young people. Program leaders and frontline staff can use the tools to reflect on current practices, build staff capacity, and promote safe, welcoming, and engaging experiences for all students.
The Afterschool Alliance shares a resource to help programs tailor their message to funders, partners, and policymakers. It offers talking points for different audiences and encourages programs to add local data and youth stories when making the case for afterschool STEM and civic learning.
The Global EbA Fund is offering grants of up to $250,000 for innovative projects that expand ecosystem-based approaches to climate adaptation. Eligible organizations may propose projects lasting up to 24 months that strengthen capacity, generate evidence, advance investment readiness, and benefit both people and nature.
Funding for Early-Stage Social Impact Organizations
The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation accepts applications year-round from early-stage organizations offering innovative, scalable solutions that improve the lives of underserved communities. Selected organizations may receive up to $300,000 in unrestricted funding or investment capital over three years, along with extensive capacity-building support and access to a global community of social entrepreneurs.
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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
