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Illinois News

New Anti-Violence Initiative:  Officials from Governor Rod R. Blagojevich's Administration joined with community leaders and state legislators to launch "The Safety Net Works…Not One Life to Lose", a multi-agency initiative designed to help stop violence and killing in communities across the state. The initiative will bring State and community resources together to help young people avoid violence and become healthy adults. The overall goals of The Safety Net Works are to prevent violence by addressing a wide range of individual, family and community factors that keep young people from reaching their full potential; engage communities in comprehensive, coordinated youth violence prevention activities through a coalition approach that involves state grantees and non-traditional community-based groups; and promote youth engagement and leadership in all aspects of the initiative. State agencies participating in The Safety Net Works include: the Illinois Departments of Human Services; Children and Family Services: Public Health; Juvenile Justice, Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Employment Security; Illinois Violence Prevention Authority; ICJIA; the State Board of Higher Education; and the Community College Board.

Sixteen neighborhoods throughout the city of Chicago -- Auburn Gresham, Austin, Brighton Park, East Garfield Park, Englewood, Grand Boulevard, Greater Grand Crossing, Humboldt Park, Logan Square, North Lawndale, Pilsen-Little Village, Rogers Park, Roseland, Southwest Chicago, West Garfield Park and Woodlawn -- will pilot the program. Twelve suburbs and cities also were selected for the program.  Community organizations based in those areas will be asked to apply for grants to be used in specific areas. Interested organizations are urged to go the state's Web site and apply for the grants starting Dec. 19. For more information, go to www.dhs.state.il.us. 

Awards:  Governor Rod R. Blagojevich awarded the Village of Mundelein and the Mundelein AfterSchool Coalition with a 1st place Governor’s Home Town Award in the youth involvement category in recognition of their commitment to improve the communities in which they live.  Thirty-nine other communities were recognized in various categories. Click here for more information.

Lights On Afterschool! Business Honored in October: The Illinois After-school Alliance and local afterschool providers honored Exelon, Marathon Oil, Midwest Generation, McDonalds, Praxair, State Farm, Caterpillar, and Banco Popular for their commitment to after-school programs, children, families and community.  Each took part in Lights On Afterschool! events statewide in Robinson, Joliet, Normal, downtown Chicago and the following Chicago neighborhoods – Humbolt Park, Bronzveille and North Lawndale.

Illinois Events

• Illinois After-school Partnership Meetings:  Click here to find out about upcoming meetings.

Conference: Conference: “Embracing for the Future,” Illinois Afterschool Network 22nd Annual Spring Conference on April 18-19 in Champaign, IL at the Hawthorne Suites.  This conference will feature sessions for everyone involved with School Age Children and Youth and an exhibit area.  IAN, (the Illinois Afterschool Network) and MOST, a program of Action for Children, are excited to welcome Steve Amick, Board of Directors of the National Afterschool Association (NAA).The registration form and 2 day program can be found at www.ianetwork.org.  If you should have any questions please contact Marian Caselton at 309-834-1245 or mcaselton@inccrra.org..

National News

Increased Funds: More money for 21st CCLC: Congress passed an omnibus spending bill that includes a $119 million increase in funding for 21st Century Community Learning Center afterschool programs!  This is an increase to $1.1 billion from the original $981 million.

Issue Brief:  Using CDBG to Support Community-Based Youth Programs.  This brief aims to provide policymakers, stakeholders, community leaders, and program developers working in or with community-based youth programs with a basic understanding of how the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is structured, how community-based youth programs fit into CDBG purposes and activities, and how communities nationwide are using CDBG to support youth initiatives. This publication is available online.

Publication: Afterschool Advantage: Powerful New Learning Opportunities from Foundations, Inc, in partnership with the Afterschool and Community Learning Network is offering complimentary copies of their newest publication. It is a 72-page book of cutting-edge strategies for building the next generation of afterschool programs. Copies can be ordered free of charge (while supplies last) by contacting Jessica Williamson at Foundations, 888-977-5437 or jwilliams@foundationsinc.org.

New Initiative:  RWJF, Family Violence Prevention Fund Launch Healthy Teen Relationship Program The four-year, $14.6 million effort will work to develop and test new models designed to prevent dating and sexual violence and increase positive, protective relationship skills among young people. Click here for more about this initiative.  

Publication:“Financing and Sustaining Out-of-School Time Programs in Rural Communities” Leaders of rural out-of-school time programs need to act strategically to ensure the long-term success of their initiatives.  This brief describes the funding landscape and highlights the unique resource challenges confronting rural out-of-school time programs.  It also describes various public and private resources that can support out-of-school time programming and identifies effective strategies that can be used by program leaders to create sustainable approaches to their work.  Click here to view this publication online. 

Report: A recent report, “The After-School Programs and High School Success: Analysis of Post-Program Educational Patterns of Former Middle Grades TASC Participants,” was released by The Policy Study Associates, Inc. and funded by the C.S. Mott Foundation. Click here For the full report.

Reports:  The release of the following publications about the CORAL initiative, a $58 million effort to improve student achievement in five California cities funded by the James Irvine Foundation.  All are available for free download at www.ppv.org or www.irvine.org.

• Advancing Achievement: Findings from an Independent Evaluation of a Major After-School Initiative
• What Matters, What Works: Advancing Achievement After School
• Supporting Success: Why and How to Improve Quality in After-School Programs
• After-School Toolkit: Tips, Techniques and Templates for Improving Program Quality
• Gaining Ground: Supporting English Learners Through After-School Literacy Programming
• Quality Time After School In Brief
• Quality Time After School: What Instructors Can Do to Enhance Learning
• The Costs of Out-of-School-Time Programs: A Review of the Available Evidence
• Launching Literacy in After-School Programs: Early Lessons from the CORAL Initiative
• Beyond Safe Havens: A Synthesis of 20 Years of Research on the Boys & Girls Clubs
• Getting It Right: Strategies for After-School Success

National Events

For information on other national after-school news and events, you can check the following websites:

• Afterschool Alliance: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/news_events.cfm
• National Afterschool Association: http://www.naaweb.org/
  

Conference: Summer Changes Everything on April 17-18, 2008, with a pre-conference institute on April 16, in Albuquerque, NM, at the Hyatt Regency hosted by Johns Hopkins University, School of Education, Center for Summer Learning.  To register or learn more, go to www.summerlearning.org or contact Jennifer Brady at 410-516-6230, e-mail: jbrady19@jhu.edu.

Forum: National Forum for the Coalition for Community Schools on April 30-May 2, 2008 in Portland, OR.  “Community Schools for All” http://www.communityschools.org