A HUGE Fund IRL Coalition update and More in Your September News

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Subject: A HUGE Fund IRL Coalition update and More in Your September News

Speakers Announced!

Workshop descriptions for our 17th Annual Conference, The Village We Build: Strengthening Youth and Communities, are now available! Click here to hear about the topics we'll cover, like mid-year "program maintenance checks," the lasting impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), youth financial literacy, building community partnerships, launching youth apprenticeship programs, soul-centered leadership, creative literacy, and so much more. Together, these workshops offer diverse learning opportunities for everyone!

Calling All Sponsors and Exhibitors!

VPOST warmly welcomes companies and organizations that offer solutions and support for OST educators to join us as sponsors or exhibitors at our conference. We have created a variety of sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities that can be tailored to meet your goals.

Partner with Us!

Nominate a Colleague for the Roberta Newman OST Champion Award

In our commitment to recognizing the dedication and achievements of those in the field, every year during our conference, VPOST awards up to three individuals who demonstrate one of the quality standards through exemplary action. Nominate a member of your village today!

OST Awards Submission Form

All attendees will be entered into a raffle to get door prizes from the following companies!

Fund IRL (In Real Life) is a national coalition working to ensure payouts from social media lawsuits help fund programs and services that promote youth well-being and healthy development. VPOST has been named by Children's Funding Project as the coordinating agency in Virginia.

On August 26, 2026, a multi-state settlement was reached with Meta, marking a significant step toward holding social media companies accountable for the impact their platforms have had on young people. Under the settlement, Virginia is guaranteed $353 million, with additional funds possible. The agreement resolves claims brought by 47 states and other jurisdictions alleging that Meta’s platforms exposed young people to serious mental health and safety risks. VPOST applauds Attorney General Jay Jones for recognizing the importance of investing settlement resources in “unplugged” programs and activities that help children reconnect with the real world. This vision aligns directly with Fund IRL’s call for states to invest settlement resources in afterschool and summer programs, sports, arts, mentoring, outdoor activities, mental-health supports, and other opportunities that strengthen youth well-being. Settlement funds intended to address youth harms can support mental health, afterschool and summer programs, mentoring, sports, arts, outdoor experiences and other opportunities that help young people connect, belong and thrive, but are not guarnteed to go to afterschool programs.

How can you get involved? Raising your voice will help make this moment matter for decades to come. Follow Fund IRL on LinkedIn. Join VPOST Fund IRL Coalition for Virginia here.

Get Ready for Lights On Afterschool

Join more than 8,000 communities and 1 million Americans in celebrating afterschool programs for this year's Lights On Afterschool! This nationwide event, organized by the Afterschool Alliance, calls attention to the importance of afterschool programs and the resources required to keep the lights on and the doors open. VPOST is proud to be a Lights On Afterschool partner.

Ready to register your event? You can get 10 free posters here.

To learn more about Lights On Afterschool, register an event, access event planning tools, or find out what’s going on in your area, visit afterschoolalliance.org

The Quality Boost offers quick, practical tips or resources aligned to one of the Quality Standards for Virginia’s Out-of-School Time Programs. Think of it as a bite-sized way to offer aligned, high-quality practices.

It's back-to-school time! Check out our Standard on Supporting Student Success. The Why for explains, "Student success goes beyond the classroom. For children to thrive, programs and schools need to coordinate and communicate. We provide students with new academic and social learning experiences that support their success/learning during the school day."

Here are some resources to support your practice:

Readiness Check tool for parents- math and reading
Beginning of the school year, relationship-building toolkit
Connecting School and Afterschool

If you want to learn more about Supporting Student Success or any of our other Quality Standards, you can find more information here.

Just released! STEM After 3 PM: Virginia

A new study from Afterschool Alliance, STEM After 3 PM: Virginia, finds an impressive leap in afterschool programs providing STEM education, but room for improvement in the frequency of STEM engagement and computer science learning in afterschool. Ninety-six percent of parents in Virginia now report their child’s afterschool program offers STEM learning opportunities – an increase from 66% in 2014. But 4 in 5 Virginia children and youth whose parents want afterschool programs for them (80%) are not enrolled at all.

Findings from the Commonwealth

Children in families with low incomes are less likely to have multiple exposures to STEM in afterschool each week than those whose families have higher incomes.
Rural parents report fewer computer science and technology opportunities in afterschool.
Two in three parents with children in afterschool programs (65%) value STEM extremely or somewhat when selecting a program.
Parents of boys and girls report similar levels of access to STEM in their child’s afterschool program but parents of girls prioritize computer science, technology, and engineering less than parents of boys.

Want to learn more? Get the STEM After 3 PM fact sheets here.

Mizzen Education

Mizzen Education is a free platform made by OST for OST. Get free lesson plans, searchable by age group, subject, duration, and more!

New to Mizzen is Mizzen Playlists! You can save your favorite activities, add your own notes and resources, and create playlists for upcoming lessons, weeks, or entire program sessions.

Instead of starting from scratch every time you plan, you'll have everything you need in one place, ready whenever inspiration (or a last-minute schedule change) strikes.

Not sure where to begin? Explore playlists created by educators and the Mizzen team, including:

⭐ Wonder in Motion

Spark curiosity through hands-on activities that encourage movement, exploration, and discovery.

🎨 Easy Art Activities for Elementary-Aged Youth

Simple, creative projects that build confidence and self-expression with minimal prep.

⚙️ Engineering + Design Challenges

Ready-to-use STEM challenges that encourage creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving.

🤝 Connection Activities + Icebreakers

Help youth build relationships, strengthen communication, and create a culture of belonging from day one.

Learn more at mizzen.org.

Walmart Spark Good Local Grants

Walmart's Spark Good Local grants are designed to support local organizations that meet the unique needs of the communities where Walmart operates, build pride among all associates, and deepen relationships with our customers and members. Each year, Walmart U.S. stores, Sam’s Clubs and Distribution Centers award local cash grants ranging from $250 to $5,000. Learn more here.

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Subject: A HUGE Fund IRL Coalition update and More in Your September News

Findings from the Commonwealth