Subject: Fund IRL Coalition and More in Your August News

Registration Now Open! VPOST 17th Annual Conference

Join the OST Village this November 2nd for VPOST's 17th Annual Conference at the DoubleTree in Williamsburg, Virginia. This year’s theme, The Village We Build: Strengthening Youth and Communities, will highlight the power of connection, collaboration, and community. Join out-of-school time professionals from across the Commonwealth for a day of learning, networking, and inspiration. Check out our website to learn more about opportunities to sponsor, exhibit, present, and register.

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

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is pleased to announce the release of grant funds for the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program!

These funds will be awarded to school divisions and eligible community partners to support the development and implementation of high-quality community learning centers designed to enhance student learning, engagement, and overall development. Funding for this program is authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended.

Applications for 21^st CCLC competitive grant funds must be received by 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 3, 2026. The completed application and attachments must be emailed to 21stcclc@doe.virginia.gov.

There is a growing national conversation about youth well-being and how to support young people more effectively. VPOST is the coordinating organization in Virginia for Fund IRL. Across the country, lawsuits related to social media and youth mental health are moving forward. If those cases result in settlements, they could create new funding opportunities. But those funds will not automatically reach youth programs. How they are used will depend on policymakers' understanding of what works.

You see what young people need. You see the difference that a safe place, a consistent adult, or a strong peer group can make. You also see what happens when those opportunities are not available. Fund IRL is a national coalition working to ensure that youth development programs are central to that conversation from the start.

Learn more and join the coalition: FundIRL.org

Coming soon! Lights On Afterschool is October 22nd!

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.

We encourage you to hold a Lights On Afterschool celebration to showcase the great things happening in your program and help call attention to this important issue. All who register to be part of Lights On Afterschool will receive free posters and planning tips, and events will be promoted to the media and the public.

Everything you need to plan a successful event, from case studies to sample materials, is available in the Lights On Afterschool Planning Kit.

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.

Learn and Share your Voice on CACFP Changes

Child and Adult Food Program (CACFP) Roundtable is conducting a survey to determine what CACFP participants, such as afterschool meal programs, consider most important. Feedback is being collected in anticipation of the USDA publishing a proposed rule to align child nutrition meal patterns, including the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), to the recently published Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025 - 2030. There will be an opportunity to provide public voice and real-life experiences in response to this rule. Take the survey here.

Want to know more? Register Now for Growing Our Voice: Powering Up on the Proposed USDA Meal Pattern Rule. This recurring learning series designed by the CACFP Roundtable to help our community understand, navigate, and confidently respond to the anticipated proposed rule that will change the meal pattern for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

Federal 21st CCLC Updates

On June 5, 2026, a House committee approved a spending bill for the 2027 budget year that would allocate $189.3 billion to education, labor, and health programs, about 3% less than the year before. The bill maintains 21st CCLC funding for afterschool and summer programs at last year's level, $1.329 billion, despite the current administration's proposed elimination. While afterschool funding stayed the same, other programs took big cuts, including money for schools serving a majority of low-income students. The full House Appropriations Committee later approved the bill on June 9, and it now must be reconciled with the Senate's version before it can become law, with a deadline of October 1, 2026. You can learn more here. To help keep afterschool a priority, you can share your support here.

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 Active and Engaged Learning. The Why for Active and Engaged Learning explains, "Participants who represent varying ages, backgrounds, and life experiences, and possess unique talents and abilities deserve responsive learning experiences."

Here are some resources to support your practice:

VPOST's Cheat Sheet for Writing Learning Goals
Think-Pair-Share to facilitate reflection
K-W-L (Know, Want to Know, Learn) to activate previous knowledge, guide learning/foster motivation, and summarize/analyze learning
Strategies for active learning experiences

If you want to learn more about Active and Engaged Learning or any of our other Quality Standards, you can find more information here.

Regional Coalition Leaders Convene to Strengthen Virginia's OST Network

On July 27, leaders from Virginia's Regional OST Coalitions gathered virtually to share successes, discuss emerging challenges, and identify opportunities to strengthen out-of-school time (OST) across the Commonwealth. The meeting focused on expanding collaboration, sharing promising practices, and exploring ways to better support local providers while advancing statewide priorities.

Regional coalitions are the backbone of VPOST's community engagement strategy, connecting local leaders, educators, youth-serving organizations, businesses, and advocates to increase access to high-quality afterschool and summer learning opportunities. Together, these coalitions help amplify local voices, build regional partnerships, and ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive beyond the school day.

Interested in joining or launching a coalition in your region? Learn more about Virginia's Regional OST Coalitions and how you can get involved by emailing Bridget.

Afterschool Meals Matter: Strategies and Practical Takeaways

August 27th at 3:00

Afterschool meals are more important than ever for reducing hunger, helping students stay engaged and ready to learn, and strengthening connections among schools, community partners, and families. This webinar will explore strategies for strengthening and expanding afterschool meal programs, including outreach, partnerships, site engagement, and menu planning. Register 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! With summer in full swing, a challenge is often finding activities that channel that curiosity without requiring hours of prep or a closet full of supplies.

That's why Mizzen created the STEM Activities for Summer Camp collection. These ready-to-use lessons make it easy to bring hands-on learning into your summer program while keeping the focus on exploration, creativity, and fun. Inside, you'll find:

🔬 Hands-on STEM activities

🧠 Problem-solving and inquiry-based learning

☀️ Flexible activities for camps and youth programs

📦 Ready-to-use lessons with facilitator support

🤝 Collaborative projects that encourage teamwork and exploration

Whether you're introducing STEM concepts or looking for fresh ideas to keep youth engaged, these activities help make meaningful summer learning easier. 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.

Youth as Solutions Program, New $1,000 MLK Day Grants

Youth as Solutions® is NYLC (National Youth Leadership Council) guided service-learning program for middle and high school students to identify challenges in their communities, design meaningful solutions, and lead projects that make a real impact on the issues of education, community health, the environment, and civics & democracy.

New this year: 25 Youth as Solutions teams will receive $1,000 MLK Day Grants from NYLC and YSA (Youth Serve America) to support implementation of service-learning projects for MLK Day of Service (January 18, 2027). To be eligible for these grants, you must apply through the Youth as Solutions application by August 28.

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Subject: Fund IRL Coalition and More in Your August News

Youth as Solutions Program, New $1,000 MLK Day Grants