OST Sustainability Workshop and local seed funding in your March Newsletter!

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Subject: OST Sustainability Workshop and local seed funding in your March Newsletter!

Sustainability 101: Strategies for Out-of-School Time Programs, March 18th at Noon

This one-hour session will equip OST programs with a broad overview of practical strategies to strengthen their long-term sustainability. Participants will explore how to adopt a continuous sustainability mindset. The workshop will highlight the role of partnerships and regional networks in expanding resources, sharing services, and building community support. The session concludes with guidance on contingency planning and preparing programs to adapt when funding shifts.

NAA 26 Convention, March 11–14, 2026 | Washington, D.C.

As this newsletter goes out, VPOST is heading to Washington DC for NAA 26! As the state affiliate, we are so excited to DREAM with our colleagues from Virginia and across the nation! We want to congratulate leaders in our Commonwealth who are presenting, including:

Karen Johnson and Jennifer Richardson of Hampton for their session entitled Dream. Dare. Do: Transforming OST Through Enrichment, Alignment, and Collaboration,
Dr. Traymanesha Lamy and Chloe Carter of the Richmond Metro Region for their session entitled Developing a Youth Ambassador Initiative for OST Policy and Equity
Christine Jones Monaccio of VPOST (state-wide), and Lisa Dejo, and Shannon Campbell of Fairfax for their session Raising Voices, Protecting Programs: Tools and Lessons Learned from Afterschool Advocacy
Emani Morse and Kristi Van Sickle of Harrisonburg for their session, What to Say When You Are Speechless: De-escalating with Confidence

We also want to extend a HUGE congratulations to Amber Craig of the Girl Scouts of the Virginia Skyline for being recognized as an NAA Next Generation Leader!

This recognition celebrates outstanding early-career professionals in the out-of-school time field who are deeply committed to their own growth and the growth of others, and who continue to build their leadership skills through dedication, curiosity, and perseverance.

We can't wait to take all we learn and the people we connect with to DARE and DO following our time together!

Harrisonburg Out-of-School Time Learning Coalition

The Harrisonburg OSL Coalition utilizes a collaborative partnership of youth organizations to enrich the lives of young people through high-quality, out-of-school learning opportunities. Led by Mayor Deanna Reed, member organizations include: Second Home Learning Center, On the Road Collaborative, The Gus Bus, Massanutten Regional Library, Harrisonburg Government, Boys & Girls Club of Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg Parks & Rec, Girl Scouts of the Virginia Skyline and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg.

Working in partnership to amplify impact is a cornerstone of the coalition. Last fall, they lit the town up Blue for a massive Lights on Afterschool Event, drawing in hundreds of Harrisonburg families for a night of afterschool celebration. The public library also plays a key role in partnerships. Recruitment events for the Girl Scouts and reading nights with the Gus Bus are two examples. Learn more about the coalition 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.

This March, we're thinking of Partnerships and Networking. As the weather warms up, it's a great time to get out into the community and host events. Just as nature wakes up and begins its re-growth, we can plant seeds of connection and grow new organizational relationships.

The Why for Partnerships and Networking explains:

Each program has its unique strengths and assets. We are most effective when we work together towards the greatest collective impact. Sharing resources fosters increased collaboration, action, and results.

In that spirit of sharing, here's some resources for your practice:

Creating Holistic Partnerships Between School and Afterschool: This exploratory research brief from Ken Anthony of the Connecticut After School Network and Joseph Morra, VPOST's former communications consultant, identifies hurdles between schools and afterschool programs and what can potentially connect them. It examines the sharing of academic resources, sense of partnership, and communication structures, and makes recommendations for the field.
OST Community Asset Mapping: This template from VPOST can be used by OST programs to chart current or desired stakeholder partnerships and chart the assets they bring.
Collaboration Spectrum Tool: From the Tamarack Institute, this tool walks users through a group process of discussing the level of collaboration happening and the level of collaboration desired.

If you want to know more about the Partnerships and Networking or any of our other Quality Standards, you can learn more here.

General Assembly Updates

Virginia's General Assembly remains in session, and the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees each released their proposed budget amendments on February 22nd. Thankfully, statewide funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers was included. In this challenging fiscal environment, this is a win. However, the budget is not final. The legislators will appoint a conference committee of 5 Senators and 6 Delegates to reconcile the two budgets and present a final budget for the entire General Assembly to vote on. VPOST will continue to monitor the process. VPOST's live bill tracker provides real-time insight into legislation as it moves through the General Assembly, offering transparency into the status, progress, and outcomes of bills throughout the session. Check it out here!

The Mary and Frances Youth Center (MFYC) at VCU is offering 10 seed grants of up to $2,000 each to community partners to support positive youth development initiatives. The goal is to foster sustainable, community-driven partnerships that enhance programs through sports-based activities, higher education access, and professional training for youth educators. Proposals are due April 13, 2026. Learn more here.

Afterschool Alliance's Lights On Afterschool poster contest is officially open! Winning artwork will be printed on more than 50,000 posters that will be displayed at more than 8,000 Lights On Afterschool events around the world. The Lights On Afterschool poster contest is a great opportunity for an afterschool program to gain national recognition for the opportunities it offers. The winning artist will be featured on our website, blog, and a national press release, and their afterschool program will be credited on the poster in addition to receiving the grand prize of $500! Voting will take place June 22-26 on Facebook and Instagram. More info including the entry form can be found here.

Mizzen Education: Spring Observations from the National Wildlife Federation

Mizzen Education is an all-in-one free app uniquely created with and for the out-of-school time field. It continues to grow and move its mission by partnering with practitioners and organizations across the country to pioneer custom-built learning solutions for the out-of-school time space.

Weather, Plants, and Animals is one of the many activities available at Mizzen. Developed by the National Wildlife Federation, the focus of these activities is on springtime characteristics and observations of nature in spring. Check out the collection here!

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Subject: OST Sustainability Workshop and local seed funding in your March Newsletter!