FY26 Spending Bill Update | | Last week, the House Appropriations Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Subcommittee advanced their FY26 Spending Bill with 11 members in favor and 7 opposed. It now awaits an imminent markup by the full Appropriations Committee before FY26 begins on October 1.
The House bill cuts funding for Department of Education programs by $12 billion–15% below current levels. Despite this, dedicated funding for afterschool and summer programs through the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) initiative was maintained at the previous year’s level of $1.329 billion, the same level proposed in the Senate LHHS spending bill last month. Afterschool advocates are grateful to the leadership of House Appropriations Committee Chair Cole (R-Okla.) and Ranking Member DeLauro (D-Conn.) and LHHS Subcommittee Chair Aderholt (R-Ala.) for recognizing the importance of local afterschool and summer programs that support youth, families, and communities nationwide.
While this is very good news for 21st CCLC funding, there are challenges to consider with the House spending bill that would affect other multiple services for youth and their families. The Afterschool Alliance is on top of this, providing us with a detailed breakdown so that you stay informed and ready to advocate! VPOST will share more information as it becomes available. | | VPOST's 16th Annual Conference | | In less than a week, more than 200 OST and summer professionals from across the Commonwealth will meet in Richmond for our annual conference, The Heartbeat of OST: Relationships that Inspire, Empower, and Transform. Anchored by keynote speaker Sheneika Simmons, this event will inspire attendees to build authentic relationships with youth, families, and other professionals; empower them to take charge of their own learning; and transform their practice with new local and national tools highlighted throughout the day!
VPOST appreciates your commitment to professional development. We look forward to sharing this day of joy and connection with you! | | | | VPOST is delighted to share the newly created Dan River Region Out-of-School Time Network! Like other regional networks in the Commonwealth, it was created to increase coordination and collaboration among OST professionals to best serve young people and families. Local partnerships with an eye on quality and access allow young people to thrive! Read this article to find out more! | | NAA OST Job Quality Standards | | If you’re hiring for your OST program, creating positions that attract the best candidates is important. The National AfterSchool Association’s (NAA) OST Job Quality Standards provide a standard structure for defining and discussing “good jobs” for our field. The Standards ground the conversation in the available empirical evidence demonstrating how job quality relates to worker outcomes, and outline effective practices that support workforce development — including recruitment and retention — and workforce stability. | | | | Are you passionate about inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators? Project Scientist is seeking educators and organizations to bring hands-on STEAM learning to girls in grades PreK-8.
On September 24, join their Program Partner Information Session to learn about their Explorers Club to lead engaging programs, receive training and materials, earn a stipend, and support belonging in STEM for underrepresented youth. Register via this link.
| | | | VPOST’s friends at afterschool intermediary NextUp are looking to add a few new team members. If you’re ready to help expand access to high-quality OST and summer programs for young people in Richmond, then check out their open positions! | | | | | Lights On Afterschool is next month! Creating an event, large or small, that showcases the quality and necessity of your OST program is a great way to market your program to the community, partners, and decisionmakers. The Afterschool Alliance offers an abundance of resources to help you with planning. Watch their recent webinar, Lights On Afterschool 101, to get some strategies to make your event the best it can be. The VPOST team suggests being proactive and extending invitations to policymakers now! | | Mizzen's New Platform Benefits OST! | | Mizzen Education has a new, reimagined platform that makes planning learning experiences much easier for OST professionals! More than 1,800 learning resources, developed in partnership with organizations like Nickelodeon, Learn Fresh, and Pulitzer Center, are available and align with standards. Start exploring Mizzen today to spark student curiosity via vibrant, real-time learning. | | National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month | | | |
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