Contact: Laveta Wills-Hale
(501)660-1012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
 
The third round of federal funds available for programs 
that address learning loss due to pandemic 


LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS – July 24, 2023 – The Arkansas Department of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, A-State University, and its sponsored initiative, the Arkansas Out of School Network, are pleased to announce the availability of a third round of federal funds for programs that address learning loss due to the pandemic.
 
In 2021, DESE partnered with A-State and the AOSN to administer $25 million in ARP ESSER III federal grant funds over three years. The awards provide funding for high-quality afterschool and summer learning programs, including academic support and skill building, health and wellness, life skills, structured enrichment, and college and career preparation. 
 
Awards range from $50,000 to $150,000 per awardee. The application cycle for the funds is open and will close at 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 20, and award notifications will be sent on Aug. 30. The application and funding criteria can be accessed by clicking here.
 
Funds will provide programming for students in grades K-12 who were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible applicants include school districts or entities that partner with a school district, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, licensed school-age programs, youth development programs, non-profit organizations, Career and Technical Education programs, libraries, public and private institutions of higher learning, or other entities approved by the partnership entities. Priority for funding will be given to programs in communities that serve higher percentages of free and reduced lunch students, have limited access to programs, or those located in rural areas. 
 
For more information, contact Laveta Wills-Hale, AOSN Network Director, at (501)-660-1012 or lwillshale@astate.edu.

 

 

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Forty-Three Youth Selected by STEM Next Opportunity Fund’s Million Girls Moonshot Initiative to Join the Youth-Led Flight Crew

Youth ambassador program gives afterschool leaders skills to advance the national conversation
about STEM learning 

STEM Next Opportunity Fund’s Million Girls Moonshot announced its second cohort of its Flight Crew - a youth ambassadors program that is advancing equity for girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The 2023 Flight Crew cohort includes 43 youth, ages 13-18, from 37 states across the nation.
 
From January to August, the Flight Crew will complete leadership development and public speaking training while simultaneously acting as youth ambassadors to share the value of their experiences in afterschool STEM. Skill building will include resume and interview coaching, connections with mentors and social media training to support these young people as they develop the critical social capital necessary on their STEM journeys.
 
The expanded 2023 Flight Crew was recently announced as a STEM Next commitment to the White House National Space Council’s priority to promote career awareness of space opportunities. The Flight Crew elevates youth voices to inspire more young people to become future STEM leaders. 
 
Having participated in stimulating, hands-on STEM experiences in afterschool and summer programs, members of the Flight Crew were selected to share their transformational testimonies to break down stereotypes and spark their peers' curiosity in STEM. These young leaders demonstrate the power of the Moonshot mission to reimagine who can build, invent and engineer by sharing their personal journeys with high-quality STEM beyond the classroom and by becoming role models who show other young women what is possible. 
 
READ THE FULL RELEASE & LEARN ABOUT MILLION GIRLS MOONSHOT
 
Launched in 2020, the Million Girls Moonshot builds the capacity of the afterschool and summer fields to expand the pipeline of future STEM leaders by reimagining who can engineer, who can build and who can make. To achieve the ambitious goal of reaching one million girls by 2025, the Moonshot partners with the robust 50 State Afterschool Network to empower and support afterschool and summer STEM programs in every state across the country.

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Join This Year's Leadership in Action Fellowship

Click Here for an Application 
Click Here for Course Offerings 

 

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MIZZEN BY MOTT (Click Here to go to the website) 
YOUR NEW FAVORITE LEARNING TOOL
 
The Mizzen by Mott app can help programs deliver high quality content. Find the app in the Google Play Store on Android or the App Store on your iPhone. Download to your phone and create a profile to get started!
 
Download the App Today!

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