Resources to Support Educators & Parents During COVID-19
Consider these resources, online support, professional development opportunities, activities for kids, games, videos parent resources in your efforts to connect with and support educators and parents during COVID-19.
NEW – Afterschool Alliance | Resources
What Afterschool Can Offer for Various Reopening Strategies
This resource will help afterschool leaders and providers identify and communicate about specific ways programs can help as schools make plans to reopen.
Partnering with Schools to Reopen and Meet Students’ Needs
A table that describes how afterschool programs can help meet kids’ needs for different strategies schools are using to reopen. Read More
5 Steps: Reaching out to School Leaders About Reopening
Step 1: Build a list of school & district leaders
Step 2: Send letter & materials to school leaders (samples provided)
Step 3: Mobilize parents.
Step 4: Ask partners and supporters to sign an open letter.
Step 5: Leverage your social networks.
Read More
NEW – First Book Partnerships | FREE Resources from First book Accelerator
Access resources HERE to explore the following topics:
Easy At-Home Activities for PreK-8th Grade
Diversity & Inclusion
FREE Toolkits & Guides to Download: Childhood Trauma, Books to support students through grief, loss and healing; Empowering Girls & Fundraising
NEW – Chop Chop Family – Kids Club Newsletter
This week we’re all about thirst quenching – Summer is ramping up, the days are getting hotter, and we are turning toward easy recipes and ideas for keeping our kids cool and hydrated. As always, we’ve got more here, too: tips and facts, kitchen skill-builders, and fun learning activities. Download Here
Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count | Resources
The 31st edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT® Data Book describes how children across the United States were faring before the coronavirus pandemic began.
This year’s publication continues to deliver the Foundation’s annual state rankings and the latest available data on child well-being. It also identifies multi-year trends — comparing statistics from 2010 to 2018. As always, policymakers, researchers and advocates can continue using this information to help shape their work and build a stronger future for children, families and communities.
View the national data profile (also available in Spanish)
Download the South Carolina Data Profile as a PDF HERE.
Explore Interactive Data Book
Download 41-Page PDF
Johns Hopkins University | eSchool + Initiative
Tracking State and National School Reopening Plans
A team of Johns Hopkins University researchers has launched the “eSchool+ Initiative,” an analysis of school reopening plans.This interactive state tracker curates school reopening plans by state, as well as guidance documents by non-governmental organizations, along six operational criteria: 1. Core Academics; 2. SARS CoV-2 Protection; 3. Before/After School Programs, including Athletics, Childcare, and Extracurriculars; 4. Building Access & Student Transportation; 5. School Health Services; and 6. Food and Nutrition. View Tracker HERE
COVID-19 School Reopening Checklist
The COVID-19 School Reopening Response Checklist is a tool to assist school and district leaders and other key stakeholders in the decision-making process as they navigate school reopening. It emphasizes areas in need of attention from an equity and ethics perspective.
The decision-makers can use the Checklist to systematically assess their needs and resources for reopening in 6 areas: continuity of learning, infection control and facilities, food security, health, housing and safety, and supervision.
View the Checklist
View & Download PDF
National Summer Learning Association | Webinar, July 22 @ 2:00pm EST – Register for Session #2
Our friends at WRiTE BRAiN Books have an exciting new PD series starting this week, “Word-Up” Wednesdays! These interactive sessions are designed to help educators in supporting student learning through creative lessons and innovative resources.
Session #2: S+E+L = Whole Student Success : Now, more than ever, students need authentic and creative outlets to process and express their emotions. In this interactive and fast-paced webinar, you will engage in fun and inspiring activities such as hands-on journaling, courageous sharing and poetry writing — all designed to help kids speak their minds without fear of judgment and to foster deeper connections between students, even when at a distance. Leave with ideas and best practices for integrating social-emotional learning seamlessly into the summer experience as well as 25 journal prompts you can use immediately with students grades 2-12!
South Carolina Department of Agriculture | Resources
-Click this link to find local Farm-Fresh food during COVID-19
-Find Farm to School resources for Farmers, Teachers, and Food Service staff here
-Clemson Classroom Curriculum – The Clemson Advisory Committee created a monthly curriculum for teachers to integrate in to the classroom for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | Resources | Communities, Schools, Workplaces, and Events Information for where you Live, Work, Learn, and Play
Considerations for Travelers – Corona Virus in the US
Interim Guidance for Administrators to Plan, Prepare, and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Considerations for Youth & Summer Camps
Considerations for Youth Sports
Youth Programs and Camps Decision Tool | Public Health Considerations for Reopening Youth Programs and Camps During the COVID-19 Pandemic
– The purpose of this tool is to assist directors or administrators in making (re)opening decisions regarding youth programs and camps during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to check with state and local health officials and other partners to determine the most appropriate actions while adjusting to meet the unique needs and circumstances of the local community.
SC Department of Health and Environmental Control | COVID-19 Child Activity Book “Why Can’t I” PDF – This activity book helps children understand and learn about COVID-19.
Activity booklet in English Activity booklet in Spanish
As part of NBA Together, “Jr. NBA at Home” is an interactive content series providing basketball skills and drills featuring NBA and WNBA players that can be completed individually and in limited space to help young players around the world stay active and develop their game in a safe and healthy way. Jr. NBA at Home videos will be posted daily on Jr. NBA social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and NBA digital properties around the world to promote skill development, physical activity and character development. Find out more about Jr. NBA at Home!
SC Department of Mental Health | Resources to Help Cope with Coronavirus
To help support the community and state, the South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) has gathered some tools and resources to help cope with the stress and anxiety during these uncertain times. Visit the SCDMH Website to access additional resources on: Managing Stress & Anxiety, Mental Health and COVID-19-Information and Resources, Helping Children Cope, En Espanol, Working from Home, and Distance Learning Opportunities.
Leading to Change, Inc. | Wednesday, June 17th @ 12 pm EST Click here to register for FREE
NOT a Webinar • NOT a Training • NOT a Sales Pitch – But this IS a LIVE ZOOM experience full of laughter & tools! We are returning with a brand new session. CRAZY Times call for CRAZY Compassion! This is what COMMUNITY looks like. Join us for this 29 Minute LIVE ZoomCast! every WEDNESDAY @ 12pm EST
National Summer Learning Association | Webinar: Wednesday, June 17, 2020 @ 1:30 p.m. (ET)
Join an exciting new presentation in the Voices of Summer Webinar Series.
Meet the Authors: New Literacy and STEAM Activity resources you can use this summer
Looking for practical activities to put the fun and joy in summer learning this season? Join us Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. for a virtual “Meet the Authors” conversation featuring two new books designed to help young people, parents and program leaders navigate a summer like no other.
NASA STEM Engagement & Educator Professional Development Collaborative | Resources
Join the NASA STEM Engagement & Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University for FREE 60-minute webinars.
– Earn 1-hour of professional development credit by attending.
– Below find the titles, dates, and registration links for each events through June 19.
– Audience: Educators, Parents, Caregivers
Explore Solar System and Beyond: Scale, Origins, and Mysteries
Event Date: June 15 at Noon EDT https://na.eventscloud.com/548394
Join us to learn more about our solar system and solve some mysteries of meteorites – what they are, where they come from, how they got here, how they affect people, and what they tell us about the solar system. We will investigate some of these questions in the webinar through inquiry-based activities for 5-12 grade students.
Explore Flight: Smart Skies
Event Date: June 15 at 6 p.m. EDT https://na.eventscloud.com/552534
Join us for a session of engaging students in real life applications or mathematics and science. NASA FlyBy Math consists of five Air Traffic Control (ATC) Problems. Each examines a different distance-rate-time air traffic scenario that an air traffic controller might encounter. Each ATC Problem features a Student Workbook and a Teacher Guide. All curriculum materials are free and available to download.
Explore Solar System and Beyond: NASA’s Hunt for Signs of Life in the Outer Solar System
Event Date: June 16 at Noon EDT https://na.eventscloud.com/549247
Join us for this second chapter of NASA’s Hunt for Signs of Life on Other Planets, we apply what NASA has learned from its reconstruction of Venus’s planetary history and its search for possible life signatures on Mars to the gas giants of our outer solar system. Or rather take what we thought we knew about searching for signs of life and turn it on its head. Join us as we explore how Cassini, Dragonfly, and OSIRIS-REx are shifting the conversation about what planetary conditions are necessary to support life on other planets. Relevant instructional resources included.
Explore Space Tech: Spinoffs
Event Date: June 16 at 4:30 p.m. EDT https://na.eventscloud.com/548819
NASA has a long history of transferring technologies from their original mission applications to secondary uses. Join us to learn about the latest edition of the NASA Spinoff Publication that has highlighted over 2,000 different ways that NASA Spinoff technology is impacting our daily lives.
Small Steps to Giant Leaps: Shape Your Flight
Event Date: June 17 at 6 p.m. EDT https://na.eventscloud.com/552502
Participants will get an overview of the Shape your Flight. Learn about a series of demonstrations focusing on the forces of flight using different materials and shapes to determine which are the most and least susceptible to lift, weight, drag, and thrust. Take a look back at the history of X-Planes and NASA Aeronautical Research while also looking forward to the future of NASA Aeronautics Innovation. For decades NASA has been studying aircraft noise in order to reduce noise emissions. Come learn about NASA\’s newest X-plane, the X-59 QueSST, and the research on Quiet Supersonic Flight.
Nurturing, Inspiring, and Serving the Artemis Generation: Culturally Responsive Strategies and Resources to Enhance STEM Learning for Youth
Event Date: June 18 at 3 p.m. EDT https://na.eventscloud.com/553429
Culturally relevant and responsive forms of education have increasingly been recognized as a powerful approach to engage and serve traditionally underrepresented students and help transform the STEM landscape. In this session, participants will be invited to explore culturally responsive instructional practices, frameworks, tools, and NASA-based educational resources designed to help educators stimulate student interest in STEM learning and respond to the diverse backgrounds and learning styles in their classroom.
NASA STEM at Home or School: Using Gravity Assist to Launch a Crew Vehicle
Event Date: June 18 at 5 p.m. EDT https://na.eventscloud.com/543368
Join us to explore NASA Beginning Engineering, Science and Technology (BEST) resources. Learn how to design and build a Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) that will carry two – 2 cm sized passengers safely and will fit within a certain volume (size limitation). with supplies found around the house. Design and test a Reusable Launcher for the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). The CEV should travel 5 meters when launched.
MIZZEN BY MOTT APP
As champions for children, program providers are doing everything they can during this time to keep youth safe and continue to serve them. The South Carolina Afterschool Alliance wants to continue to support providers during this time and beyond. In every way, providers throughout South Carolina and the nation have risen to the challenge in every way.
In support of your efforts, the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance has new resources to share, Mizzen by Mott. Mizzen by Mott is a new app built with and for afterschool professionals to provide high-quality, engaging learning content to the afterschool field.
To meet the needs of this moment, new activity playlists and multi-week modules that can be done at home or in a small-group setting. The app’s content focuses on youth learning and well-being and is provided by organizations like Jazz at Lincoln Center, the California Academy of Sciences, After-School All Stars, OregonAsk, and VentureLab. Through support from the Mott Foundation, the app and all of its content is available for free to afterschool providers.
South Carolina Afterschool Alliance invites you to try the Mizzen app. To learn more about the Mizzen app, click HERE.
The Pandemic and Summer Learning Policy
As summertime rapidly approaches, school district leaders and organizers of summer learning programs are still facing a number of unknowns about how the pandemic will affect their programming this year. One thing people can better understand right now is how government policies both help and limit summer learning efforts, a topic explored in this new report from RAND. We talked to one of the authors about the report and how to apply its lessons in this unprecedented moment.
Website List | Resources: professional development, activities for kids, games, videos, resources for parents
www.EarthSky.org : Find out where to look in the night sky for planets, nebula, and fascinating events. Sign up for alerts!
www.nctm.org : The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is committed to supporting professional development virtually through an initiative called 100 Days of Professional Development. New webinars all the time. Recorded sessions can be found at www.nctm.org/100.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com: Fascinating facts about our planet, animals, natural events.
www.nwf.org : National Wildlife Fund provides information on wild species, gardening, how to take action to support the environment, and free resources to help youth learn about wildlife.
www.Youcubed.org : Stanford University’s math site has great activities for kids k-12. Explore fun activities that are highly engaging and not your typical math experience. Videos for youth and educators.
www.space.com : Get the latest news from space! Daily updates on the International Space Station, special events, and learning opportunities.
www.MoMath.org : National Museum of Mathematics. Free online events, classes, webinars, lectures, and games.
www.FI.edu : The Franklin Institute. Great activities for kids and families. SparkofScience@Home and Franklin@Home.
www.amnh.org : American Museum of Natural History. The museum offers activities for kids and families (Ology), live programs, videos, and speakers. The museum also offers online professional development for educators.
NASA
Opportunities to educate kids at home, remotely, or in some new and creative way for families and educators.
Link to Family Resources
Artful Fridays for the Month of May
The South Carolina Afterschool Alliance is joining forces with the Arts in Basic Curriculum Project to offer K-12 students, parents, teachers and after school providers unique weekly arts engaged opportunities during the month of May.
It’s Only Natural May 22nd @ 11 am (approximately 20 minutes)
No special art supplies? No problem! Nature provides all the inspiration we need. We will seek inspiration from other artists and make a plan for a nature-inspired composition.
Who Should Participate: Elementary – but all are welcome!
What you will need: You will need a Pencil and paper to note ideas.
See you there! Click this ZOOM Link to Join Its Only Natural
Playing Around with Playwriting Course May 8, 15, 22, 29, 2020 @ 2 pm
Join Kelly Hall from ABC Project as you create, write, design, and present your very own short play! There may even be a surprise guest or two. So get ready, get set, and create! This workshop will require participants to join all four Fridays (May 8, 15, 22, & 29). Students: Middle to High.
What you will need: paper and pencil
See you there! Click this Zoom link to join Play around with Playwriting!
Senses of Place at the Columbia Museum of Art (CMA) May 22 @ 2 pm (approximately 20 minutes)
Join us on a virtual journey through time and place! We’ll be traveling around the world without leaving the house as we take a closer look at original works of art spanning centuries and cultures. In this virtual tour through the CMA galleries we’ll discover how artists capture various places and what works of art can tell us about what life was like in a particular time or place. Get some inspiration to create a work of art that reflects your own surroundings.
Students: Elementary (2nd – 5th)
See you there! Click this link to join Senses of Place at the Columbia Museum of Art
Afterschool Alliance
Staying Connected To Students During COVID-19
Boeing South Carolina
With South Carolina students currently out of school due to the novel coronavirus, we know that many parents and programs are seeking online educational resources. Thus, we want to share digital resources with you from FUTURE U, a program partnership between Boeing and Discovery Education. The FUTURE U website includes ready-to-go STEM activities, including:
Boeing Future U – Virtual Field Trip