September 15th through October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage Month

Dolores Huerta - Labor Leader / Civil Rights Activist

"Let's teach kids, at the kindergarten level, what the contributions of people of color were to the building of the United States of America." - Dolores Huerta

Rigoberta Menchu' Tum - Guatemalan Indigenous Rights Activist  and Nobel Peace Prize Winner

"Peace cannot exist without justice, justice cannot exist without fairness, fairness cannot exist without development, development cannot exist without democracy, democracy cannot exist without respect for the identity and worth of cultures and peoples."

September 15th to October 15th in the United States is when we in the Expanded Learning field can engage our youth in learning activities that recognize the contributions that our brothers and sisters from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Chile, and Belize have made to make our world a better place.

September was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. All declared independence in 1821. In addition, Mexico, Chile, and Belize celebrate their independence days on September 16th, September 18th, and September 2nd respectively.

Here are a few additional activity resources for you and your Expanded Learning staff to possibly engage your scholars in:

a) National Hispanic Heritage Month Activities (Free) (Grades K-12) (NEA)

b) Bring National Hispanic Heritage Month to Life (Free) (Grades K-8) (Scholastic)

c) Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (Free) (Grades K-6) (Education World)

STEM / Expanded Learning and Other Pertinent Education Articles:

1) Explore Why High School Expectations Matter (Achieve.org)

2) Woodland Teachers Explore Sunflower Science
    (Woodland Daily Democract article by Cutter Hicks, 8/3/18)

3) Physical Computing Is Heading to Education: What You Need To Know
    (EDWEEK Market Brief article by Nikki Navta, 9/6/18)

4) Integrating Social Emotional Learning Isn't Easy. Here How It Is Done.
    (Education Week article by David Adams, 9/6/18)

5) Summer programs increase STEM learning opportunities for
    visually impaired students
    (Education Dive article by Linda Jacobson, 8/21/18)

6) STEM Worker Shortage at a Crisis Survey Shows
    (U.S. News and World Report article by Sintia Radu, 8/23/18)

7) 5 Proven Benefits of Play
    (NPR article by Anya Kamenetz, 8/31/18)

8) Race, Discipline, and Safety at U.S. Public Schools
   (Report by the ACLU)

9) Immigration and Afterschool 
    (LIAS Blogpost, 8/29/18)

10) The Most Popular High School Plays and Musicals
      (NPR article by Elissa Nadworny, 8/1/18)


STEAM (other core content) Activities / Websites / Podcast: 

1) PBS Design Squad Activity Guides 
    (Free to Download) (Grades 3-12)

2) CA Academy of Science Lesson Plans 
    (Free to Download) (Grades Pre-K to 12th)

3) PBS Design Squad Electricity and Circuits 
    (Lesson Plans)

4) PBS Design Squad Engineering Design Process 
    (Lesson Plans)

5) PBS Design Squad Green Design 
    (Lesson Plans)

6) PBS Design Squad Helping Others STEM Challenges 
    (Lesson Plans)

7) PBS Design Squad Simple Machines 
    (Lesson Plans)

8) PBS Design Squad Structures 
    (Lesson Plans)

9) Top 5 Ways to Welcome Students Back To School
    (Scholastic Lesson Plans) (Pre - K to 5th)

10) From Poverty to Rocket Scientist to CEO, A Girl Scout's Inspiring Story
      (NPR Podcast by Elissa Nadworny, 9/5/18)

11) To Raise Confident, Independent Kids, Some Parents are Trying "Let Grow"
      (NPR Podcast by Deena Prichep, 9/3/18)


STEM / Educational Grants: 

1) ASES Kids Code (Due November 5, 2018)

2) Afterschool Alliance Grant Page

3) Bank of the West Grant Page

4) CAN Funding Opportunities Webpage

5) The Impact Foundry Grant Page

STEAM / Miscellaneous Professional Learning Sessions / Contest / Events:

1) NBA Math Hoops (September 20, 2018) (Free)
    (Grades 4-8)

2) California STEAM Symposium
    (Fee: $350) (Dates: October 28-29, 2018)

3) How Kids Learn Conference
    (Fee: $125) (Date: December 6, 2018)

4) SMUD Free Educational Workshops

5) Hacker Lab Workshops

Thanks again for all that you do in the field. Please keep us posted about STEM 
events / activities in your area. Please feel free to contact us at any time.

Monica Gonzalez-Williams (SCOE: Region 3: After School Regional Lead):
mgonzalez@scoe.net

Phil Romig (SCOE: Science Curriculum Specialist): promig@scoe.net

Mark Drewes (SCOE: Project Specialist II: Expanded Learning) mdrewes@scoe.net    

August is National Back to School Month

The SSEL Region 3 Expanded Learning Team hopes that this blog post finds all of you doing well. Thank you to all of those that in some way shape or form had a hand during the summer of 2018 to help stave off summer learning loss by engaging youth in summer learning programs. Hopefully at some point you were able to get a few days off to recharge your batteries and dedicate a few days to you / your family. The work you do truly changes trajectories, is important, is hard, and is rewarding. Thank you for all that you do for it is greatly appreciated and inspiring.

With that being stated this blog post is filled with resources to add to your toolkits and to assist you as you embark on the 2018-2019 academic school year. Here is to a wonderful year, with many amazing memories.

Here are some monthly themes and activities that you might want to incorporate into your Expanded Learning Program:

One of the many posters free to download.

Classroom Posters that Promote Unity / Inclusion:

a) One World Posters (Teaching Tolerance)

b) This School Welcomes You (Teaching Tolerance)

c) CTA for All Students (CTA)

September 2018:

a) National Hispanic Heritage Month (Wikipedia)

b) Learning Activities to engage your students in (Modern Miami Website)

c) Lesson Plans for celebrating National Heritage Month (NEA Grades K-12)

d) Lesson plans and activities (Discoveries of a Latina Homeschooler)

e) Frida Kahlo Artwork Guide (SF MOMA)

f) International DOT Day Activities Guide (Roughly September 15th)


October 2018:

a) National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month (Stop Bullying Website)

b) Lesson Plans, Activities, Stats, FAQs (Pacer Org.)

c) Stand Up!!! Activity (Teaching Tolerance)

d) Peer Exclusion Activity (Teaching Tolerance)

e) Developing Empathy (Teaching Tolerance)

f) Middle School Anti-Bullying Lesson Plans (Intermediate Unit 1)

g) Teaching Students to Prevent Bullying (NEA)

h) Global Cardboard Challenge Event

i) Caine's Arcade Activity Curriculum and Activity Kits (Free to Download)


November 2018:

a) Native American Heritage Month (Native American 360)

b) Native American Art Activities

c) Additional Resources


STEM / Expanded Learning and Other Pertinent Articles:

1) Raising Brilliant Kids - With Research to Back You Up
    (NPR Article by Anna Kamenetz; July 23, 2018)

2) How to Make A Civics Education Stick
    (NPR Article by Emily Cardinali; August 14, 2018)

3) How The Science of Learning is Catching Up To Mr. Rogers
    (NPR Article by Anna Kamenetz; July 23, 2018)

4) (Teacher Wellness) Reclaiming a Sense of Joy
   (Edutopia Article by Shane Safir; August 10, 2018)

5) Reflections on Shifting to a Flexible Classroom
   (Edutopia Article by Brooke Markle; August 20, 2018)

6) Using Stories to Teach Math
    (Edutopia Article by L.L. Barkat; December 22, 2017)

7) To Get Girls Into Coding, Nonprofit Looks to Historic Inspiration
    (Education Week Article by Lauraine Genota; August 15, 2018)

8) Social Skills Are Critical For Future Job-Seekers
    (Education Week Article by Pam Roy; August 15, 2018)

9) Equity and Voice: How a Sense of Belonging Promotes Students' Agency
    (Education Week Article by Contributing Blogger; August 15, 2018)

10) Kids Need to Play at Recess, Their Mental Health May Depend on It
     (Education Week Article by Peter DeWitt; August 1, 2018)


STEAM (other core content) Activities / Websites / Podcast:

1) 36 Resources for STEM Project-Based Learning Activities

2) 17 Examples of STEM Project Based Learning Activities

3) Integrated STEM Education through Project Based Learning

4) Project Based Learning and STEM Afterschool

5) Project Based Learning and the Arts

6) Arts-Infused Project Based Learning: Crafting Beautiful Work

7) Buck Institute: Project Based Learning Resources

8) ITeach: A Guide To the Most Useful Apps For the Classroom

9) The Social Classroom (Video)

10) Projects That Work (PBL Video)


STEM / Educational Grants:

1) Afterschool Alliance Grant Page

2)  Bank of the West Grant Page

3) CAN Funding Opportunities Webpage

4) The Impact Foundry Grant Page


STEAM / Miscellaneous Professional Learning Sessions / Contest / Events:

1) NBA Math Hoops (September 20, 2018) (Free)
    (Grades 4-8)

2) California STEAM Symposium
    (Fee: $350) (Dates: October 28-29, 2018)

3) How Kids Learn Conference
    (Fee: $125) (Date: December 6, 2018)

4) SMUD Free Educational Workshops

Thanks again for all that you do in the field. Please keep us posted about STEM 
events / activities in your area. Please feel free to contact us at any time.

Monica Gonzalez-Williams (SCOE: Region 3: After School Regional Lead):
mgonzalez@scoe.net

Phil Romig (SCOE: Science Curriculum Specialist): promig@scoe.net

Mark Drewes (SCOE: Project Specialist II: Expanded Learning) mdrewes@scoe.net