Blog Posts

NJSACC’s 2026-2027 Professional Development Opportunities NJSACC offers a variety of engaging virtual and in-person professional development and technical assistance opportunities for all staff working in school-age child care, afterschool, and out-of-school-time (OST) programs. Guided by the New Jersey Quality Standards for Afterschool (NJQSA), training topics include leading activities, behavior and inclusion, team building, leadership development,…

NJSACC Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month. You can too. National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates and recognizes the contributions Hispanic Americans have made to American society and culture and to honor five of our Central American neighbors who celebrate their Independence days in September. Top National Hispanic Heritage Month Resources: 4 Crafts for National Hispanic Heritage…

⛈️Disaster Assistance Available for NJ Business and Private Nonprofits The U.S. Small Business Administration announced the availability of low-interest federal disaster loans for eligible small businesses and private nonprofit organizations impacted by excessive rain occurring May 1, 2025 – July 1, 2025. Eligible counties include: New Jersey: Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and…

🎤 Built to Last. Ready to Rise. Bring Your Voice to NAA27 From March 14–17, 2027, over a thousand afterschool and youth development professionals will gather in Denver for NAA27. They’ll come from across the country and across the field — from direct-service professionals to system leaders — ready to connect with colleagues, strengthen their…

🔬 NEW DATA: Afterschool STEM Takes Off! A parent looking for an afterschool program wants a safe environment, caring staff, and engaging activities. Increasingly, that means activities that get their child building, coding, and asking questions about how things work, and afterschool programs have stepped up to meet that expectation by offering more science, technology,…

📅 The First Week Sets The Tone For The Whole Year To help you start strong, Hailee, Mizzen’s Community Engagement + Experiences Manager, curated a playlist of her favorite connection-building activities for grades K–12. Whether you’re welcoming a new group or reconnecting after summer break, these ready-to-use activities help youth build relationships before jumping into lessons and…

We’re A Month Away From the 27th celebration of Lights On Afterschool! Not sure where to begin your planning process? We’ve gathered our top tips to help you plan a Lights On Afterschool celebration that fits your program’s bandwidth and budget. This week’s planning tips include: – Check out our planning timeline: A step-by-step guide walking you through planning…

🦸‍♀️ Bringing Together Youth Leaders, Advocates, and Changemakers for Learning, Connection, and Empowerment Welcome to the Youth Power Summit, an annual event hosted by the Institute where young people from all across New Jersey come together to imagine and build the world they deserve. Whether it’s mental health, immigration, housing or lowering the voting age, young…

We Are Grateful to Have the Best People in Our Network of Afterschool Professionals Things people are saying about NJSACC “Wonderful experience and ways of looking at interactions. Ideas and insights were abundant” “I have learned so much during my time with you, I think I could do the job. My summer camp has benefited…

💰 Program Sites Can Win Up to $5,000 in this National AI Challenge from the Panasonic Foundation + STEM Next Do the young people in your afterschool program have ideas for using artificial intelligence to solve problems in their community or around the world? The AI Innovation Challenge, created by STEM Next Opportunity Fund in…