🖼️ The 2026 Lights On Afterschool Poster Contest is open The Lights On Afterschool poster contest is officially open, and this year, we’re looking for any artwork that represents the spirit of afterschool programs. This includes murals, paintings, graphics on social media, and anything else that celebrates afterschool. Be creative! We encourage students to think of how your program…
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🗣️ Speak Up For Youth Voice Week 2026 Youth Voice Week: April 13–17, 2026 Young people are changemakers. Join us in amplifying youth voices and celebrating how afterschool and summer programs empower young people to take action on issues they care about. Throughout the week of April 13–17, we’re encouraging programs, organizations, and young people…
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NJSACC Celebrates Greek-American Heritage Month. You can too. NJSACC celebrates the culture, accomplishments and experiences of Greek people during Greek-American Heritage Month in March. SOME GREEK-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH RESOURCES: Ancient Greek Toys: All You Need To Know Kids Cooking Activities: Study Greek Cooking Lesson Plan: It Came From Greek Mythology (6th-12th grades) Teacher Planet’s Mythology: Lessons,…
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NJSACC Celebrates IRISH-American Heritage Month. You can too. NJSACC celebrates the culture, accomplishments and experiences of Irish people during Irish-American Heritage Month in March. SOME Irish-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH RESOURCES: Library of Congress: Irish-American Heritage Month: A Commemorative Observances Legal Research Guide The National Archives’ Irish-American Heritage The Smithsonian Institute’s Irish-American History and Heritage NJSACC staff has…
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🗣️ 2026 Fighting Words Poetry Contest Open Now It’s one of our favorite times of the year—the 2026 Fighting Words Poetry Contest is open! This annual contest invites students from around the world to use poetry to respond to the global issues featured in Pulitzer Center-supported reporting. This year, we are excited to expand this opportunity…
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đź’° Check Out This Grant Opportunity from ALDI! ALDI Community Gift Card Program The ALDI Community Gift Card (ACGC) program offers gifts valued between $100 and $1,000 to qualified nonprofits and schools committed to supporting after-school and out-of-school youth programs. This initiative also extends to food banks and pantries seeking to purchase essential products. Whether…
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NJSACC Celebrates Women’s History Month. You can too. Women’s History Month honors and celebrates the struggles and achievements of American women throughout the history of the United States. SOME WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH RESOURCES PBS Community Classroom Women Who Shape History: Education Resources Women Heroes 9 Women From American History You Should Know, According to Historians…
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🚀 opportunities and activities to meet the needs of program providers and staff in your state. How DNA Learning Journeys Are Building STEM Confidence in Youth and Educators When Amelia Mock needed STEM activities she could lead on her own without a formal STEM background, STEM Next’s Genomics Learning Journeys, created in partnership with Illumina, gave her everything she needed to make science learning…
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Skills for Community, Skills for Career: Sign up for SEL Day! SEL Day on Monday, March 2—kicking off SEL Week through March 8—is a global, grassroots celebration of social emotional learning, in support of young people’s academic achievement, mental health, and future success. Our 2026 theme is Skills for Community, Skills for Career. Sign up now and…
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We’re pleased to share the NJDOE Preschool Mixed Delivery Handbook (January 2026) from our partners and the NJ Department of Education. This guide provides consolidated guidance for implementing state-funded preschool through New Jersey’s mixed delivery model, where districts partner with licensed child care providers and Head Start programs to deliver high-quality preschool to three- and four-year-old children. The handbook…
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