FLASH

We’ve got something to celebrate! Join us for Lights On Afterschool 2025 This year, New Jersey turned the spotlight on afterschool like never before. Governor Phil Murphy officially proclaimed October 23 as “Lights On Afterschool Day” for the state, shining a public endorsement on our work and recognizing the vital role afterschool programs play in nurturing youth, supporting families, and strengthening communities. Such a proclamation is more than symbolic. It elevates our collective voice, gives…

NJ DCF Launches Public Awareness Campaign to Address Parental Technoference “Time Out on Tech” Urges Parents to Make Tech-Free Time a Priority For Themselves and Their Children TRENTON – In an effort to encourage parents and caregivers to unplug from their devices and prioritize tech-free time with their children, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, in partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) and Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey (PCANJ), is launching…

Commission Report on the Impact of Social Media on Adolescents Social media shapes nearly every part of a young person’s day — from how they learn and connect to how they see themselves and the world around them. The New Jersey Commission on the Effects of Social Media Usage on Adolescents has released a comprehensive report examining how these platforms impact youth health, academics, and overall well-being. With 20 actionable recommendations for policymakers, educators, caregivers,…

Exposure to Careers in STEM Fields and Potential Mentors Thursday, November 6, 20258:30am – 1:00pm@ Spruce Street Clubhouse 1040 Spruce St Lawrence, NJ 08648   Students attend three (3) 45 minute workshops, plus a career panel on STEM related topics.  Exposure to the possibility of careers in STEM fields and potential mentors.  Information about post-secondary career pathways and course work that may be available in high school and in college.  The STEM Conference is for students in grades…

Study Captures What’s Known About Summer Learning Extensive research has shown that summer provides young people with a range of support including mentoring, engaging activities, nutritious meals, and more. And quality summer learning programs continue to emerge as a key strategy to support students academically, whether to recover lost learning, stay on track throughout the summer, or to get ahead.  A new Wallace-funded publication from RAND and two of the nation’s leading researchers on summer…

Did You Catch This Great Stream? This back-to-school launch event for the Career-Connected Learning Framework was a powerful convening of leaders from across the out-of-school-time (OST), STEM education and workforce development fields exploring how to expand career-connected learning opportunities for young people. If you weren’t able to join live—or if you’d like to revisit the discussion—you can now watch the full event recording below. View Recording Download the Framework PDF MGM October: Trainings click here…

Curriculum Helps Adults and Youth Build Authentic Partnerships See more information here The Ele­vat­ing Youth Engage­ment (EYE) train­ing cur­ricu­lum is now avail­able online — at no cost. Devel­oped by the Annie E. Casey Foun­da­tion in part­ner­ship with Cetera Inc., the cur­ricu­lum offers child wel­fare agen­cies and youth-serv­ing orga­ni­za­tions a clear, action­able guide to build­ing effec­tive, authen­tic part­ner­ships with young peo­ple who have expe­ri­enced fos­ter care. For young lead­ers, EYE pro­vides the skills and con­fi­dence they need to advo­cate for them­selves and their…

NAA26: Dream. Dare. Do. NAA26: Dream. Dare. Do. Mark your calendars for NAA26! The National AfterSchool Association’s 2026 Convention will take place March 11 to 14, 2026, in the Washington, D.C. area at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. This year’s theme, Dream. Dare. Do., invites each of us to imagine bold futures for young people and our profession, take courageous steps forward, and act with purpose and power. In a time when many in…

NJSACC Advocacy In Action: Latest Blog Post (April 2025) Federal Government Shutdown: Implications for Education, Afterschool, and Summer Programs See the Full Blog Post Click here to view this article. NJSACC Advocacy In Action: Newsletter (October 2025) NJSACC’s Advocacy In Action Newsletter highlights critical news, updates, and resources impacting afterschool and out-of-school time (OST) professionals and supporters across New Jersey and around the country. Click on each accordion below to read each article. What This…