To support rural school districts, Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network (GSAN) will build out, equip, deploy, and support the implementation of Think Make Create (TMC) Labs in select school districts across the state. The goal of this initiative is to mitigate a growing need for access to STEM activities oftentimes not found in our rural communities. These mobile maker labs will be “pop up” hands-on activity centers tailored to the needs of targeted communities, and easily expanding for use in afterschool and summer programming in outdoor spaces, gymnasiums, and arenas. Labs will be placed in communities across the state to provide robust, hands-on STEM activities. To learn more about TMC Labs, please watch this video. 

Click Here to Access the TMC Labs Curriculum

Have questions? Please contact gdoss@georgiavoices.org. 

GSAN is here to support you by delivering training, connecting you to experts, thought partnering, etc. on a diverse array of topics! Don’t see exactly what you are looking for here? Have an idea of professional training that will benefit you and your district? Please let us know by completing this brief survey!

Find more virtual trainings and webinars: Virtual Events or check out our BOOST 2023 – 2024 Training Catalog for LEA (local education administration) Events

Quality Frameworks & Curricular Resources

Georgia Afterschool & Youth Development Standards by the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network and GUIDE, Inc.: This is a quality assessment tool with best practice guidelines informed by research in a variety of disciplines to support the development of the whole child. The standards provide a framework for OST providers, serving youth in grades K–12, to evaluate and continuously improve the quality of their programming.

ASYD Resources The Georgia ASYD Initiative provides resources, including training and technical assistance, to help create and maintain quality environments and experiences that benefit youth.

Mizzen by Mott – Activities at Your Fingertips The Mizzen by Mott app is a FREE innovative tool designed to help youth development professionals plan and deliver engaging courses, lessons and activities.

The Summer Activity Guide (Not Just for Summer) The Summer Activity Guide (SAG), designed by GSAN, is a suite of fun and engaging activities and challenges for youth ages 5 to 18 – and it’s not just for summer.

Million Girls Moonshot The Million Girls Moonshot seeks to re-imagine who can engineer, who can build, who can make. It will inspire and prepare the next generation of innovators by engaging one million more girls in STEM learning opportunities through afterschool and summer programs over the next 5 years.

PBS Learning Media Bring the World to Your Classroom! GPB and PBS have curated FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for teachers like you.

Free Your Feels An online toolkit and mental health awareness campaign encouraging Georgia’s young people to explore their real feelings and share them fearlessly.

Behavioral Health Toolkit for Afterschool Programs The behavioral health toolkit is primarily for administrators, educators, providers, and families who participate in afterschool programs. However, it will be helpful for a range of partners working with children in structured settings to understand children’s mental health.

Summer Planning Toolkit Designed to support local education leaders in jump-starting their summer planning and to offer ideas and resources to help offset the overwhelming sense of urgency felt by us all. This guide draws upon foundational research and best practices for how to design and implement summer learning programs anchored in lessons learned and adaptations emerging from the pandemic.

Achieve.org Achieve focuses on helping states and districts align their standards, assessments, and accountability systems with high-quality curricula. Their resources include frameworks for math, science, and English Language Arts (ELA).

Program Quality Assessments

Summer Learning Program Quality Intervention by the Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality: This assessment tool was developed by the National Summer Learning Association and the Weikart Center to support summer programs in assessing their program quality based on research of youth development standards. Tools are also available to help management and staff have critical conversations about improving overall program quality.

Research & Reports

Investing in Summer Learning Opportunities by Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network: In December 2020, GSAN convened the Greater Atlanta Summer Learning Council to develop a shared region-wide summer learning agenda, increase and coordinate funding from public and private sources, and ensure that all of Greater Atlanta’s young people have access to high quality summer learning opportunities. This report highlights the investment needed and improved infrastructure in the greater Atlanta area to combat learning loss and inequities in youth development outcomes exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

CARES Impact Study by Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education: The Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education is undertaking a multi-year, multi-strand research project to capture districts’ use of these funds. This report shares knowledge to support effective practice and policy at the school, district, and state levels that can be applied as districts’ work unfolds and to future initiatives.

Early Lessons from Schools and Out-of-School-Time Programs Implementing Social and Emotional Learning by The Wallace Foundation: This report provides highlights from a two-year study focused on teaching social and emotional skills to youth. Specifically, it shares key lessons learned from six communities that have worked to implement social-emotional learning for youth through partnerships between the school and out-of-school-time programs. This report is beneficial for those working to support SEL both inside and outside the school.

SEL Roadmap: Actions for a Successful Second Semester by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL): This resource was developed by CASEL and 40 other partners to help schools support the social-emotional needs of youth as they transition from virtual to in-person learning. Key strategies are identified, including focusing on adult connections and providing a safe, nurturing environment. Tools to support these strategies are discussed and linked to provide easy implementation by schools and programs.

Teaching Kids How to Be Successful Learners by the Summer Matters Campaign: This report describes some of the ways these programs are intentionally structured to support youngsters’ social and emotional development. It draws from program evaluations, survey data, and in-person observations that all provide evidence of the differences this experience can make for children and youth, including the likelihood that their beliefs and attitudes will carry over into the regular school year.

The Beyond the Bell Toolkit This practical and easy-to-use guide contains great information for program leaders who want to start or improve an afterschool and expanded leaning program. To access the free online version click here (Beyond the Toolkit | Beyond The Bell). Would you like to have a Beyond the Bell Training? If so, e-mail gdoss@georgiavoices.org

The Summer Planning Toolkit This guide is designed to support local education leaders in jump-starting their summer planning and to offer ideas and resources to help offset the overwhelming sense of urgency felt by us all. This guide draws upon foundational research and best practices for how to design and implement summer learning programs anchored in lessons learned and adaptations emerging from the pandemic.

Investing in Summer Learning Opportunities by Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network: In December 2020, GSAN convened the Greater Atlanta Summer Learning Council to develop a shared region-wide summer learning agenda, increase and coordinate funding from public and private sources, and ensure that all of Greater Atlanta’s young people have access to high quality summer learning opportunities. This report highlights the investment needed and improved infrastructure in the greater Atlanta area to combat learning loss and inequities in youth development outcomes exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Partnerships can serve to strengthen, support and even transform the out of school time space for our youth.  If you are interested in having GSAN help connect you to out of school time  community-based providers in your community please contact gdoss@georgiavoices.org  We stand ready to support you in your efforts!

HelpKidsRecover.org by the Afterschool Alliance: A campaign of the Afterschool Alliance and youth development and out-of-school time experts to help connect education leaders with community partners around the shared goal of supporting students.

Staff Recruitment Toolkit by the Afterschool Alliance: This toolkit includes a collection of materials to help summer program providers recruit and hire new staff. Includes ideas for securing funds to increase wages, outreach strategies, messages, and easy-to-tailor flyers and graphics.

OST Interactive Map The Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network has partnered with Neighborhood Nexus to create an interactive map that paints a picture of how access to government-funded afterschool and summer learning intersects with other indicators of child well-being in Georgia. This map can be used to visualize where the need for programming is greatest and allow for targeted action that will allow children to thrive.

If you have questions after reviewing the map, please reach out to us for technical assistance.  

For a more interactive experience of the map, click here.

Search for a local afterschool or summer program!