PASE Network News

Join organizations like Afterschool Alliance to celebrate 2025 Youth Voice Week on March 24 to 28, 2025. This movement aims to elevate youth voices and highlight the role of afterschool and summer programs in providing youth with opportunities to lead and grow. Want to amplify the stories and voices of youth in your programs? Afterschool Alliance is featuring a guest blog post by a program or youth each day of Youth Voice Week. Your submission can be an existing piece; no need to create something new. Selected pieces will be published on the Afterschool Snack blog and promoted on Afterschool Alliance’s social feed and weekly newsletter. Send an email with your submission to info@afterschoolalliance.org. 

Do you have an old prom dress, tuxedo, or other formal wear taking up space in your closet? Please donate your formal wear to Queens Public Library’s 2nd annual Prom Attire Giveaway, led by 2025 PASEsetter Winner, Amanda Aponte-Surillo. QPL has collection boxes at 14 locations throughout March 2025. Visit a nearby location to make your donation and help spread the word by sharing this flyer or blog post, which includes a list of all participating locations. Know a teen who could benefit? The Prom x QPL Giveaway will be held at the Cambria Heights Teen Center on Saturday, April 12, 2025, with additional shopping appointments available from April 14, 2025 to April 18, 2025 – stay tuned to the QPL socials for more details. 
 

As part of Civic Learning Week, National Youth Leadership Council will present a virtual panel, “Voices of Change Panel: Service-Learning and Civic Engagement,” on March 12, 2025, from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM. The discussion will bring together youth, educators, and service-learning experts to discuss the role of service-learning in fostering civic engagement and empowering the next generation of leaders, focusing in particular on best practices, challenges, opportunities, and success stories. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how service-learning initiatives can inspire active citizenship and drive positive community change. 

Looking to build a stronger understanding of FAFSA and financial aid? The popular guide Understanding FAFSA and Financial Aid: Your Guide to Paying for College (Class of 2025 edition) is now available in 10 languages on the Understandingfafsa.org website. The guide covers topics such as an overview of the form, gathering relevant documents, analyzing award letters, comparing costs and loan options, and more.

Join Afterschool Alliance tomorrow, February 14, 2025, for their first Afterschool Policy Pulse. Every second Friday at 12:00 PM, Afterschool Alliance’s Senior Vice President of Policy, Erik Peterson, will recap the latest policy developments, what is currently known (and what remains unclear) about how they may impact afterschool and summer programs, and what may be coming up next. Submit your questions in advance so the Afterschool Alliance team can know what’s top of mind for you.