PASE Network News

Young people navigate friendships, creativity, information, and pressure across both online and offline spaces. OST professionals can help them pause, reflect, and make sense of how their digital experiences affect their well-being. Join the Collaborative for Advancing Healthy Experiences in OST on October 29, 2026 from 3:00 PM –3:45 PM for a free virtual training during U.S. Media Literacy Week. Together, participants will explore youth-centered approaches to digital wellness and try a digital mapping activity they can adapt to help young people reflect on their own media experiences. Register via Zoom. 

Lights On Afterschool, a project of Afterschool Alliance and a national celebration of afterschool, is just around the corner on October 22, 2026. Since 2000, Lights On Afterschool has been celebrated nationwide to call attention to the importance of afterschool programs for America's children, families and communities. Today, more than 8,000 Lights On Afterschool rallies are held annually, attracting 1 million Americans and media coverage nationwide. If you're planning to join the movement this year, check out some ideas from Afterschool Alliance on how to celebrate your students and programs. 

Youth development organizational leaders – are you looking to connect with peers and learn timely updates that impact the sector? Join Coalition of Youth Development Intermediaries for monthly Power Hours, a collaborative initiative designed to strengthen and sustain the youth services sector across NYC. Sessions include legal briefings, advocacy, and other timely updates. The remaining monthly sessions for Fall 2026 are October 20, 2026, November 17, 2026, and December 15, 2026 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM. Register for sessions via Zoom. 

The Julian Robertson Award for Excellence in Teaching celebrates educators who go above and beyond for their students and communities. Each year, up to 10 teachers each receive a $20,000 unrestricted cash prize in recognition of their impact. Nominations are now open for any current, full-time classroom teacher, of any subject or age/grade level, working in a New York City public school (district, charter, or early childhood center). Any member of the community – students, parents, colleagues, school leaders, or teachers themselves – can nominate a teacher for consideration. Head to the nomination form to submit your nomination by October 31, 2026. 

Tech Unlimited recently launched LEV, a free, ready-to-use library of project-based technology lessons created with teachers and social workers to help educators create more inclusive, engaging, and student-centered learning experiences. Built with neurodiverse learners in mind and grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and social-emotional learning (SEL), LEV is designed to work across classrooms, after-school programs, summer camps, and other learning environments, and includes LEV Studio, an AI-powered tool for creating original lessons. This fall, the educators and social workers behind LEV are hosting a free online webinar series sharing ways to bring these resources into the classroom. These webinars are: October 15, 2026 - Best Practices: LEV's Secret Sauce; October 27, 2026 - Creative Teaching Pedagogy + LEV: A Teaching Artist's Perspective; November 17, 2026 - Social Emotional Learning + LEV: A Social Worker's Perspective; and December 3, 2026 - LEV In-Session: Swap Seats with Your Students. Head to their website to learn full details for these virtual events and to save your spot.