PASE Network News

Are the young people in your programs eager to take action and create community-level change? Kick off the new school year by integrating Learning for Justice’s Action Planning Toolkit into your afterschool planning. The guide walks educators and students through setting goals, mapping out steps, anticipating challenges, and celebrating progress. With worksheets, activities, and slides, it’s a practical tool to spark youth-led projects and enrich afterschool activity planning. 

Are you interested in applying for the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD)’s forthcoming Comprehensive After School System (COMPASS) Request for Proposals (RFP), which is scheduled to be released in Fall 2025 via PASSPort? If so, now is a good time to ensure that you have the proper prequalification. Once the RFP is released, only nonprofit organizations with an approved HHS prequalification will be eligible to access the RFP and apply for the RFP through PASSPort. Additionally, only providers with an approved status HHS prequalification in PASSPort will be notified by email once the COMPASS RFP has been released. You can get started by checking out this resource from the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (MOCS) on prequalification. Additionally, you can find information on next steps if your organization is selected for a COMPASS award via the MOCS website. If you have any questions about the COMPASS RFP, please email ACCO@dycd.nyc.gov. For inquiries regarding PASSPort, contact the MOCS Service Desk. 

Led by the Building Movement Project, the Race to Lead initiative has surveyed nonprofit workers every three years since 2016. With over 12,000 responses collected to date, it remains one of the largest data sources on race and leadership in the sector. The 2025 survey is currently open to any nonprofit worker in the U.S. and its territories, and should take about 20-25 minutes to complete. This current survey iteration builds on past efforts while exploring new, timely questions, such as: how political backlash is affecting DEI strategies and funding; what internal workplace culture looks like in today's sector; the impact of caregiving, geography, and identity on nonprofit experiences; and how organizations are adapting (or not) to shifting demands for equity and accountability. At the end of the survey, participants have the option to enter a raffle for one of ten $250 Visa gift cards. Read more and complete the survey here. 

Young people have always been at the forefront of driving change in our country and around the world. Afterschool programs can provide a powerful space for youth to lead with their interests and connect their talents and skills to the change they want to see. Join Afterschool Alliance on August 27, 2025 at 2:00 PM for a dynamic conversation with researchers and on-the-ground practitioners who are building pathways for youth to shape their communities. The webinar will explore what’s working, where gaps remain, and how programs can do more to center youth voice in real-world change efforts. This webinar will also feature the debut of the Afterschool Alliance’s latest report on youth civic engagement and unveil a brand-new practitioner toolkit filled with resources to help programs take the next step in empowering youth-led action. Register for this event via Zoom. 

Join Grantmakers for Thriving Youth and the National Collaborative for Transformative Youth Policy on August 20, 2025 from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM for an important youth-led discussion about environmental justice and how philanthropy can partner with young people to achieve meaningful change. In this session, young people, practitioners, and grantmakers will discuss what climate justice means to young people, how they are fighting to ensure more attention and resources are allocated to a broad range of climate-related issues, and the disproportionate impact environmental issues have on marginalized communities. Register for this event via Zoom.