Afterschool Alliance is seeking design submissions from kids in afterschool programs for the 2016 Lights On Afterschool (LOA) poster. LOA is a nationwide event that celebrates afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families, and communities. The poster artwork or design should generally promote or convey afterschool or LOA. The winning design will be printed on tens of thousands of posters and mailed to more than 8,000 LOA events worldwide. The winning artist will also be featured on the Afterschool Alliance website, blog and a national press release. Submission deadline is July 15, 2016.

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) ensures that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. This summer, the USDA plans to serve more than 200 million free meals to children 18 years and under at approved SFSP sites. Visit the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service's website to access their Summer Meals Finder searchable database.

The 2016 New York City Youth Guide to Summer Fun is a downloadable, citywide calendar of family-oriented events and resources. The guide lists information about concerts, film festivals, street fairs, etc. all accessible via public transportation. The guide is a partnership between New York City agencies, museums, youth groups, libraries, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. The Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) will be updating the guide regularly. Check back to see the latest additions.

The Joan Mitchell Foundation's NYC Youth Art Program Directory is a comprehensive resource directory of New York City organizations that offer arts-based programs, courses, internships, and volunteer opportunities for youth, teens, and young adults. Download the free directory.

Assets Coming Together (ACT) for Youth Center of Excellence released a new resource for youth development workers, educators and others involved in the positive development of youth. Part of their PrACTice Matters series, Encouraging Growth Mindsets looks at how growth mindsets support learning and how youth work professionals can encourage growth mindset among adolescents. It also includes further readings and resources on growth mindset including links to additional research, a kit, and videos. ACT for Youth is a partnership among Cornell University's Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell University Cooperative Extension of New York City, the Center for School Safety at Ulster BOCES, and the University of Rochester Medical Center.

The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) released a new report, Public Libraries and Effective Summer Learning: Opportunities for Assessment. The report documents ideas exchanged by leaders from both inside and outside the library field at the National Forum on Effective Summer Learning in Libraries. The report frames the issue of summer learning loss and describes the ways in which libraries are evolving their summer programming to provide multiple and diverse learning opportunities that keep kids learning during this critical time. It also provides the opportunity to engage local government officials, partners and funders on the importance of libraries' summer learning opportunities and their impact on improving the lives of youth.