In partnership with the Afterschool Alliance, New York Life Foundation has opened a new Aim High grant opportunity focused on middle school. Aim High will provide $1.95M over three years to middle school afterschool, summer or expanded learning programs supporting youth's successful transition from 8th to 9th grade. The grant program includes both one- and two-year grants will begin May 2017. The Afterschool Alliance is hosting an informational webinar on January 25, 2017. Applications are due February 17, 2017.

The Center for Educational Options OST Networking Meeting takes place on January 26, 2017 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. The November 2016 Networking meeting conversation focused on youth participation, youth-adult partnerships, and the inextricable links between community, social justice, and youth development. The January meeting will continue to explore how to deepen the social justice discussions and begin to think of ways to take action. RSVP to annehlawrence@gmail.com by January 23, 2016. Download a flyer for more information.

Applications are available for the KPMG Future Leaders Program Class of 2017. Top high school senior female students from around the country will be selected to participate. Students will receive a college scholarship for $10,000 each year for 4 years of college, attend the 3-day KPMG Future Leaders Retreat at Stanford University July 2017, and participate in the KPMG Future Leaders Mentoring Program for one year. Applications are due January 30, 2017. For more information, download the cover letter from Dr. Condoleezza Rice, a program snapshot, and the application.

Torus Teens is a platform that connects teenagers with afterschool and summer programs. Currently focused on New York City, Torus also services as an outreach and recruitment tool for programs serving teens ages 14 - 19. Torus does outreach to over 100 NYC high schools through partnerships with leading charter school networks, school support networks, Teach for America NYC, the NYS Counselors Association, among others. If you are interested in listing your program, contact co-founder, Cecilia Foxworthy, cecilia@torusteens.com. Free programs are listed free of charge and fee-based programs through a paid subscription.

The New York State Network for Youth Success' 2017 Annual Conference - Preparing Youth for the Future Through Social and Emotional Learning takes place March 31 - April 1, 2017 in Saratoga Springs, NY. The conference provides training, professional development, and networking opportunities for program staff and directors to increase the quality and sustainability of their programs. Registration is open with early bird rates available through January 26, 2017.

The Council for Economic Education (CEE) offering its 2017 series of free professional development webinars and in-person workshops for educators nationwide. The sessions cover topics on how to integrate personal finance and economics in the classroom and create a fun learning experience for students. Participants gain relevant lessons, resources, and tools that can be implemented right away. Participants can also earn Continuing Education Unit credit. Visit the the CEE website for a list of upcoming and archived webinars and download a flyer with in-person dates, topics, and information on how to register.

Citizens' Committee for Children released a new edition of Community Risk Ranking: Child Well-Being In New York City’s 59 Community Districts. The report combines data from across multiple dimensions of child well-being – economic security, health, housing, education, issues specific to teens and youths, and family and community – to provide a better understanding of where risks to child well-being concentrate across New York City’s 59 community districts. This information can help to determine where additional resources, supports or services are needed to improve outcomes for children.