Applications are now open for Student Sponsor Partners, which addresses the high school dropout crisis in NYC by providing underserved students with four years of non-public, college-preparatory high school education. In addition to access to a high-quality education, SSP students benefit from sponsors who offer financial assistance towards their school tuition and mentors who provide one-on-one support and encouragement. To be eligible to apply, youth must currently be in the 8th grade, have average grades, and come from a family with a limited income. SSP accepts applications on a rolling basis and space is limited, so youth should apply as soon as possible.

Hispanic Heritage Month, which began on September 15, 2014, and ends on October 15, 2014, is a great time to educate youth on Hispanic and Latin American heritage and history, and to celebrate these cultures' contributions to America. There are many resources online that afterschool staff could incorporate into themed lessons on Hispanic and Latin American culture, including a post on AlphaBest Education on Five Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, a Pew Research roundup of 11 Facts for Hispanic Heritage Month, and a Huffington Post article on 17 Latino Historical Events Every American Should Know About. In addition, El Museo is holding a Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration on October 18, 2014. Families are invited to this free event to celebrate Mexico’s beloved 3,000 year-old tradition that commemorates friends and relatives who have passed away, with face painting, art-making, a concert, and more!

The Harvard Family Research Project has made available the archive of its recent webinar on How Families, Schools, and Communities Are Reshaping Family Engagement to Reach All Learners. In this webinar, a diverse group of educators explored how families, schools, and community organizations - such as afterschool programs, museums, and libraries - can join together to share responsibility for children’s learning in both the short and the long term. The webinar also discussed the key principles of this definition of family engagement in the context of anywhere, anytime learning, and examined how one successful program puts these principles into action.

On October 2, 2014, the National Girls Collaborative Project offers a free webinar, Introduction to the Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum's Teacher Toolkit. The Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum (LVM) is a transmedia hub for 2-D and 3-D collections, online games, simulations, virtual worlds, and innovative programs in real-time, highlighting the Smithsonian's art and science collections as they relate to U.S. Latinos. The LVM recently launched the Teacher Toolkit, which supports educators with integrating this robust collection of transmedia and virtual exhibits into their existing STEM +Arts (STEAM) programs. The toolkit and activities are aligned with Common Core standards, incorporate instructional approaches that cultivate 21st century skills, and teach career pathways in STEAM. Webinar participants will learn more about the Teacher Toolkit and hear from educators who have led these activities about best practices for integrating transmedia resources into STEAM programming for girls.

The Citizens' Committee for Children of New York (CCC) is offering Project-Based Youth Leadership Development, a free professional development seminar for NYC youth workers, on November 5, 2014. A large part of leadership development work with young people is empowering them to assume ownership of projects that they choose to undertake. Participants in this workshop will discuss brainstorming and consensus building as the first steps toward project planning, learn to set realistic goals and expectations for what their youth will accomplish, review activities that encourage youth to use their strengths and interests during project development, and develop an instructional framework for their group’s next project. Interested participants should RSVP by October 22, 2014 to Laura Jankstrom at ljankstrom@cccnewyork.org or 212.673.1800 x 20.

Registration is now open for the Afterschool Works! New York Western New York State School-Age Training Institute, taking place in Rochester, NY on November 1, 2014. Registration costs $65 for Afterschool Works! New York members and $85 for non-members. Participants attend four workshops of their choice, for a total of six hours of training, and receive an Afterschool Works! New York Certificate of Participation.

Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls: A Call to Action for Educational Equity, a new report from the National Women's Law Center and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., shines a spotlight on the barriers that restrict and limit the educational opportunities of many African American girls, the impact of those barriers on the lives of African American girls and women, and the available interventions that present opportunities to fundamentally improve life outcomes for young African American women. This report - the result of a multi-year study - urges educators, school leaders, community leaders and members, advocates, policymakers, and philanthropic organizations to take action to advance the success of African American girls.