The DAA Collective newsletter keeps Denver's afterschool community connected to resources, professional learning and networking opportunities. Learn more about us.
Coffee and Conversation
At our February Coffee and Conversation event, we welcomed the new Executive Director of the Office of Children's Affairs, Dwight Jones! There were 50 people, representing 31 different OST organizations in attendance. Dwight shared his background, as well as answered questions that were submitted by attendees prior to the event around a number of topics including his priorities for OST, resources he will bring, and how city budget cuts will impact the Office of Children’s Affairs.
A huge THANK YOU to Dwight Jones and Jess Ridgway (Chief of Staff on the OCA Executive Team), as well as our moderator, Kim Schulz (OCA Associate Director of Strategy and Sustainability) for taking the time to be in community with us!
An in-depth breakdown of the event will be posted on daalearn.org next week , so make sure that you check that out!
For the month of March, we will be offering something a little bit different... Join us on Tuesday, March 12th for Coffee and Conversation: A YESS Institute Experience! Lex Rodriguez, Director of Training and Curriculum Development at the YESS Institute will lead a conversation about substance misuse and awareness and what bringing the YESS Academy Healthy Lifestyles resource (specifically the vaping and opioid courses) looks like in the afterschool arena. Attendees will have an opportunity to experience pieces of the updated curriculums and will be encouraged to ask questions and present wonderings to maximize understanding and learning about this important opportunity. Space is limited for this interactive experience, so RSVP below today!
Last Chance to Submit a 2024 Afterschool Professional Award Nomination!
The Denver Afterschool Alliance's Afterschool Professional Awards Ceremony is back for 2024!!
We will spend this years Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week (April 22nd-26th) acknowledging and highlighting the power and impact of OST providers, culminating with an awards ceremony where selected individuals and organizations in the Denver Metro Area will be acknowledged by city and community leaders. We invite you to honor a peer, supervisor, yourself and/or your organization with a nomination in the following six award categories that align with DAA’s values of Equity and Inclusivity; Quality; Collaboration; Driven by Data and Creativity. A diverse committee of individuals across the city will work together to select award recipients.
Organizational Quality Future OST Leader Creativity and Innovation Equity and Inclusivity Youth and Community Collaborator OST Champion
Please click on the form below for a more detailed description of the award categories and to submit a nomination! Nominations are due by 5pm TOMORROW, Friday, March 1st! Not sure if the person (or you) fits a specific category? NOMINATE! If you have someone in mind that you want to honor, celebrate and appreciate: submit a nomination. If the person is not selected for the “award,” they will still receive notification of the nomination and that makes a HUGE impact. Let people know you see them and appreciate them!
Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition presents Connection FFN, a program designed to strengthen and support the FFN (Family, Friend or Neighbor) provider community in the Denver area through connections to resources, training and a support network. Join Connection FFN today! Check out the following flyers for more information: English Spanish
FREE Meaningful Career Conversation Training Available!
Colorado Education Initiative, the Colorado Department of Education, and IndigoPathway are offering FREE Meaningful Career Conversations trainings for ANYONE in a position to provide guidance to those seeking to enter the workforce, pursue a specific career path, or change careers (now or in the future). Participants will have an opportunity to engage in exercises, practices and guides to help them develop the skills and tools necessary to support people in pursuing new career opportunities and pathways.
There are several options available for organizations to engage their staff and communities in these trainings! To request customized trainings (offered both in-person and virtually), click HERE.
To join an upcoming virtual session, register HERE.
Please direct any questions to the Meaningful Career Conversations Team.
Summer Employment Opportunities for Teens
Is your organization looking to hire teens for the summer? Does your organization serve teens that will be looking for summer employment opportunities? Let's bridge the divide in our DAA Collective newsletter! If you would like to spread the word about employment opportunities to youth serving organizations in Denver, please send a flyer or job posting to Erma Cerda. We will post it in the newsletter for programs to share with young job seekers!
Hero Kids Sports is looking to hire positive, enthusiastic young people (ages 16+) with an interest in developing their leadership skills and helping kids build confidence through sport for their summer Coach In Training (CIT) positions. For more information, click HERE.
2024 Tasty Food Serving Schedule!
Out-of-School Time Community, please let youth in your programs know about the FREE after-school meal program!
The Office of Children’s Affairs warmly welcomes all youth aged 5 to 18 to receive a nutritious after-school supper and/or snack at various Tasty Food sites across the city. No ID or registration required – just come on over and enjoy!
To find a Tasty Food site near you, please visit HERE
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Comunidad de tiempo fuera de la escuela, ¡infórmeles a los jóvenes en sus programas sobre el programa de comidas GRATUITAS después de la escuela!
La Oficina de Asuntos Infantiles da la bienvenida a todos los jóvenes de 5 a 18 años para que reciban una cena y/o un refrigerio nutritivo después de la escuela en varios sitios de Tasty Food en toda la ciudad. No se requiere identificación ni registro, ¡solo ven y disfruta!
Para encontrar un sitio de Tasty Food cerca de usted, visite AQUÍ
Esta institución es un proveedor de igualdad de oportunidades.
DAAconnect Updates
Welcome to the Youth Program Locator! The following organizations have completed their DAAconnect profile and joined the Youth Program Locator in 2024, making it easy for Denver families to find their programs or services!
If your organization is not yet listed on the Locator….we’d love to have you join us! Please start by filling out the Registration formor contact us with questions.
If you have any questions or need assistance with your existing profile, we are happy to help…reach out to daaconnect@denvergov.org or schedule a meeting HERE.
Girls & Science, a program designed to connect girls with mentors working in a variety of STEAM fields, is back at Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS)! This free, in-person event is TOMORROW, Friday, March 1, 4-8 p.m., and will kick off a month of virtual programming and engagement. Activities are specifically designed for grades 3-8, but all are welcome Register to attend HERE!
AOPYO offers a number of great classes all week long:
Monday: Zumba and Tai Chi for Community at 7pm Mondays and Wednesdays: Tai Chi for Middle Schoolers at 4:30pm and Tai Chi for High Schoolers at 5:30 Tuesdays and Thursdays: Drop In Sessions Wednesday: Tai Chi for Community at 7pm Thursday: Spanish for Community, ¡Palabra! at 7pm To register, click HERE
The CIRCLE Organization has some great offerings coming up:
CIRCLE's Cultural Café: Free to BE...BE Seen, BE Heard, BELONG
March 2nd, 2024 | TICKETS OPEN For: Multi-Generational audience ~ educators, community members, life long learners, students, and creatives.
Join community leaders, educators, parents, and students for an interactive, collective learning experience. This year's annual multi-generational "Un-conference" Cultural Café will bring people together for an inclusive and interactive day of shared vision, learning, dialogue, and action. Hear from, and engage with inspiring speakers and fellow attendees around this year's theme: Free to BE...BE Seen, BE Heard, BELONG. Experience a cultural mercado while supporting local BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ vendors & creatives selling unique art, jewelry, and more! For more Details or How to Get Involved: https://events.humanitix.com/circle-cultural-cafe-2024
CIRCLE's STAMP Summer Camps Three different camps in June and August 2024! For: Rising 9th graders through students who just graduated high school.
CIRCLE's three summer camps are for 9th - 12th grade students eager to learn and grow together as they move through their own identity and leadership journey. They will develop friendships, meet with community leaders, and participate in hands-on projects to spark their creativity, understanding of their communities, and how to make change in their own unique way. These camps are a great way to get students involved in the STAMP programs and build connections with peers passionate about similar causes and issues. Details & Registration for all Three Camps:https://events.humanitix.com/tours/2024-stamp-camps
Leadership Out Loud is a program offered by Girls Inc. of Metro Denver for girls entering 9th and 10th grade. Through this program, girls gain leadership and advocacy skills through a week-long immersive summer camp, an internship with local leaders and organizations, a trip to Washington D.C. to meet with lawmakers, all while working on interest-driven advocacy campaigns.
The application deadline is TOMORROW, Friday, March 1st!
UC Health's P.A.R.T.Y. (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth) program is a five-hour, in-hospital injury awareness and prevention program for high school students. The goal of P.A.R.T.Y. is to provide young people with information about traumatic injury, thus enabling them to recognize potential injury producing situations, make safer choices and adopt behaviors that reduce risk. If you are interested in scheduling a P.A.R.T.Y. program at your organization, check out this program flyer.
Did you know Colorado children ages 5 and under can receive a FREE book every month just by signing up to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library? For more information and to register a child, click HERE.
Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities
Check out the full DAA Collective Spring Slate HERE!
Some details are still being finalized on the Spring Slate, so make sure you refer to the DAA Collective newsletter and/or daalearn.org for up-to-date information regarding the Professional Learning opportunities.
In the first newsletter of February we invited you to practice tuning into the physical sensations of emotions using a Body Mind Heart scan. You can do this by asking yourself these 3 questions:
What am I experiencing physically? (e.g., smile, frown, muscles tight, relaxed, etc.)
What kind of thinking am I doing (e.g., focused, distracted, evaluating, observing, etc.)
What kind of feelings do I have? (calm, agitated, bored, joyful, excited, etc.)
We invite you to reflect on how that is going, what have you noticed? What barriers are coming up?
As you reflect on the “heart” part of the scan, consider that feelings are multilayered. According to Joshua Freedman, author of the 6 Seconds free, downloadable, handbook Practicing Emotional Intelligence, “Frequently when people express emotion, they focus on the most obvious or the loudest feeling. For example, in an argument, it’s easy to notice that you’re angry. There are almost always additional feelings surrounding this one. Maybe you are scared, lonely, loving, hopeful, excited… all at the same time. They don’t cancel one another out, they exist together as a paradox, creating a rich (confusing) texture of feeling.” Below is a practice exercise from the handbook that helps pull apart the various emotions that are present and give you more data and information that can inform your response to the feelings present.
