Conference Fees:

• $299 / 2 days

• $189 / 1 day

Fee includes conference materials, continental breakfast and lunch

NOTE: As part of our annual conference planning process, NJSACC regularly requests a waiver on the prohibition of in-State overnight travel that applies to school district staff. This allows principals or other school district staff to stay overnight. The waiver for NJSACC’s 2022 conference is forthcoming. The last approved waiver is available to download here.

Conference Location and Accommodations:

The Marriott Princeton Hotel and Conference Center at Forrestal
100 College Road East, Princeton, NJ 08540

Room Reservations:

• Room Rates: $139 per night (single) / $149 per night (double)
• Reservations must be made by individual attendees directly with Marriott reservations at (800) 228-9290 or (609) 452-7800.
• When you call make sure to mention the NJSACC Conference and the dates of the conference in order to receive the conference rate.
• Room reservations must be made on or before Friday, April 14, 2023.

While we at NJSACC love children and they are a driving force behind the work we do, children may not attend the conference. The conference is a professional development opportunity for adults, and as such, we respectfully request that you take this time to focus on you. If you do bring children, we must insist that you make other arrangements during conference hours. Children will not be permitted in the lunch area or in the workshops.

This conference is funded in part by the:

• NJ Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development as part of a Federal CCDF Block Grant Earmark
• federal funds under Every Student Succeeds Act, Title IV, Part B, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, through a grant agreement with the New Jersey Department of Education.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR REGISTRANTS:

As of Monday, October 2, 2017, the PINJ Registry has been replaced with the NJ Workforce Registry. Below we have provided answers to some basic questions about this transition.

What will happen?

The new NJ Workforce Registry will allow you to continue to track your education and professional development activities. In addition, the new system will offer features such as:

• The ability to use any device (including smart phones) and any browser
• Upload electronic files of supporting documentation directly to your account
• A dedicated call center

Do I have to register for a new account?

• No. All existing PINJ Registry user accounts and existing data will be transferred to the NJ Workforce Registry (new system).
• Existing PINJ users are able to use their existing email log on. The first time you log into the system, it will ask you to create a new password.
• All users should review their profile page when logging into the NJ Workforce Registry for the first time.

Will I have to re-enter all my information into the new system?

• No. The information that was entered into the PINJ Registry (old system) is being transferred into the NJ Workforce Registry (new system).
• After you have reviewed your profile page, if any information needs to be changed, you will be able to update that information personally.

What will happen with the data that I had in PINJ registry?

• The data in PINJ Registry (old system) will be transferred into the NJ Workforce Registry (new system). The PINJ Registry website will no longer exist. To log into the NJ Workforce Registry, go to: www.NJCCIS.com

Who do I contact and where do I get help?

• Registry specialists are available by email and phone to answer questions about the NJ Workforce Registry, trainings and DFD-provided scholarships.

NJ Workforce Registry
P.O. Box 9619
Trenton, NJ 08650

Phone: 1-877-522-1050
Email: njworkforceregistry@pcgus.com

DFD appreciates the continued support and patience during this transition. Please continue to check the registry website at: www.NJCCIS.com for additional information about the NJ Workforce Registry as well as updates on training requirements.

Visit NJSACC.org/weblearning to sign up!

For questions, please contact Jessica Heiberg, Director of Program Services, at: jessicaheiberg@njsacc.org and 908-789-0259

Friday: 8:00am – 8:30am > April 28, 2023

Registration and Continental Breakfast Begins

Friday: 8:30am – 9:30am

Opening Session

Friday Session 1: 9:45am – 11:15am

1. All You Need to Know About Licensing

2. Team Building for School Age Staff & Kids

3. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Me

4. Tips, Tricks, Tools – Strategies for Training Adult Staff

5. Equity in Afterschool STEM: Strategies and Resources

6. So Much Money, So Little Time: How one district utilized ESSER III funds to provide Afterschool for All

7. Welcoming Families: The Pathway to Increase Connection Opportunities

8. Supporting Students Coping with Loss:  A Guide for Afterschool Caregivers

9. 4-H STEM Challenge: Explorers of the Deep

Friday: 11:30am – 12:30Pm

Showcase Alley and Lunch

Friday Session 2: 12:45pm – 2:15pm

10. Effective Activity Planning

11. What’s the Bottom Line?

12. Skillfully Working with People with Developmental Disabilities

13. Responding to Unsafe Behavior

14. Girls Just Want to Have Fun

15. 4-H Fuels Wellness with Mindfulness Practices

16. How Should We Understand Implicit Bias?

17. Understanding the Impact of Stress on Behavior and the Role We Can Play by Loaning Our Calm

18. Using Collective Impact to Define Quality SEL Programming for Students in New Jersey

Friday Session 3: 2:30pm – 3:45pm

19. The Ins and Outs of Grant Writing

20. Feeding Your Children Through the New Jersey Child Nutrition Programs

21. The New Jersey Quality Standards for Afterschool (NJQSA)

22. Disability Inclusion: Start Here

23. Diverse STEM Role Models: Creating a meaningful role model experience

24. The Rutgers Positive Youth Development Course for Paraprofessionals

25. Travel the World through Ethnic Foods

26. Addressing Mental Health Through Social Emotional Learning

27. Designing Jobs That Support Program Quality

Saturday: 8:00am – 8:30am > April 29, 2023

Registration and Continental Breakfast Begins

Saturday: 8:30am – 9:30am

Performance

Saturday Session 1: 9:45am – 11:15am

28. Bring on the Fun with Games for Everyone!

29. Planning Support for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (SAT)

30. STEM: Developing an Engineering Mindset in Youth

31. Advancing Your Afterschool Career: How to Reach the Next Level in Our Field

32. The New Jersey Quality Standards for Afterschool (NJQSA)

33. Emotional Wellness: What I Can and Can’t Control

34. Being a support for transgender and gender expansive children

35. Incorporating SEL into Afterschool Planning

36. Project Based Art Experiences: Inspiring Spontaneous, Self-Directed Play

Saturday: 11:30am – 12:15Pm

Lunch

Saturday Session 2: 12:30pm – 1:45pm

37. 21st Century Afterschool Science Project (21st CASP)

38. Using Group Process to Include Tweens & Teens in Summer Programs

39. High Quality STEM: Using Engineering Activities to Engage All Youth

40. It’s All Fun and Games: Successfully Incorporating Physical Fitness in Your OST Program

41. Creating a Thriving OST Workforce

42. The ABCs of Playground Safety

43. Math is for Everyone (And it’s Fun and Free!)

44. But I Don’t Want to Read!

45. Adult SEL Comes First: The positive impact adult SEL skills can have on classrooms, colleagues and the community

Saturday Session 3: 2:00pm – 3:15pm

46. Get Ready to Get Creative and Bring the Music!

• Click here to download the Conference 2023 Brochure

Friday Session 1: 9:45am – 11:15am > April 28, 2023

1. All You Need to Know About Licensing

• Are you thinking about starting an afterschool program? Maybe you already run a program but just have some questions about regulations. Staff from the Office of Licensing are here to help you by presenting the most current information available on licensing regulations and answering all of your licensing questions.
  • Staff, Office of Licensing, Trenton

2. Team Building for School Age Staff & Kids

• Always valuable, teambuilding with your staff teams and school age kids is now more important than ever! Join NJSACC’s quality coaches for this hands-on workshop where we’ll share and explore lots of fun, interactive, reflective team building activities that strengthen and build bonds, communication, and support. Come dressed to play and have fun!
  • Arlyn Jimenez, NJSACC Quality Coach, NJSACC, Westfield
  • Patricia Pugliese, Technical Assistance Specialist, NJSACC, Westfield
  • Dagmar Wojcik, Quality Team Director, NJSACC, Westfield

3. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Me

• In this workshop we will explore how to understand diversity by looking inward to share what is seen outward. We will examine the many components of the diversity wheel and how it applies to the youth and families we serve in out of school time. Participants will be able to share the diversity wheel with their staff teams that work directly with youth as a method to bring sensitivity and understanding to their staff teams as well as help to form a baseline of cultural understanding.
  • Corrien Elmore-Stratton, Vision Formation LLC, Cherry Hill

4. Tips, Tricks, Tools – Strategies for Training Adult Staff

• This workshop is most appropriate for staff supervisors, trainers, and resource specialists. Although the ultimate goal is to support children and youth in inclusive school-age programs, we achieve it by empowering the adult staff and providers through quality training. Learn tips for gathering information about the adult learner’s interests and needs, tricks for navigating challenging conversations and interactions, and tools to strengthen your presentation and coaching skills. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their own experiences within engaging group activities, and will leave with new resources for their training and coaching toolboxes.
  • Phillip Collazo, MSEd, CYT, Education and Training Specialist, Kids Included Together, Fort Lauderdale, FL

5. Equity in Afterschool STEM: Strategies and Resources

• This session will help afterschool educators consider and address equity in their science technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs and activities. Presenters will provide an overview of girls and women’s experiences and representation in STEM in the U.S. and engage participants in a discussion of opportunities for afterschool programs to encourage girls in STEM. Participants will learn concrete strategies to incorporate into their work, resources to support their programs, and share their knowledge and experience in small group discussions with their peers.
  • Karen Peterson, CEO, National Girls Collaborative Project, Seattle, WA
  • Amanda Sullivan, Senior Program Developer, National Girls Collaborative Project, Seattle, WA
  • Nancy Scales-Coddington, Director of Strategic Partnerships, National Girls Collaborative Project, Seattle, WA

6. So Much Money, So Little Time: How one district utilized ESSER III funds to provide Afterschool for All

• Districts small and large are strategically budgeting their COVID relief funds to ensure they maximize their students’ outcomes by the September 2024 deadline but how exactly are districts choosing to spend this money?  Join us to discuss how East Orange Public School District was able to utilize collaborative solutions to grapple with learning loss, increase accelerated learning opportunities to all district students through OST programming and how cross-sector partnerships can drive actionable decision-making.
  • Tyneisha Gibbs, Director of Expanded Learning Opportunities, NJSACC, Westfield
  • Dr. Dawn Stokes-Tyler, Instructional Coach, East Orange School District, East Orange
  • Assistant Superintendent, East Orange Public School District, East Orange

7. Welcoming Families: The Pathway to Increase Connection Opportunities

• Welcoming families into your program starts the moment you advertise your program to your community. Honoring the relationship-building process, this training will provide you the opportunity to review your NJ Quality Standards for Afterschool to ensure culturally responsive practices to support diverse family needs. The session will also provide a sharing conversation how your program promotes family engagement. In this workshop we will: describe how the NJ Quality Standards for Afterschool include family engagement indicators, examine how your program's current policies enhance family engagement and use program sharing to examine best practices and new strategies to advance a culturally responsive program for your families.
  • Beverly Ramos, Lead Trainer, Rutgers Southern Regional Child Care Resource & Referral Agency, Woodbury

8. Supporting Students Coping with Loss:  A Guide for Afterschool Caregivers

• Loss comes in many different forms. It can be challenging to know how to best support the children in our programs who are struggling. In this workshop, participants will learn and be able to: Those who attend will be able to: 1. Define resilience, loss, grief and mourning 2. Describe the impact of grief on development, learning and student behavior 3. Identify ways that children and teens experience grief differently than adults 4. Use the companioning model and skills to support grieving youth.
  • Veronica Ortiz, Training and Education Director, Imagine, Mountainside

9. 4-H STEM Challenge: Explorers of the Deep

• With the Explorers of the Deep 4-H STEM Challenge, participants learn ways to work with students to uncover some of the mysteries and adventures of ocean exploration. The session is developed with instructors in mind, and will cover ways to teach students to learn how to use science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to explore Earth’s Ocean and how it relates to all life on the planet.
  • Janice McDonnell, NJ State 4-H Science, Engineering and Technology Agent, Monmouth County 4-H Agent, New Brunswick
  • Matthew Newman, NJ State 4-H Science, Engineering and Technology Agent, Essex County 4-H Agent and Monmouth County 4-H Agent, Freehold

Friday Session 2: 12:45pm – 2:15pm > April 28, 2023

10. Effective Activity Planning

• Are the kids in your school age program engaged? Did you know that having thoughtfully planned activities and positive behavior go hand in hand?  In this hands-on workshop, we’ll review the components of effective activity plans, including ways to develop clear learning objectives, apportion time, incorporate different learning styles, and keep youth engaged. Activity plan templates, curriculum resources, and organizational planning tools will be provided.  Appropriate for all levels of staff.
  • Patricia Pugliese, NJSACC Technical Assistance Specialist, NJSACC, Westfield

11. What’s the Bottom Line?

• Budgeting strategies for Afterschool Programs What is the all in cost to run your afterschool program? In order for your program to be successful, you need to have a firm grip on all of your expenses from staff and rent all the way down to toner for the copier. This session will help you learn to budget effectively, especially during difficult times.
  • Suad Gacham, NJSACC Board Member, Director of School Based Services, Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Northern NJ/Club Ed, Teaneck

12. Skillfully Working with People with Developmental Disabilities

• How inclusive is your program for youth with developmental disabilities? Participants in this workshop will expand their knowledge of common developmental disabilities and learn strategies to build accommodating programs to better engage individuals in programs. This workshop is an overview of the Developmental Disabilities Training Series developed by Rutgers Cooperative Extension.
  • Kelly Dziak, Morris County 4-H Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Morristown

13. Responding to Unsafe Behavior

• In this workshop, we’ll explore different characteristics of children who use unsafe behavior, the underlying influences on those behaviors, and how our own perceptions can influence our responses. We’ll look at options for interpreting and responding to behavior in new and effective ways.
  • Phillip Collazo, MSEd, CYT, Education and Training Specialist, Kids Included Together, Fort Lauderdale, FL

14. Girls Just Want to Have Fun

• This session will create a context for the necessity of creating gender equitable learning opportunities in STEM. Participants will engage in FUN, hands-on, minds-on gender-equitable math activities that reach and engage students from the group most underrepresented in science—Girls! Strategies for supporting a positive math identity while addressing the standards will be discussed. Participants will: Learn about and experience activities from a gender equitable curricula, learn strategies to engage girls in math learning, experience fun math activities that level the playing field, learn about additional resources to support math programming. We will discuss: Math activities that support a positive math identity, equity activities that demonstrate strategies for leveling the playing field, brief PowerPoint on best practices in math programming, hand-outs on evaluation of math programming for girls and how to identify resources for support.
  • Maryann Stimmer, Senior Technical Advisor, STEM Programs, FHI360, New York, NY

15. 4-H Fuels Wellness with Mindfulness Practices

• Using Iowa State University Extension’s Mindful Teen curriculum, participants will be introduced to mindfulness and breathing as a foundational practice to manage stress and overall well-being. Content can be used for self-management or for application to your afterschool program and youth of all ages.
  • Sharon Kinsey, Camden County 4-H Agent, Cooperative Extension of Camden County, 4-H Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Cherry Hill

16. How Should We Understand Implicit Bias?

• Staff and students alike enter educational spaces with their own unique perspectives. However, due to the history of experiences of various peoples as well as the history of society as we know it, biases can impact how we view one another. Implicit bias training seeks to help people not view others with bias. However, such trainings are lacking in the way of addressing matters of systemic racism and white supremacy and how those things show up in education spaces like afterschool programs. This workshop is designed to provide both an understanding on what implicit bias means and how to address it when you see it happening.
  • Randy Miller, Training Consultant, NJSACC, Westfield

17. Understanding the Impact of Stress on Behavior and the Role We Can Play by Loaning Our Calm

• Stress is the underlying cause of many challenging behaviors. This is true for children with and without identified special needs, as well as for adults. In this workshop we will check in with ourselves and explore how we may become a source of calm for the children in our care. We will focus on the Human Relationships category of the NJ Quality Standards for Aftercare specifically examining how staff can relate to all youth in positive ways (Standard 26) and how staff can respond appropriately to the individual needs, and stressors, of all youth (Standard 27).
  • Corinne G. Catalano, Ph.D., IMH-E, Montclair State University Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health, Montclair

18. Using Collective Impact to Define Quality SEL Programming for Students in New Jersey

• Social emotional learning (SEL) is an important component of a child’s education in and out of school, especially post-pandemic. Schools and afterschool programs are frequently tasked with providing high quality SEL programs and services to young people. Often overlooked players in the SEL ecosystem are program providers that are contracted to work in school and districts to bring their expertise from fields such as mental health, social work and youth mentoring. Partnerships between schools and external SEL providers can be challenging, especially for practitioners from fields outside of education. This session shares results of recent efforts by a collective group of organizations across the state, under the umbrella of SEL4NJ and led by the Newark Trust for Education, to outline basic definitions of high quality program provider partnerships that will help school and providers create relationships that lead to clear results for students. Following a brief presentation, there will be an interactive conversation about implications for the afterschool space and an opportunity for participants to provide input into the next iteration of the work.
  • Stephanie Parry, Director, P-12 Education, Newark Trust for Education, Chair, SEL4NJ SPQI Workgroup, Newark
  • Member Representative, SEL4NJ SPQI Workgroup, Newark

Friday Session 3: 2:30pm – 3:45pm > April 28, 2023

19. The Ins and Outs of Grant Writing

• A well written grant can make your application stand out from the pack. When a funding opportunity presents itself, you want to be poised to give your program the best shot at getting that award letter! This workshop will walk you through the steps you can take to ensure that you are submitting the best proposal you can to increase your chances of success.
  • Anne Thompson, NJSACC Board Member, Laurus Grant Writing & Evaluation Services, LLC, Madison

20. Feeding Your Children Through the New Jersey Child Nutrition Programs

• Would you like to receive funding to serve healthy meals to children attending your infant, preschool or afterschool program? Could your summer program be enriched by providing meals to children during the summer months when school is out? Federal funding is available through state-administered New Jersey Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Programs. Infant and Preschool programs can serve breakfast, lunch, and snack. Afterschool programs can serve a dinner and snack every school day and even on Saturdays. During the summer months, a child can receive a breakfast and a lunch at your program to ensure proper nutrition continues through the summer, so when school begins children are ready to learn. Come find out about the Child Nutrition Programs available in New Jersey and how easy it is to become a sponsor or site.
  • Staff Member, Child and Adult Care Food Program, New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Trenton
  • Staff Member, Summer Food Service Program, New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Trenton

21. The New Jersey Quality Standards for Afterschool (NJQSA)

• Now even more user friendly and updated with a stronger sense of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, come learn hands on how our latest version of the New Jersey Quality Standards for Afterschool (NJQSA) can help guide your program to be the best that it can be! This easy to use tool helps school age leaders explore the strengths of their program in six core areas: Administration; Human Relationships; Safety and Environmental Health; Indoor and Outdoor Environment; Programming and Activities; and Healthy Behavior: Nutrition and Physical Activity; and provides guidelines on how to use this towards developing, building, and strengthening high quality programs and best practice.
  • Sarah Cruz, Director of Special Projects, NJSACC, Westfield

22. Disability Inclusion: Start Here

• Including children with disabilities in school age programs can be very challenging, but nothing is more rewarding than witnessing a child make a friend, enjoy a game, or experience an accomplishment. This training is designed to help staff explore thoughts and feelings about disability inclusion, understand socially responsible language, and make a plan to overcome inclusion barriers in your program.
  • Phillip Collazo, MSEd, CYT, Education and Training Specialist, Kids Included Together, Fort Lauderdale, FL

23. Diverse STEM Role Models: Creating a meaningful role model experience

• Engagement with diverse STEM role models is a key strategy to encourage youth’s participation in STEM opportunities and identification with STEM, especially girls and other youth who have been historically excluded from STEM. This workshop will introduce research-based strategies for planning a role model experience, including how  to  recruit diverse role models and best practices for integrating role models into programming. Participants will have time to reflect on and brainstorm how to apply the learnings to their work.
  • Brenda Britsch, Ph.D., Director of Research and Evaluation, National Girls Collaborative Project
  • Amanda Sullivan, Senior Program Developer, National Girls Collaborative Project
  • Nancy Scales-Coddington, Director of Strategic Partnerships, National Girls Collaborative Project

24. The Rutgers Positive Youth Development Course for Paraprofessionals

• This workshop will share the outline and overview of a proposed 15-hour PYD Course offered by the Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education for paraprofessionals who work in school and/or afterschool settings who have a GED or high school diploma. The goals of the course are to increase the minimum basic skills/competencies as well as build the confidence of frontline workers and aids working directly with youth. Sessions for the course include ages and stages of youth development, the essential elements of youth development, the developmental assets, setting limits, nurturing empathy & understanding: diversity & inclusion, dealing with defensive behaviors, rational detachment, generational differences, character education, and more.
  • Alayne Torretta, Warren County 4-H Agent, Cooperative Extension of Warren County Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Belvidere

25. Travel the World through Ethnic Foods

• Teach diversity and inclusion with recipes for delicious dishes that represent peoples and places from around the world. This fun filled program includes geography, math, language and creative arts all rolled up into kitchen science.
  • Virginia Krzyzanowski, Monmouth County 4-H Program Associate, Cooperative Extension of Monmouth County, Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Freehold

26. Addressing Mental Health Through Social Emotional Learning

• Participants in afterschool and out-of-time programs are not exempt from the challenges deriving from matters of mental health. Issues of mental health confronted by students can impact their academic performance, their relationships and overall well-being. This workshop is designed to provide knowledge as to how matters of mental health can negatively impact students while also providing directors and staff with tools and strategies on how to work with students to address mental health issues via social emotional learning, in the context of afterschool programming.
  • Randy Miller, Training Consultant, NJSACC, Westfield

27. Designing Jobs That Support Program Quality

• Quality programs rely on a stable workforce of skilled professionals. Together, we must design quality jobs and provide supports to develop and sustain the OST workforce. In this session, participants will review NAA’s Thriving OST Workforce Initiative, discuss the Job Design Framework, and collaborate to design jobs that support program quality.
  • Angelica Portillo, Director of Advocacy and Workforce Initiatives, National Afterschool Association (NAA), Dallas, TX

Saturday Session 1: 9:45am – 11:15am > April 29, 2023

28. Bring on the Fun with Games for Everyone!

• There are so many obligations in a child’s school day, so bring on the fun in out-of-school-time! This workshop is a quick “how to” on choosing and delivering a variety of games that bring out the best in a group of kids. Most where no one is eliminated; many with limited materials; all active, engaging, and fun. Please come prepared to play in this interactive, hands on workshop.
  • Dagmar Wojcik, NJSACC Quality Team Director, NJSACC

29. Planning Support for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (SAT)

• Autism Spectrum Disorder impacts the developmental skills of children and youth in a variety of ways that can impact their participation and relationships. Although no two children on the Spectrum are exactly alike, participants will learn practical strategies for supporting neuro- diverse youth in all out-of-school programs. This workshop will explore strategies to support social interactions, communication, and sensory processing needs.
  • Phillip Collazo, MSEd, CYT, Education and Training Specialist, Kids Included Together, Fort Lauderdale, FL

30. STEM: Developing an Engineering Mindset in Youth

• To create a generation of innovative problem solvers that will shape their world, we need to encourage youth to engage in engineering activities. This hands-on session introduces engineering mindset, how youth can start to think like engineers, and why it is beneficial to develop an engineering mindset in youth. Participants will engage in an engineering activity and consider how they can incorporate learning experiences that foster an engineering mindset.
  • Shannon McManus, Independent STEM education consultant and Adjunct Clinical Faculty at the University of Notre Dame

31. Advancing Your Afterschool Career: How to Reach the Next Level in Our Field

• Are you contemplating how to navigate the next steps of your career? Did you know there is a whole field of afterschool professions? In this workshop, participants will learn about the various careers in the field of afterschool and the paths to obtain those positions. Individuals will leave having created a personal professional development plan to submit to their supervisors.
  • Tyneisha K. Gibbs, Director of Expanded Learning Opportunities, NJSACC, Westfield

32. The New Jersey Quality Standards for Afterschool (NJQSA)

• Now even more user friendly and updated with a stronger sense of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, come learn hands on how our latest version of the New Jersey Quality Standards for Afterschool (NJQSA) can help guide your program to be the best that it can be! This easy to use tool helps school age leaders explore the strengths of their program in six core areas: Administration; Human Relationships; Safety and Environmental Health; Indoor and Outdoor Environment; Programming and Activities; and Healthy Behavior: Nutrition and Physical Activity; and provides guidelines on how to use this towards developing, building, and strengthening high quality programs and best practice.
  • Sarah Cruz, Director of Special Projects, NJSACC, Westfield

33. Emotional Wellness: What I Can and Can’t Control

• Everything can’t be all fun and games all of the time. We are human and sometimes our emotions get the best of us. This workshop will explore how emotions, both positive and negative, help us evaluate and respond to different situations and why a balance of emotions is key to our emotional wellness.
  • Kimberly Crenshaw, Site Coordinator, Willingboro Before/After School Program, Willingboro Public Schools, Willingboro

34. Being a support for transgender and gender expansive children

• This workshop reviews the respectful terminology regarding sexual orientation and gender identity as well as the distinction between them, focusing on the definition of terms related to gender identity. We will look at recommendations addressed to programs serving school-age children for creating a safe and welcoming climate for all who are affected by gender identity concerns. Practical tips for enacting the recommendations as well as library resources, supports for parents, and further sources for staff learning will be included.
  • Carol Watchler, Community Outreach Coordinator, Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice, Princeton Junction

35. Incorporating SEL into Afterschool Planning

• Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. Afterschool programs that promote SEL have a positive impact on a wide range of student outcomes, like academic performance, attendance, healthy relationships, mental wellness and more. In this workshop, we will explore concrete and scalable ways to cultivate authentic school-family-afterschool community partnerships and incorporate SEL into afterschool planning.
  • Erika Kelley, CEO & Principal Consultant, Sage Horizons, LLC

36. Project Based Art Experiences: Inspiring Spontaneous, Self-Directed Play

• Join us for this hands-on workshop where we’ll explore how to create safe spaces and project options for school-age youth of all ages to experience art making and personal expression as judgment free, exploratory, experimental, inspiring, spontaneous, self-directed, playful, and fun.
  • Kris Tucker, NJSACC Consultant, NJSACC, Westfield

Saturday Session 2: 12:30pm – 1:45pm > April 29, 2023

37. 21st Century Afterschool Science Project (21st CASP)

• Explore water and water ecosystems in this hands-on sampler of activities to be found in CASP’s free, inquiry based, science curriculum that’s fun for all school age programs. This is a great STEM resource to add to your afterschool program to engage staff and students in the wonders of science!
  • Arlyn Jimenez, NJSACC Quality Coach, NJSACC, Westfield

38. Using Group Process to Include Tweens & Teens in Summer Programs

• Planning summer camp activities that tweens and teens want to participate in can be a challenge. In this workshop, participants will have the chance to practice group process strategies that strengthen social interactions, team work, and capture the interests of their children/youth. Join us for a fun group activity that helps participants use creative brainstorming, categorizing, and expanding strategies to strengthen inclusive summer camp programming.
  • Phillip Collazo, MSEd, CYT, Education and Training Specialist, Kids Included Together, Fort Lauderdale, FL

39. High Quality STEM: Using Engineering Activities to Engage All Youth

• Engineering activities can be fun and engaging for youth, but not all activities offer authentic and meaningful opportunities that allow youth to develop problem solving skills and a STEM identity. In this session, we will analyze various engineering activities and consider lesson characteristics that invite all learners to participate and engage in robust STEM experiences. Participants will leave with an understanding of what high-quality STEM activities look like, why they are important for youth, and how we can bring these opportunities to our settings.
  • Shannon McManus, Independent STEM education consultant and Adjunct Clinical Faculty at the University of Notre Dame

40. It’s All Fun and Games: Successfully Incorporating Physical Fitness in Your OST Program

• Providing an engaging physical fitness program in your Out of School Time program is a critical element in the balanced development of today’s youth.  The general trend toward “screen time” entertainment means students have a shorter attention span and more options to entertain themselves without movement.  This workshop is aimed at providing options to overcoming some of the challenges programs may face in providing physical education programming given their resources (time, space, equipment, etc.). We will explore strategies and options that can make a difference in any program, whether just starting out or operating for years.
  • TJ Coakley, BS, MBA, CPT, NJSACC Board Member, Co-Owner, Harrison Kids and Fun and Fit Aftercare, Mullica Hill

41. Creating a Thriving OST Workforce

• Over the last 20 years, progress has been made in research, practice, and policies related to program quality. Yet, workforce stability, recruitment, and retention of direct service workers continues to be a challenge. As the professional association for the field, NAA’s mission is to create a strong and valued profession; join this session to learn about NAA’s Thriving OST Workforce Initiative.
  • Angelica Portillo, Director of Advocacy and Workforce Initiatives, National Afterschool Association (NAA), Dallas, TX

42. The ABCs of Playground Safety

• In this engaging, newly updated workshop, learn how to properly analyze playgrounds for potential problems and hazards; recognize unsafe play; effectively monitor play areas; develop methods of communication for use in emergency situations; and learn how to develop an effective supervision plan to reduce injuries and promote safe play.
  • Joyce Fircha, Director of Recreation, Edison Recreation, Edison

43. Math is for Everyone (And it’s Fun and Free!)

• Looking for fun activities to engage youth in Math? Bedtime Math Foundation offers a free series of engaging activities that foster Math identity while providing fun hands-on experiences. Participants in this active session will experience sample activities and will be eligible to receive materials for your students faster.
  • Mike MacEwan, Training Consultant, NJSACC, Westfield

44. But I Don’t Want to Read!

• We’ve all heard it. No matter what grade, sometimes our kids don’t want (or like) to read. In this session, we’ll talk about fun ways to build critical literacy skills in grades K-3. You’ll walk away with engaging resources and ideas that will have your kids loving literacy time.
  • Tania Lazar, Consultant, NJSACC, Westfield

45. Adult SEL Comes First: The positive impact adult SEL skills can have on classrooms, colleagues and the community

• This session will explore the importance of adults “walking the talk” and modeling SEL skills throughout their interactions with others. Included will be an opportunity to take a SEL skill self-assessment, examples of what strong adult SEL skills look like in the classroom and beyond, as well as tips and tools to implementing a trauma-informed, strengths-based, approach to your daily practice. Examples will be shared on how one can develop and practice SEL skills and how this can have a significant positive impact on all interactions with others whether students, colleagues and parents.
  • Patricia Heindel, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Professional Studies and Professor of Psychology, Director, Center for Human and Social Development, Co-Director, School Culture and Climate Initiative & Academy for Social-Emotional Learning, Saint Elizabeth University, Morristown
  • Christy Biedron, Director of Education, Junior Achievement of New Jersey, Edison

Saturday Session 3: 2:00pm – 3:15pm > April 29, 2023

46. Get Ready to Get Creative and Bring the Music!

• Come wrap up the conference in this fun and interactive workshop! Project Gametime is ready to bring the fun with this workshop that strengthens composition, collaboration and performance skills! Participants will divide into teams, create their own hip hop song, using elements of hip hop song writing. Participants will have access to backing tracks (instrumentals), end rhymes, metaphors and similes for inspiration. Groups will then display their very own “Commercial Hit Song” in a concert format. You don’t want to miss this!
  • The Project Gametime Crew Kenrick “Rick” Wagner, Founder & Facilitator Roger Redhead, Lead Facilitator
  • Tyhiem Floyd, Program Manager The Untouchable DJ Fame, Director of Sound

• Become an Afterschool Hero

Interested sponsors should contact NJSACC via email here.

• View the 2022 Conference brochure here
• View the 2022 Conference highlights here
• View the 2019 Conference brochure here
• View the 2018 Conference brochure here