The Alaska Afterschool Network’s mission is to support, strengthen, and advocate for quality Out-of-School-Time (OST) programs and activities for children, youth, and families throughout Alaska. The Alaska Afterschool Network (The Network) is a program of Alaska Children’s Trust.

The Network is dedicated to expanding access to productive out-of-school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning programs by improving existing programs and creating new ones. The ability for students to successfully participate in the global workplace depends on their exposure to high quality STEM opportunities. OST STEM can almost double the amount of time some students have to question, tinker, learn, and explore STEM topics, and as such are uniquely effective at reducing achievement gaps. The more students participate in STEM learning opportunities out-of-school, the more interested they become in STEM subjects and majors.

Grant Terms and Requirements:
Size of Mini-Grants: $3,000
Submission Deadline: August 28th
Grant Period: September 10th 2020 – December 31st 2020
Grant Report Due: January 31st, 2021

The funding from awarded grants will come directly from the Alaska Afterschool Network – Alaska Children’s Trust. Grantees may not charge expenses to the Engineering Mindset Mini-Grant until an executed contract is in place.

Eligibility:

  • Out-of-School Time programs that meets with a consistent group on an ongoing basis throughout the grant cycle.
  • Only applicants who send a complete application will be considered.
  • Only one mini-grant will be awarded per organization.

Funding Activities:

Engineering Mindset Grants will fund programs that embed an engineering mindset into their STEM activities and that actively recruit and engage girls and other underrepresented communities in STEM. All grantees will be expected to include a focus on utilizing the equity and inclusion framework as a component of the work.

               Fundable Activities Include:

      • Developing/implementing curricula designed to foster an engineering mindset with girls.
      • Developing outreach to better recruit and engage girls in STEM.
      • Materials and supplies that better facilitate the program.
      • STEM Kits that are sustainable (not single use).
      • Bringing local female STEM professionals into the classroom or virtually as role models and to foster career exploration.
      • Adapting programs and activities for continued connection despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
      • Community building activities among girls in OST to increase engagement in STEM and develop STEM identities.

STEM Program Quality Improvement Requirement:

The Network will require all Engineering Mindset Mini-Grantees to participate in a STEM quality improvement initiative. The Network will utilize the Dimensions of Success (DoS) tool for the assessment phase of the quality improvement process. Each grantee will receive at least two in-person DoS observations (subject to change based off COVID-19 health mandates). This will provide the Network a statewide data snapshot of STEM program quality.

More information on Dimensions of Success can be found here: https://www.akafterschool.org/dos

Reporting:

Grantees will be expected to prepare a Final Report of Grant Impact following the conclusion of the grant cycle. This report must include:

  • Number of youths reached during grant cycle and the ratio of males and females
  • Number of new female youth the program has recruited and engaged
  • A demonstration that youth have effectively developed an engineering mindset

Notification of Application status and Grant Award and Agreement

Alaska Afterschool Network will notify applicants by letter in September 2020.
Grant Reports will be due January 31st, 2021.

Alaska Afterschool Network Contact Info

For questions related to the request for proposals, please contact:

Jared Gould
Alaska Afterschool Network
3201 C St, Ste 110
Anchorage, AK 99503
AmeriCorps2@alaskachildrenstrust.org
585-749-6906

For questions related to the on-line application system, please contact:

Maleah Wenzel
intern1@alaskachildrenstrust.org

 

Alaska Afterschool Network Mini-Grant Guidelines

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