American Rescue Plan Funding

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) is the federal stimulus package that has $30 billion federally that can be used for afterschool and summer learning programs as a part of pandemic recovery. The US Department of Education just released the COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 2: Roadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students' Needs. Volume 2 specifies ways ARP funds can be used including:

 

  • Address the impact of lost instructional time by supporting the implementation of evidence-based interventions that respond to students’ social, emotional, and academic needs; 
  • Provide afterschool, or other out-of-school time programs that address students’ social, emotional, and academic needs;
  • Address the mental health needs of students through using funds to hire counselors and other staff;
  • Provide integrated student supports, through the use of full-service community schools;
  • Provide students with evidence-based summer learning and enrichment programs, including partnerships with community-based organizations.

Allocations to Virginia

As the ARP funds arrive in Virginia, our state education and human service agencies will make the decisions on how to distribute funds. In terms of how these funds could be allocated to OST programs, the largest streams flow from

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER). The following funds have been allocated to Virginia:

 

Resources for Influencing Where Funding Goes

VPOST stands ready to support you in reaching out to local education leaders such as your school boards and superintendents to share what you can offer students to support learning recovery.

Think about what you can offer: 

    • Who can you serve/where and how many students?
    • How would your program support students’ recovery? 
    • How are you operating? How are you proposing to operate?
    • What is the cost? 
    • Gather data and success stories on your own program, especially around academic support, engaging and exciting students in learning, social and emotional development, and serving students in need. 

If you are interested in working with your local leadership and would like support from VPOST, please email us at info@v-post.org.

 

Planning for Reopening

With the 2020-2021 school year in session, which school districts are offering in-person, hybrid or remote instruction remains fluid during the pandemic. School District statuses can be found on  the VDOE COVID-19 page along with all other VDOE pandemic related details. 

A Snapshot of Programs in the Spring of 2021

 

 

Thank you to the many programs that completed the 4th wave of surveys commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance. Your willingness to share has helped up to get a snapshot of Virginia's out-of-school time programs during the pandemic. The results are in and the data tells the story of programs that are continuing to step-up their efforts but still face many challenges as we look toward summer. Be on the lookout for the wave 5 survey next month!

Virtual Outreach and Distance Learning

Food Resources

Parent Resources

Educational Resources

COVID-19 Activity Guide

 

COVID-19, coronavirus, has impacted students and families throughout the world and has significantly altered our education systems, including out-of-school time programs. The activities and resources in the Learning About COVID-19 Activity Guides were intentionally designed to support youth-serving programs in engaging students in learning about the science of COVID-19 and developing greater social awareness and empathy. All activities should be safely executed and aligned with state and local health guidelines.

Features:

40 Activities and Challenges

  • Organized by four different age groups (5-9) (10-12) (13-15) (16-18)

  • Adaptable for in-person and virtual instruction, or a hybrid of both, as well as sent as take-home packet

Community Funding Resources