COVID-19 Resources for OST Programs and Families

Last updated November 17

Find information from Pennsylvania departments, about loans and funding, law, 2020 U.S. Census, and resources for OST staff and parents and students.

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Pennsylvania Afterschool Provider Facebook Group

Connect with other afterschool and summer learning providers across the state via our Pennsylvania Afterschool Provider Facebook Group.

 

Stay Informed

Added October 16

• OCDEL: COVID-19 Related Policies Announcements and Communications That Are Sunset or Obsolete
• State-by-State Use of CARES Act Funds to Support Child Care Through the Fall

Added July 7

Implementing the CDC Guidance: Considerations for Open or Re-Opening Childcare Programs

Added June 23

Guidance for All Sports Permitted to Operate During the COVID-19 Disaster Emergency to Ensure the Safety and Health of Employees, Athletes and the Public

Added June 4

• Preliminary Guidance: Phased Reopening of Schools
• Summer Recreation, Camps and Pools: Frequently Asked Questions

Added June 2

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Reopening Guidelines (DCNR)

Added May 26

• Childcare during COVID-19 and Reopening Childcare
• Field Guide for Camps on Implementation of CDC Guidance
• Guidance for Open Childcare Programs
• Guidelines for Youth Programs and Camps during the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Facility Reopening Guidelines

Added April 28

Discussion with CDC Regarding Guidance for Child Care Programs That Remain Open

Added April 21

• Emergency Food Assistance during COVID-19 Mitigation
• Emergency SNAP Benefits

Added April 9

A New Outdoors Etiquette to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19

Added April 3

• Child Nutrition Program Meal Service during Novel Coronavirus Outbreak
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance and Resources for School Communities
• Coronavirus Information for Education: Pre-K, K-12 Schools and Higher Education
• County COVID-19 Cases and Planning Report
• COVID-19 Food Distribution Information for School Communities
• How to Access Emergency Food Assistance during COVID-19 Mitigation
• Interim Guidance for Administrators of U.S. K-12 Schools and Childcare Programs
• Responding to COVID-19 in Pennsylvania
• School Guidance: Answers to Common Questions

 

Loans and Funding

Added May 8

Children’s Funding Project: Navigating New and Flexible Funding Streams for Kids during COVID-19

Added April 9

Maintaining and Building Relationships with Funders during COVID-19

Added April 3

• CARES Act Loan Options
• Coronavirus Emergency Loans: Small Business Guide and Checklist
• SBA 7(a) Paycheck Protection Program
• SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans

 

Law

Added April 3

CARES Act Signed into Law, Includes Support for Afterschool, Nonprofits and Child Care

 

2020 U.S. Census

Added July 28

Take the 2020 Census — deadline October 31

Added April 3

• The 2020 Census and Equity — Why It Matters and How You Can Help
• 2020 U.S. Census: Get Involved

 

Resources for Out-of-School Time Staff

Added November 17

Updated COVID-19 Resources from Every Hour Counts

Added October 16

• COVID-19 Resources To Help You Manage Asthma and Allergies in Your School
• Financial Planning in Response to COVID-19

Added September 4

• Nine Key Principles for Reopening Schools and Helping Students Recover From COVID-19
• Supporting School Community Wellness With Social and Emotional Learning During and After a Pandemic

Added August 21

• Afterschool in the Time of COVID-19
• First Aid for Feelings: A Workbook To Help Kids Cope During the Coronavirus Pandemic
• Primeros auxolios emocionales: Un cuaderno de trabajo para ayudar a los niños a sobrellevar la pandemia de coronavirus
• Remake Tomorrow: Learning in a Post-Pandemic Future

Added August 17

• 3 Tips for Teaching Special Education Online
• Afterschool Alliance COVID-19 Tracking Program Provider Survey: Wave 1 National Results
• Afterschool Alliance COVID-19 Tracking Program Provider Survey: Wave 1 Pennsylvania Results
• Blueprint for Successful Afterschool and In-School Partnerships in Reopening
• A Facilitator’s Guide to Remote and Socially Distanced SEL Instruction in Out-of-School Time
• How Safe Is Your School’s Reopening Plan? Here’s What to Look For

Added August 10

• 11 Teacher-Recommended Math Apps and Online Tools
• The Art of Distance Learning in Afterschool
• The Importance of Social Emotional Learning With the Reopening of Afterschool Programs
• What You Should Know About Cyberbullying: It’s On the Rise Amid the Pandemic
• When Learning Starts: Playbook for Healthy School Communities

Added July 28

• In a Time of Crisis, What Can We Learn About Learning Time?
• Returning to School: A Toolkit for Principals
• A School Year Like No Other Demands a New Learning Day: A Blueprint for How Afterschool Programs and Community Partners Can Help
• STEM Without Sharing Materials
• Steve Van Zandt’s Plan to Save Music Education During the Pandemic
• What Is Toxic Positivity? Why It’s OK To Not Be OK Right Now.

Added July 21

• Reopening Youth Summer Learning Programs
• From a Room Called Fear to a Room Called Hope: A Leadership Agenda for Troubled Times
• How Educators, Librarians Are Connecting Students With Books To Prevent COVID-19 Summer Literacy Slide

Added July 7

• Adapting Science Lessons for Distance Learning
• Creating an Inclusive Virtual Classroom
• How to Use the Summer to Prevent Learning Loss

Added June 30

• DEI Work Is More Important Than Ever. But How Do We Do It Remotely?
• For Teachers: Summer Reading during Turbulent Times
• How to Keep Students’ Attention in a Virtual Classroom
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the COVID-19 Crisis
• Reopening Programs – Resources from the Afterschool Alliance
• What Does Good Classroom Design Look Like in the Age of Social Distancing?

Added June 23

• Tools to Help Plan for Summer Programs
• With Innovation and Empathy, Remote Learning Becomes Accessible for All Students

Added June 15

7 Ways Educators Can Help Students Cope in a Pandemic

Added June 4

• Improving Virtual Access to Your Afterschool Program
• Opening School-Age Childcare and Out-of-School Time Programs during COVID-19
• Teaching Entrepreneurship with Google Cloud during COVID-19
• Youth Workers’ Experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic Survey Results Report

Added June 2

• Getting Support for Summer Learning: How Federal, State, City and District Policies Affect Summer Learning Programs
• An Initial Guide Leveraging the Power of Social and Emotional Learning – As You Prepare to Reopen and renew Your School Community
• Navigating Summertime Experiences in 2020: Helpful Resources and Support for Program Providers
• PACCA Sample Return from COVID-19 Parent Surveys

Added May 26

• A Blueprint for Back to School
• Leveraging Findings from OST Research and Practice to Lessen COVID-19 Learning Gaps
• Maintaining Connections, Reducing Anxiety While School Is Closed
• Project-Based Learning: How to Integrate It Virtually in Your Afterschool Program
• Supporting Clients in Under-Resourced Communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Too Much Cross Talk. Too Little Creativity. How to Fix the Worst Parts of a Virtual Meeting.

Added May 8

• 22 Young Adult Novels to Help Students Process the Pandemic (or Forget It for a Bit)
• Free Resources for Educators during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Added April 28

• 4 Guiding Questions for Effective Remote Collaboration
• Afterschool Program Changes Due to COVID-19
• COVID-19 Resources from Every Hour Counts
• How to Reach Students without Internet Access at Home? Schools Get Creative
• Keeping Students Engaged in Digital Learning
• Reducing the Adverse Impact of the Coronavirus on Students and Families
• Students on Remote Learning: More Creativity, Interaction Needed
• Unemployment Rights and Resources – COVID-19

Added April 9

• The 3 Biggest Remote Teaching Concerns We Need to Solve Now
• 3 Ways to Make Financial Literacy Month Count during the Coronavirus
• COVID-19 and At-Home Resources
• A Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Approach to Responding to Health Crises

Added April 3

• 4 Tips for Teachers Shifting to Teaching Online
• 5 Strategies for Teacher Self-Care
• Better Kid Care Buzz: COVID-19 Special Edition
• Broadband for Schools
• Child Care Works Updates and Information
• The Coronavirus Double Whammy: School Closures, Economic Downturn Could Derail Student Learning, Research Shows
• COVID-19: Considerations for the Afterschool Field
• Educator Stress Is a Leadership Challenge – Here’s What Leaders Can Do About It
• Expanded Learning 360°/365
• High-Quality Sites and Apps That Are Supporting School Closures with Free Resources
• The History of Afterschool in America
• Learning in Afterschool and Summer
• Learning in Afterschool and Summer Project – How Kids Learn
• National Afterschool Association Resources
• The Nonprofit Survival Guide
• Pennsylvania 2019 Connectivity Snapshot: 21st Century Learning Is Increasing the Demand for Broadband
• Reporting Early Learning Programs Closings Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• A Roadmap for Education Leaders to Respond to COVID-19
• SEL and Mental Health Resources during the COVID-19 Outbreak
• SciStarter
• Siemens STEM Day
• Stress, Strain and Burnout – Oh My!
• Teaching through a Pandemic: A Mindset for This Moment
• Temescal Associates
• Thermo Fisher Platform for Science
• Two Principles for Leading Your Organization through the COVID-19 Crisis
• Youth Development Guide 2.0: Engaging Young People in Afterschool Programming

 

Resources for Families and Students

Added November 17

Updated COVID-19 Resources from Every Hour Counts

Added October 16

Do You Have Questions About COVID and Caring for Children?

Added August 17

Free Python Summer Camp

Added August 10

STEM Gems

Added August 4

Mitigating Ongoing Stress of a Pandemic: A Toolkit for Caregivers

Added July 28

• Parents Guide to Online School: 9 Questions To Help Vet Your Back-to-School Choices
• What Is Toxic Positivity? Why It’s OK To Not Be OK Right Now.

Added June 15

Five Tips for Families Returning to Child Care after COVID-19

Added June 2

• How Youth Can LeadASAP during COVID-19
• Questions about TikTok? Here’s Common Sense Media’s Ultimate Guide for Parents

Added May 26

• Discovering Joyful Math Away from the Classroom
• Parents: Check Out the Daily Discovery Education

Added May 8

• 22 Young Adult Novels to Help Students Process the Pandemic (or Forget It for a Bit)
• Common Sense Media: A Parents’ Ultimate Guide to ZOOM

Added April 28

• COVID-19 Resources from Every Hour Counts
• Unemployment Rights and Resources – COVID-19
• With Senior Year In Disarray, Teens and Young Adults Feel Lost. Here’s How to Help

Added April 9

• 3 Ways to Make Financial Literacy Month Count during the Coronavirus
• COVID-19 and At-Home Resources
• An Open Letter to Parents from a National Teacher of the Year on Tips for Remote Learning and How to Support Your School Community
• Ways to Promote Children’s Resilience to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Added April 3

• Apps for Students with Special Needs – As School Buildings Shutter
• BrainPOP
• Esports
• Fractions Can Be Scary for Kids and Adults. Here’s How to Take the Fear Out of Them
• Girls Who Code: Code at Home
• Goodnight with Dolly
• High-Quality Sites and Apps That Are Supporting School Closures with Free Resources
• A Homeschool Mom on Distance Learning for Special-Needs Kids, Socializing Online — and Why Parents Shouldn’t Try to Recreate Public School at Home
• How to Support Home Learning in Elementary Grades
• Khan Academy
• Learning Hero Roadmap
• Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with the Coronavirus Disease 2019
• Scholastic
• Schools are Closed. Learning Is Always On.
• Online SAT Practice Tests
• Prodigy Curriculum
• Reading Adventure Packs for Families
• ReadWriteThink
• Scholastic Learn at Home
• SciStarter
• Supporting Students Away from School
• VentureLab
• The Weather Channel Is Now Teaching Kids, at 50 Past the Hour: 8 Things We’ve Learned About Snow, Atmosphere, Planets and More
• Zearn Math Parent/Caregiver Pack