Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield and Boys & Girls Club 2023 Youth of the Year Keisha Hernandez spoke at the Lights On Afterschool rally on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 4:30 pm. This carnival-themed event brought together families from the Boys & Girls Club of Nampa, the Nampa School District, and the Treasure Valley

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES! Idaho Out-of-School Network’s Senior Program Director Anna Almerico and STEM Education & Communication Coordinator Wendy Wilson jump for joy while keynote presenter and CEO of Leading to Change Eric Rowles joins in the excitement for Power Up Summit 2023. The 10th Annual Power Up Summit on September 20 and 21 hosted

By Wendy Wilson, STEM Education and Communication Coordinator We Need to Talk About the Kids Research shows that what kids do after school is just as important to their futures as what they do in school. In Idaho, tens of thousands of kids attended afterschool and summer youth programs this year in large part because

Please join us in recognizing the 2022 Lights On Afterschool Champions for their outstanding contributions to youth programs in Idaho at the Idaho Out-of-School Network Power Up Summit on September 20 at 9 am at Jack’s Urban Meeting Place (JUMP), 1000 W. Myrtle Street, Boise, ID 83702. Lights On Afterschool is celebrated nationwide to call

The Idaho Out-of-School Network (ION) unveiled a new educational tool today, a Think Make Create (TMC) mobile makerspace lab at the Boys and Girls Club in Nampa. It is the final of 28 TMC labs placed around Idaho just in time for fall afterschool youth programs.   A TMC mobile makerspace lab is a place

Funding from the Idaho Out-of-School Network helped a summer camp in Boise reach more young learners than ever before and allowed the program to expand its offerings to the Teton Valley. “This was transformational for the success of our summer camp operations,” said Julia Grief, Development and Alumni Coordinator for One Stone. “Staff salaries are

An afterschool program in McCall used grant funds from the Idaho Out-of-School Network to provide scholarships to families and hire more program instructors, making space for more students to join the program while keeping program costs low.  “The grant funds allowed us to bring in more students than ever,” said Ashlee Fliney, Executive Director of

Boise, ID 7-27-2023. The Idaho Out-of-School Network (ION) has awarded grants to communities and K-12 youth programs addressing the unfinished learning needs of youth and to improve the quality of out-of-school time. ION is pleased to support these exemplary programs that provide student enrichment, academic, social and emotional learning opportunities. As the impact of the

Funding from the Idaho Out-of-School Network helped sustain a YMCA summer program in Nampa all summer long. Without this funding, the program would have only had funds through the State Department of Education for a one-week summer camp. “The students and families definitely benefited from this opportunity since there are not many options for summer

Grant funding and personal, hands-on coaching from the Idaho Out-of-School Network had “an incredible impact” on a music-focused afterschool program in Boise, according to its executive director. “Our goal is to empower youth via arts education. We hear from youth and families daily letting us know the value and impact of our programming,” explained Boise