NYS TARC Newsletter—April 2026
- NYS 21CCLC TARC
- Mar 26
- 9 min read
Updated: Apr 6
Jump to section: NYSED News/Updates
NYSED Reminder
The Student Support Office at NYSED is committed to clear and consistent communication. To best support all 21st CCLC subgrantees, our office has a team of folks to support the programs around the state. The team works in tandem to ensure that there is no delay in communication, even if a staff member is out of the office. The entire team has access to and checks the EMSC21STCCLC inbox for communications regularly.
Please ensure to email EMSC21STCCLC@nysed.gov with all inquiries or information about your programs and a member of the team that is best able to respond will make sure to reply in a timely manner.
Important Reminders from the NEW '25-'26 21st CCLC Timeline:
Submit a Budget Amendment (FS-10-A) if there are reasonable and necessary changes to your budget. The FS-10-A, a revised M/WBE Goal Calculation worksheet, a revised Composite Budget, a revised Budget Narrative, and any applicable M/WBE documents (e.g., updated Utilization Plan, NOI, and/or EEO Staffing Plan) may be uploaded to Survey Monkey Apply up to April 15. If your program needs an extension, please reach out to NYSED by emailing EMSC21stCCLC@nysed.gov. Please do not send hard copies until the program office’s fiscal team requests them.
Conduct a comprehensive Needs Assessment (SMV indicator G-4) for the next program year. Engaging participants and their families in these information-gathering processes can occur at multiple points during the program year and may include any documentable methods such as surveys, polls, focus group conversations, or the collection of written/verbal correspondence expressing needs, requests, recommendations for potential program offerings. Annual Needs assessments/inventories are ways to help programs collect and feed forward information about participants’ interests and the community needs into strategic plans as part of the ongoing, internal improvement cycle.
Participate in the 2nd Evaluator’s Site Visit, conducted by the Local Program Evaluator. This is an opportunity to open the program to the observation of the partnering evaluator, assess progress indicators, and to receive valuable, actionable feedback about program implementation and emerging results. Summary findings from this visit can inform the continuous improvement cycle and communicate progress updates to staff and stakeholders.
Attend the required, in-person Spring Conference in collaboration with the NYS Network for Youth Success Annual Conference on April 30, 2026.
Reference the Teacher Survey Timeline in the email sent from EMSC mailbox TBD. This is required only for programs serving students in grades 1-5.
Afterschool21 Guidance
View Recording:
Stay Tuned:
Second training session will be held on 4/13/26 12:00pm – 1:00pm.
Federal reporting requirement for grants serving grades 1-5. Please email the Resource Centers or NYSED for training invites.
PD/Events
April 9
21stCCLC NTAC: Huddle + Office Hours - Literacy Beyond Language Arts
Join the 21stCCLC National Technical Assitance Center on April 9 at 1 p.m. EDT for a Huddle focused on helping students in grades 6-12 make the shift from learning to read to reading to learn across content areas like STEM, the arts, and health and wellness. During this session, we’ll walk you through a set of interactive, multimodal literacy tools — including hands‑on graphic organizers and Spoken Word performance examples—that are designed to amplify student voice and support thoughtful engagement with complex texts. You’ll see how these tools can be used with young people, learn how to customize the toolkit to fit your program’s needs, and get a preview of new literacy resources coming in 2026. You’ll leave with practical ideas you can use to strengthen literacy in engaging, flexible ways that resonate with students. The 30-minute Huddle will be followed by a 30‑minute Office Hours session.
April 17 SAVE THE DATE and REGISTER for Virtual Summer Planning Bootcamp
Dear Summer Learning Community,
NSLA is excited for Summer 2026 and all the innovative, collaborative, and impactful learning experiences you and so many of our partners will provide to millions of young people across America. To help us prepare, we are holding our annual, virtual, free of charge Summer Planning Bootcamp on April 17 from 12 - 2:30 PM EST.
Please Save The Date and Register to meet and learn from leading education and youth development experts and award-winning programs, as they share practical resources, insights, and proven strategies you can use this summer. We encourage our partners from Schools, Districts, State Education Agencies, Camps, Non-Profit Community-Based organizations, Libraries, Parks and Recreation, Affordable and Public Housing Agencies, Museums, Travel, College Access, and Summer Youth Employment and Internship programs to attend and participate! Be on the lookout as Bootcamp speakers, session topics, co-sponsors and meetups will be announced soon. REGISTER
April 30 21stCCLC Spring Conference (Day 2 of the Empower Youth Success 2026 Conference)
Six Weeks to the 21st CCLC Conference! Attendee Updates: The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Spring Conference will be held at the Hilton Albany on April 30th, 2026. The Spring Conference will be held by New York State Network for Youth Success in conjunction with the ROS and NYC TARCs. Attendance at this event is a grant requirement.
Hilton Albany, Albany, NY – Discounted Room Rate – $154/night Click here to book your room*.
You can also book by calling the hotel at 1-866-691-1183 and reference your group code: 1EY26.
The room block will be open until Tuesday, March 31st, 2026 or until it fills up. FULL on 4/30/26.
On-Going Offering: Self-Paced Professional Development on Change Up Learning
We're happy to remind you that 21C subgrantees have access to a number of free, self-paced courses through our partnership with Change Up Learning! Each course takes approximately 1-1.5 hours to complete, offers a Certificate of Completion (with SACC credits), and features resources you can utilize at your site.
With over 50 topics and a growing library, consider one of these areas relevant to your role:
Youth Development: Ages + Stages: Child + Youth Development; Boosting Engagement & Belonging; Equitable and Inclusive Approaches to SEL
Curriculum and Lesson Planning: Curriculum + Lesson Plans; Culturally Responsive Practice; Educational and Fun Project-Based Learning
Leadership and Staff Development: Communication for Managers; Activating Leadership Skills; Effective Program Management
Equity and Inclusion: Introduction to Equity and Inclusion; Antiracism in Organizations; Understanding LGBTQ+ Inclusion
Get started today!
If you’re based in NYC, activate your account here.
If you’re based in the rest of NY state, activate your account here.
Resources
21st CCLC Rest of State Technical Assistance Resource Center Professional Development Session, February 26th
Explore the presentation slides which include videos, quotes, and activities.
Review this brainstorm document to see the challenges and ideas shared in small groups regarding family engagement, programming, and more.
Tap into your free resource, Change Up Learning, for self-paced courses for 21C subgrantees.
Click here to learn more or create a free account to get started!
Based on your registration responses about priority areas, below are some courses that may be of interest (click to read the description, but you don't need to "purchase course"; they're all available to you once you create your free TARC account):
Lights On Afterschool Art Contest
This year, they are looking for artwork that captures the spirit of afterschool programs. Has your program helped you discover a new passion, build a new skill, or make a new friend? Show us what makes your afterschool community special and what it means to you through your art!
Entering the contest is easy!
Fill out this entry form and send it, along with your artwork, to Afterschool Alliance, Lights On Afterschool Poster Contest, 1101 14th Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20005.
Or, email your artwork to lightson@afterschoolalliance.org.
The Lights On Afterschool poster contest is open to everyone. If you know of a program that may be interested, please spread the word! The deadline for submissions is June 18, 2026.
Webinars from Hunger Solutions New York
SNAP + Universal Free School Meals: Make Outreach Work for Your School
This webinar outlined New York’s new SNAP outreach requirement for schools under the Universal Free School Meals Program. It also featured a short Q&A with Director of Food and Nutrition Services, Lisa Ostrowski of North Colonie Central School District, along with best practices and resources for schools to meet this new requirement.
View the recording and slide deck.
Gearing up for Summer Nutrition in 2026: A Series of Webinar Recordings
For support with summer meals basics and best practices, check out the recordings of our recent Summer Nutrition webinars below:
"Sponsoring Summer Meals": This 25-minute webinar provides information about providing meals through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in New York State. Learn about program basics and best practices, including an overview of the rural non-congregate flexibility and how to cross-promote summer meals and Summer EBT.
"Serving Rural Non-Congregate Meals": This 15-minute webinar, co-hosted with No Kid Hungry New York, highlights how to effectively plan and operate rural non-congregate summer meals through SFSP. Tune in to hear an overview of the rural non-congregate option, learn about key requirements for sponsors, and promising practices from the field.
"A Collaborative Approach to Summer Nutrition": This webinar convened collaborative leaders from across New York State to discuss their work on summer nutrition programs. Panelists discussed different collaborative models, best practices, and lessons learned.
The application deadline for new summer meals sponsors is May 1, and sponsor renewals are due June 1. More information is available on the New York State Education Department's Summer Food Service Program webpage.
Please reach out to Hunger Solutions New York's Summer Nutrition Specialist at Cody.Bloomfield@HungerSolutionsNY.org for additional support.
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Program Spotlights
Rest-of-State TARC Visits Jamestown City School District
On Feb 24, 2026, the Rest of State TARC visited Jamestown City School District. They observed elementary students enjoying their dinner while socializing and later answering questions about ways they can show respect, before heading to their individual groups. They also had the opportunity to see middle school students compete in an electronic Jeopardy game which helped them learn spelling, grammar and parts of speech. Staff also observed students participate in a fitness group and a Lego club.
Learning About Wind Power and Creative Thinking at P.S. 199Q!
Kindergarteners at our afterschool program at P.S. 199Q got hands-on with science as they explored the power of wind! Students crafted their very own colorful pinwheels using construction paper, then put them to the test by blowing on them and watching them spin. Through this fun, interactive activity, students were introduced to basic concepts in weather and physics, discovering how air movement creates energy, all while building fine motor skills and creativity.
Building on their reading of The Boy Who Grew Flowers, students took their literacy skills one step further by imagining themselves as the main character. Each student reflected on what made them special and designed the cover of their very own book, complete with their own story in mind! Students then shared their covers with classmates, strengthening both their public speaking confidence and their sense of self. This activity encouraged creative thinking, personal narrative, and peer connection all at once.
—Sunnyside Community Services Afterschool Program at P.S. 199Q
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Evaluators' Corner
The 2024-25 Case Study Report has been posted here. This report aims to enhance learning and insights within the NYS 21st Century Community Learning Center (21CCLC) universe by highlighting successful program practices and pinpointing shared concerns.
Have you had an SMV this year?
The NYSED Team is committed to maintaining and supporting high-quality programming and evaluation that helps drive continuous improvement and raise the effectiveness of statewide 21st CCLC programming. We hope you and your colleagues who participated in your program’s SMV will help us continue to improve the SMV process for all grantees by providing honest feedback about your experiences using a brief online Form.
All responses will be kept private unless you choose to identify yourself. Only group information will be shared with NYSED and the TARCs. Please complete the form via the link below and share this same link with the members of your team who participated in your program’s SMV:
https://mi-surveys.com/smv
Contact Laura Sweig at Measurement Incorporated LSweig@MeasInc.com if you have any questions about the reflection form or the evaluation overall. Thank you for your continuing efforts to provide a high-quality 21 st CCLC program and for participating in the effort to improve the SMV process.
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