STRENGTHEN | OST Conference
Alaska Out-of-School Time Conference
Join the Alaska Out-of-School Conference to gain valuable skills, network with peers, and explore more than 40 engaging workshops tailored for Alaska’s youth service providers.
November 21-22, 2024
Westmark Fairbanks Hotel
Fairbanks, Alaska
The Alaska Out-of-School Time Conference is designed to support the professional development of Alaska's out-of-school time providers, featuring more than 40 workshops. This conference is a partnership between the State of Alaska Department of Education & Early Development, the State of Alaska Department of Health, the Alaska Afterschool Network, and our generous sponsors, for whom we are ever grateful.
Preconference Institute
November 20, 2024
Planning with Data: 7:30 am check in, 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Thriving Workforce: 7:30 am check in, 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Alaska Out-of-School Time Conference
November 21, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
(Networking Reception 4:45 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.)
November 22, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
COVID-19 Mitigation Plan
The Alaska Out-of-School Time Conference is continuing to closely monitor COVID-19 and the impact it may have on the 2024 Alaska Out-of-School Time Conference. This year’s event is scheduled to be held in-person in Fairbanks, AK. As an attendee, your safety and well-being are our number one priority. Please click here to review our mitigation plan.
Conference Registration
Register today for general registration, preconference and the vendor exhibitor hall. Visit the preconference section below for more information on workshop sessions. Please note that registrations listed below do not include processing fees.
General Registration: $150 through Nov 20, 2024
Preconference: $35, (Optional, for more details see below)
Vendor Exhibitor Hall: $200
Cancellation Policy: In the event you have to cancel your registration, please contact Anna McGovern. Cancellation requests made by October 31, 2024 receive a 100% refund, less processing fees. Tickets are non-refundable after October 31, 2024.
Held on November 20, 2024, the Alaska OST Preconference Institute is an additional opportunity for out-of-school time providers to expanding their professional skill set. Preconference Institute offers workshops that provides an in-depth look into a learning topic and emerge with strategies and resources to bring back to their programs. The Preconference Institute is geared towards all out-of-school time program types.
This year, preconference will host two separate workshops, as well as the opportunity for providers to visit and learn from local out-of-school time providers. Please see below for more information on this year’s preconference workshops and site visit locations.
Organizations should consider taking a select, collaborative team approach when selecting a workshop and/or a site visit session, as space is limited.
Preconference Institute Schedule
7:30 - 8:00 a.m. - Check in
8:00 - 2:00 p.m. - Planning with Data, Thriving Out-of-School Time Workforce Summit (A boxed lunch will be provided for all participants)
2:00 - 5:30 p.m. - Site Visits (Transportation provided)
Preconference Institute
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Time: 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. with lunch provided
Presenter: Erin Moriearty; Alaska Afterschool Network
Audience: Youth Program Quality Initiative participants
Programmatic Grade Level: K-12
Session Capacity: 45 participants
Registration Deadline & Cost: October 31, 2024 // $35
Planning with Data is the Plan phase of the Youth Program Quality Initiative. Participating programs will analyze their collected data to explore their strengths and areas for improvement. Participants will work with their Professional Learning Community to discover root causes, refine goals, and build an improvement plan to implement in the Improve phase of the Youth Program Quality Initiative.
This workshop is open only to Youth Program Quality Initiative YPQI participants. This is an interactive workshop and program teams are encouraged to attend together.
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Time: 8:00 - 2:00 p.m. with 30 minute lunch
Presenter(s): TBD
Audience: Instructional (Frontline) Staff and Site Coordinators
Programmatic Grade Level: All
Session Capacity: 25 participants;
Registration Deadline and Cost: October 31, 2024 // $35
For the past three years, the Alaska Afterschool Network has been actively involved in the development of the National AfterSchool Association’s Thriving Workforce Initiative. We are now prepared to bring this initiative to Alaska to enhance job quality for OST professionals. Our goals are to think big, engage in deep conversations, and develop a shared vision for the profession, and we cannot do this without you.Participants will utilize national resources including the National Afterschool Association's (NAA) Out-of-School Time (OST) Job Quality Standards as a foundation to explore best practices for improving job quality, fostering professional growth, to deliver high-quality programs that benefit both staff and youth. Participants will engage in:
Hands-on exploration of OST workforce data to consider how it informs local action
Presentations by national thought leaders sharing insights from the broader field
Action planning that aligns thriving workforce efforts with your organization’s employment priorities
Prework: Prior to the November 20 summit, all participants will receive emailed instructions detailing the required prework.
Preconference Institute
Site Visits
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Time: 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Programmatic Grade Level: 1st-5th Grades
Session Capacity: 10 participants per site.
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District hosts 7 afterschool programs in the Fairbanks area. These program sites are federally funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant. These afterschool programs are designed to support academic improvement and social emotional learning through small group academic intervention and hands-on STEM enrichment activities. During this field trip you will be able to visit Denali Elementary and to observe a variety of programming in action (limited to 10 field trip participants per site). -
Time: 2:20 - 4:20 p.m.
Programmatic Grade Level: 6th-8th Grades
Session Capacity: 10 participants per site.
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District hosts 7 afterschool programs in the Fairbanks area. These program sites are federally funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant. These afterschool programs are designed to support academic improvement and social emotional learning through small group academic intervention and hands-on STEM enrichment activities. During this field trip you will be able to visit Ryan Middle and to observe a variety of programming in action (limited to 10 field trip participants per site). -
Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Programmatic Grade Level: PreK-12th Grade
Session Capacity: 20 participants
Discover the UA Museum of the North! See hands-on kits available for statewide loan and explore resources with the Education and Public Programs team. Go behind-the-scenes to see collections plus learn about the work of the museum in studying and caring for more than 2.5 million artifacts and specimens.
Agenda
Download our conference app, Whova, to access the full workshop descriptions, create your own personal agenda, and to network with other attendees, presenters and exhibitors!
Vendor Exhibit Hall
Vendor Exhibitor Hall Tabling area is available November 21 & 22, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.
Registration for the conference's Vendor Exhibitor Hall is now open. Registration is $200 and provides vendors access to an eight foot table, two chairs, 2 passes for entrance to lunch and lunch programming. All vendors are encouraged to have interactive booths and provide free outreach materials to conference attendees.
General Admission to the Alaska Out-of-School Time Conference is a separate registration fee and is not included in Vendor Exhibitor Hall registration.
Accommodations
A group block is available at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel for conference attendees to book at a discounted rate of $109/night during their stay in Fairbanks. Use code OST1119 through the reservation link below to reserve your rooms.
The room block closes on November 14, 2024. Availability is limited.
Directions and Parking
There is parking available in the front of and behind the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel.
Workshop Proposals
At conference, you will have the opportunity to select among 30 different workshops to attend to grow your own personal skill set, your staff’s capacity, or to get hands-on with a new project or curriculum.
If you would like the opportunity to share new ideas with the field consider submitting a workshop proposal! Below are areas of interest for workshop sessions. All workshop proposals will be reviewed by our conference selection committee.
Workshop submissions are now closed.
*Aligns with Meeting Alaska’s Education Challenge +Aligns with Healthy Alaskans 2030
Social/Emotional Learning (SEL)
Trauma Informed Practice+
Culturally Responsive Programming*
STEM or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math)
College & Career Readiness*+
Secondary Programs/Teen Programming
Diversity, Equity and Belonging
Post Pandemic Recovery (learning, post COVID, post pandemic norms)
Behavior Management
Program Management
Family Engagement*
Inclusive Programming for Youth with Disabilities
Language Arts/Literacy*
Health & Wellness (physical fitness, nutrition)
Substance Misuse Prevention+
Staff Engagement (staff retention, staff self-care, reframing conflict)
Leadership Development
Non-Licensed Programs
Travel scholarships are intended to cover travel cost (airfare, mileage), lodging, and/or general registration costs associated with attending the Alaska Out-of-School Time Conference, November 21-22, 2024, in Fairbanks, AK.
Individuals receiving scholarships are expected to attend the entire two days of the conference while in Anchorage, volunteer and support during conference, and to represent their organization and the Alaska Afterschool Network well.
All scholarship applications will be reviewed by the Conference Planning Committee on a rolling basis pending funding available. Funds are limited.
Deadline: CLOSED
*21st Century Community Learning Center and Positive Youth Development Afterschool Program grantees are not eligible to apply. All scholarship funds are provided by the Alaska Afterschool Network with support of its generous sponsors.
Travel Scholarships
Licensed School-Age Programs
Through Alaska SEED, licensed school-age providers are eligible for travel reimbursement (up to $1,000) and conference registration reimbursement (up to $500) for the Alaska OST Conference. Here's what you need:
Travel Reimbursement:
A Pre-Travel Application for the conference must be submitted online by Oct. 30th, 2024.
If you are pre-approved, SEED will email and/or mail you a confirmation and a Travel Request (TR) Verification Form. The TR Verification Form, along with all receipts and proof of completion, must be submitted by January 22nd, 2024.
Registration Reimbursement:
Your membership in the Alaska SEED Registry is current/active.
You are an early childhood or school-age professional operating or working as a paid employee of a licensed or approved child care facility.
You are currently residing in the state of Alaska.
Thank you to our 2024 Conference Sponsors!
Premier Level Sponsor
Gold Level Sponsor
Silver Level Sponsor
Bronze Level Sponsor
Sponsorship Opportunities
Your sponsorship helps create better afterschool programs for kids in Alaska by supporting quality professional learning for afterschool educators.
