NEW MEXICO OUT-OF SCHOOL TIME NETWORK

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: NMOST HOSTED ITS 13TH ANNUAL FALL INTO PLACE CONFERENCE ON OCTOBER 26-27, 2023, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NM PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT (NM PED) ON THE DCPV360 VIRTUAL PLATFORM. THE CONFERENCE WAS A GREAT SUCCESS WITH 310 REGISTRANTS REPRESENTING THE OST FIELD, EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND YOUTH. THE EVENT INCLUDED THREE (3) PRE-CONFERENCES FOR 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS, ARP ESSER IIII AND NEW AFTERSCHOOL SITES FUNDED WITH HB2 FUNDS. POLICY LEADERS SPEAKING INCLUDED AMANDA DEBELL, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF TEACHING, LEARNING, AND INNOVATION FOR NM PED AND NM LT. GOV. HOWIE MORALES. NMOST ESTABLISHED THE FIRST OST LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE IN NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE TO PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EMERGING OST LEADERS WORKING IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. IN 2023, WE IMPLEMENTED A SERIES OF FREE VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE TO ALL, WHILE RECRUITING FOR THE FIRST IN-PERSON INSTITUTE IN 2024 SINCE THE PANDEMIC. NMOST ALSO HOSTED AN EVENING RECEPTION FOR CHAMPIONS OF AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER LEARNING AT THE NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NATIONAL STATE AFTERSCHOOL NETWORKS AND THE CHARLES STEWART MOTT FOUNDATION. OUR NEWSLETTERS, WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA IS OUR MAIN STRATEGY TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO RESOURCES, AVAILABLE TRAINING, AND WORKSHOPS STATEWIDE AND NATIONALLY FOR OST PROVIDERS ACROSS THE STATE.

STEM EDUCATION: NMOST STRIVE TO REACH MORE YOUTH WITH STEM LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY GIRLS AND UNDER-REPRESENTED YOUTH IN NEW MEXICO. NMOST ALSO WORKS TO EQUIP OST PROGRAMS WITH TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO MEET OUR GOAL OF EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW MEXICO YOUTH TO LEARN ABOUT AND EXPERIENCE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION. THROUGH OUR STEM NEXT MILLION GIRLS MOONSHOT INITIATIVE WE SUPPORT AND INSPIRE MORE YOUNG WOMEN TO PURSUE A STEM EDUCATION AND CAREER THROUGH THE ADVANCING YOUNG WOMEN IN STEM SCHOLARSHIP AND RELATED EVENTS. SINCE 2018, NMOST HAS AWARDED 57 SCHOLARSHIPS TOTALING 42,500 TO YOUNG WOMEN PURSUING OR COMMITTED TO PURSUING A STEM DEGREE AND/OR STEM CAREER HELPING TO CLOSE THE GENDER GAP AND FILL THE PIPELINE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF HIGH-PAYING CAREERS. NMOST INITIATED THE NM STEM GENDER EQUITY COALITION WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS AND OST PROVIDERS TO CREATE A SPACE TO SHARE AND DISCUSS LESSONS LEARNED, ACTIONABLE TOOLS AND STRATEGIES TO RECRUIT, EMPOWER AND RETAIN GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN IN STEM. NMOST DEVELOPED THE "12 PROMISING PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR ENGAGING GIRLS IN STEM THROUGH OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME" IN CONCERT WITH THE COALITION AND AN ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR OST PROVIDERS TO EVALUATE THEIR OWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE 12 CATEGORIES.