Michigan Afterschool Partnership

10/14/2026

Does your organization provide workforce-focused training, programs, or services to youth and young adults ages 14 – 24 in Michigan? Make sure your organization’s perspective is represented in the Southeast Michigan Youth Workforce Ecosystem Survey. Qualified survey participants will:

· Ensure their organization's perspective is reflected in the research and findings

· Help identify opportunities to strengthen coordination, referrals, and connections across the workforce ecosystem

· Receive project findings and key insights at the conclusion of the research

· Be invited to participate in a regional convening focused on discussing findings, identifying priorities, and exploring opportunities for collaboration

The survey is open for submissions September 24th – October 15th, 2026. Learn More:

The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.

10/13/2026

The best people to tell Michigan what afterschool makes possible are the young people experiencing it every day. 🎥

The video contest invites Michigan young people ages 5–18 to create a one-minute video showing what makes their afterschool or summer learning program shine.

Share a favorite activity. Introduce someone who makes the program special. Demonstrate a new skill. Tell us how your program helped you grow, connect, or try something new.

Program staff, families, and partners can help with planning, filming, and submitting, but young people should lead the story.

Entries are due this Friday, October 16. Learn how to enter: https://ow.ly/59Qf50ZXaqY

10/13/2026

Parents recognize the value of STEM education, but access remains a barrier for many students. Dr. Keli Christopher, CEO of STEM Greenhouse, recently shared why challenges such as transportation, cost and program location can prevent children from participating in STEM learning opportunities - even when programs are available.

Learn more about the barriers facing STEM education and why expanding access for all students matters in our latest bloghttps://www.miafterschool.org/policy-news/dr-keli-christopher-of-stem-greenhouse-in-grand-rapids-highlights-gaps-in-stem-program-accessibility

STEM education is a priority for many families, but access remains a challenge for students across Kent County. According to a recent household survey, Afterschool STEM Takes Off in Kent County, commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance and released by the Michigan Afterschool Partnership, most paren

10/05/2026

A familiar face. Someone to sit beside. A friend who’s glad you came.

Afterschool gives young people time to get to know one another through shared projects, games, and everyday conversations. Those moments can help a new friendship grow and make a program feel like a place they belong.

This is Afterschool in Michigan.

What helps young people connect and build friendships in your program? Share an activity or approach that works for you.

10/02/2026

What changes when young people are trusted with real decisions?

Cherie has watched a young person grow with WYFY from eighth grade to tenth grade. Through the program, she has learned what philanthropy looks like, seen how out-of-school time programs respond to different community needs across seven Southeast Michigan counties, and helped direct grant funding so programs can grow.

One change stands out: she now sees this work as a possible career.

10/02/2026

Does your organization provide workforce-focused training, programs, or services to youth and young adults ages 14 – 24 in Michigan? Make sure your organization’s perspective is represented in the Southeast Michigan Youth Workforce Ecosystem Survey. Qualified survey participants will:

· Ensure their organization's perspective is reflected in the research and findings

· Help identify opportunities to strengthen coordination, referrals, and connections across the workforce ecosystem

· Receive project findings and key insights at the conclusion of the research

· Be invited to participate in a regional convening focused on discussing findings, identifying priorities, and exploring opportunities for collaboration

The survey is open for submissions September 24th – October 15th, 2026.

Learn More:

The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.

10/01/2026

Leadership is shaped by more than intention. Our identity, values, habits, and environment all leave fingerprints on the way we make decisions and support other people.

Lead Yourself First will give out-of-school time professionals space to examine those influences and practice self-leadership that is grounded, reflective, and useful in the real world.

Wednesday, October 21 | 10:00–11:30 a.m. ET | Virtual | Free

Register: https://ow.ly/itcT50ZSmVu

09/29/2026

Belonging changes who gets to make decisions.

MASP's work is featured in Governing for Belonging, a new report from the Othering & Belonging Institute. The Michigan case study follows the Youth Funding Collaboration as providers, state partners, facilitators, and community members built guiding principles, worked through conflict, and helped shape a more equitable funding process.

The story does not pretend the work was simple. It shows what becomes possible when people share power, stay in relationship, and treat community engagement as an ongoing partnership instead of a one-time request for input.

Read the Michigan story and explore ten recommendations for collaborative governance: https://ow.ly/VnTH50ZSmJx

What does belonging in governing actually entail? This paper aims to identify concrete strategies for furthering belonging through collaborative governance, particularly for individuals in government roles who are actively seeking new ways to engage constituents more deeply than conventional, transa...

09/28/2026

West Michigan, we are ready to move from listening to action.

On October 15 at Hope College in Holland, MASP will bring together young people, families and caregivers, providers, partners, funders, policymakers, and community members for a workshop-style session.

We will build on what we heard during the virtual sessions and work together to identify one or two actions that can begin moving forward in Region 4.

Thursday, October 15 | 9:00–11:00 a.m. | Light bites and refreshments provided

Register: https://ow.ly/t4Cf50ZSitb

09/24/2026

A new survey of Kent County households discovered 88% of parents of afterschool students say their child’s afterschool program offers STEM learning. However, more than four in five Kent County children whose parents want afterschool programs for them – 58,366 children — are not enrolled.

Learn more about the survey results, released Sept. 15, in our blog:

Afterschool programs are leading the way in educating the next generation in the subjects the jobs of the future will require, according to survey results of Kent County households published on Sept. 15, 2026.