STRENGTHEN | OST E-LEARNING PORTAL
OST E-Learning
The Afterschool Network offers a variety of asynchronous learning opportunities, including prerecorded webinars, PDF resources, and SEED-approved E-learning courses with completion certificates, designed to support out-of-school time professionals.
Access the Portal
The Alaska Afterschool Network has partnered with CypherWorx to create the Alaska Out-of-School-Time E-Learning Portal.
The Alaska OST E-Learning Portal is an online Learning Management System specifically designed for out-of-school time professionals. Available on the E-Learning Portal are hundreds of professional development courses, the ability to create, assign, and track course completion for staff development, among additional features. On the E-Learning Portal. you will find 72 hours of professional development courses dedicated specifically for afterschool youth workers, as well as hundreds of CypherWorx courses. All CypherWorx course have been SEED approved.
Each E-Learning module provides a certificate of completion including training hours.
To register for FREE to the Alaska OST E-Learning Portal, click here.
Browse Our Afterschool Course Catalogue Here
Features Include
Take a Course - Browse an extensive catalog of over 500 courses across different topics; find interactive content, hands on learning, and measurable progress.
Reporting - Keep track of your employee’s training performance with customized reporting. Curated design will give you a single, comprehensive view of full context.
Custom Certificates - Upload presentations and videos, add audio and quizzes, and complete your new online training with a certificate.
Events - Host live training events and track progress of your employees.
Learning Paths - Learning Paths is a sequence of courses that allows a learner to master a topic in numerous steps.
Assessments - Assessments allows you to uncover learning needs and gaps and then use those results to develop individualized training plans for each learner in your organization.
Create-A-Course - Publish your own online course by uploading a PowerPoint or PDF.
Discussions - Continue the conversation through message posts and attachments in your discussion boards.
Resources - Curate and monitor a digital library of your organization's documents, available for downloading and viewing.
Teams - Organize your staff into relevant groups to easily manage and customize their learning experiences.
Course Assignments - Add courses for individual learners and teams; emails alert users that new training has been assigned.
Downloads:
Webinars
During webinars, presenters share their expertise and best-practices for working with and supporting Alaska's youth in strength-based ways. Trainings are presented for adults working or volunteering with youth, unless noted otherwise. These webinars do not provide a certificate of training hours.
From Data to Practice Series: YRBS Substance Misuse Results and Adolescent Health
The From Data to Practice Series offers an opportunity to learn how Alaska’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) results are used to inform programs, policies, and priorities across Alaska. This quarter’s discussion focuses on YRBS results related to substance misuse and prevention, with a focus on marijuana use and shared risk and protective factors. Andrea Fenaughty, Deputy Section Chief & Senior Chronic Disease Epidemiologist; Alaska DHSS and Eliza Muse, Marijuana Education Program Manager; Alaska DHSS, will share how YRBS data was used to design and implement a comprehensive plan to address cannabis use in the context of legalization.
Communicating with Youth: A Strengths Based Approach
Webinar date: 5/7/15
Presenters: Chrystle Tebo, Program and Resource Coordinator of Boys and Girls Clubs, Alaska; and Thomas Azzarella, Director of Alaska Afterschool Network
This recorded training focuses on strategies to feel empowered in your interactions with youth – to be proactive vs. reactive, learning what to do when these strategies don’t work the first time and that persistence pays off, and how positive recognition supports youth development.
YRBS From Data to Practice Webinar Series: Student Health
The From Data to Practice Series offers an opportunity to learn how Alaska’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) results are used to inform programs, policies, and priorities across Alaska. Each webinar will provide a review of select 2019 YRBS topics and results; information on programs, projects, and resources available across Alaska; and a spotlight on services and outreach efforts in one or more of our local communities. These discussions allow communities to build supports and learn from one another as we endeavor to improve health behavior-related outcomes in Alaska. This quarter’s discussion focuses school health profiles and related 2019 YRBS school health data.
Youth Program Quality Initiative Informational Session
Presenter: Erin Moriearty
This is an informational meeting on the Youth Program Quality Initiative for the 2024-2025 school year. This session walks through the Initiative process and gives an overview of involved trainings and the timeline.
Agency Quality Assessment Form B
Presenter: Thomas Azzarella
This webinar is designed to prepare organizations to conduct an Agency Quality Assessment using Form B, which focuses on program quality at the organizational level and helps assess features of a program, such as policies and practices, staff development, connection to families and schools, program access, and strategies for program improvement. Form B focuses on program quality at the organizational level and assesses the quality of organizational supports for youth program offerings.
Social Media for Programs
Presenter: Jennifer Wienke
Social media is a powerful tool for fueling the success of your out-of-school time program. In this webinar, learn some useful tips and tricks to help your program succeed with free social media platforms. Get ideas for best practices and guidelines for success!
Theater and Social Emotional Learning
Presenter: Jennifer Wienke
This inspiring workshop offers an accessible introduction into theater and social emotional learning (SEL) and gives advice how to combine theater and SEL into your programs. Hear from real students about the impact that theater has had in their lives and how it can help with emotions and communication.
8 Magic Keys to Support Students with FASD
Presenter: Deb Evenson
Practical strategies to help children do better at home, in school, and in the community that are easy to implement and will make your job much easier.
Connecting Generations through Culture
Webinar date: 8/13/15
Presenters: Ella Tonuchuk (Leadership Development Coordinator) and Dewey Hoffman (Leadership Development Director), First Alaskans Institute; Wilma Bell-Joe (AmeriCorps BIRCH Member and Native Survivors Youth Group adviser); and Jake Bell (Health Specialist, Chilkoot Indian Association Tribal Youth Program)
Explore how communities and programs intentionally or naturally allow for generations to interact and learn from one another. Presenters share the importance of how interacting and creating strong connections across generations can lead to increased well-being and resiliency for youth, adults, and elders.
Strengthening Families
Webinar date: 11/19/15
Presenters: Shirley Pittz (Strengthening Families Project)
Go through the five Protective Factors of the Strengthening Families approach, as well as local examples of implementation by Alaskan communities. Research supports the notion that when Protective Factors are well established in a family, the likelihood of child abuse and neglect diminishes. Protective Factors also promote and build family strengths for optimal child and youth development. To watch this webinar, first go to this recording (~12 minutes) before going to the main portion here (~45 minutes).
Increasing Youth Voice and Leadership
Webinar date: 2/4/16
Presenters: Thomas Azzarella, Director of the Alaska Afterschool Network; Julia Smith, Prevention Director of Sitkans Against Family Violence and the Advisor for the Sitka Youth Leadership Committee; Sherri Anderson, Youth Services Specialist for the Nome Eskimo Community and Nome Native Youth Leadership Organization.
Understand the value of incorporating youth voice in your youth programming/activities and decision making, and learn the levels of youth voice and input. Hear examples from two Alaska youth groups providing youth voice opportunities. Adults supporting youth in decision making allows for growing leadership skills.
Youth Bullying Prevention
Webinar date: 5/5/16
Presenter: Chelsie Morrison-Heath, Community Educator at STAR (Standing Together Against Rape)
Adult youth workers and volunteers will learn to recognize the characteristics/traits of bullying behaviors among youth. Attendees will also learn positive ways to address these traits and how to promote positive social behaviors.
Understanding Trauma and Promoting Resiliency with Youth
Webinar Date: 08/18/16
Presenter Desiree Compton, Licensed Professional Counselor
Adult youth workers & volunteers will learn about neurobiology and how trauma impacts brain development among youth. Skills will be taught for how to approach youth in trauma, as well as concepts that promote resiliency.
Inspiring Innovative Thinkers Through FIRST Robotics
Presenter: Alyson Cooper
This workshop provides an overview of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics program, including the impact it has on students. We will look at how the program has adjusted to conditions this season, internationally and in Alaska, and the STEM education resources at FIRST @ Home. Finally we will look at how students have used what they have learned in past years to tackle the challenges created by COVID-19, and the FIRST culture that motivates them to do so.
Managing Chronic Health Conditions
Webinar Date: 04/19/19
Presenter: Barbara Pennington RN, State of Alaska
Adult youth workers & volunteers will learn about Chronic Health Conditions, such as asthma, allergies, seizures, and diabetes, and how to care for youth in their care with these conditions. Skills will be taught for creating emergency care plans and policies to ensure youth safety and how to give emergency care.
Helping Youth Thrive: How to Increase Youth Health and Wellbeing Part 2
Presenter: Becky Judd
Alaska youth are faced with mounting challenges related to isolation, depression, cyber bullying, substance misuse, etc. What helps or hinder young people’s ability to cope with today’s challenges? What can we do to support their success at school, navigate healthy relationships, develop life and workforce skills? This interactive session is broken into two parts: Part I: Overview of the national research and Alaska’s data that identifies the risk and protective factors related to adolescent health and wellbeing. Part II: Identifies what can communities do at home, in schools, after-school and community settings to increase the adolescent protective factors.
Helping Youth Thrive: How to Increase Youth Health and Wellbeing Part 1
Presenter: Becky Judd
Alaska youth are faced with mounting challenges related to isolation, depression, cyber bullying, substance misuse, etc. What helps or hinder young people’s ability to cope with today’s challenges? What can we do to support their success at school, navigate healthy relationships, develop life and workforce skills? This interactive session is broken into two parts: Part I: Overview of the national research and Alaska’s data that identifies the risk and protective factors related to adolescent health and wellbeing. Part II: Identifies what can communities do at home, in schools, after-school and community settings to increase the adolescent protective factors.