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RECENT AFTERSCHOOL SNACKS

In the Field

New tools for OST programs from National League of Cities
research

New credit-for-learning spotlight: Youth In Action (YIA)
Lights On Afterschool

Chatting with the Lights On poster contest winners
News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: August 21, 2024

FEATURED FOR Aug 29, 2024

News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: August 21, 2024

Posted On: 08/21/2024
Policy

Increased state-level funding for afterschool and summer programs helps students succeed

Posted On: 08/20/2024
In the Field

Sustaining afterschool and summer programs as ARP funds wind down

Posted On: 08/19/2024
Lights On Afterschool

Meet the winner of our Lights On Afterschool poster contest

This year’s poster was created by Elizabeth F. and Sophia P. from Houston Healthy Hip-Hop: RAD ART, an afterschool program in Houston, Texas. Elizabeth and Sophia’s artwork features youth...

News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: August 14, 2024

Policy

Child care momentum continues with a re-introduced bill for CCDBG

In the Field

National Summer Learning Week in Madison, Wisconsin

From July 15-19, afterschool programs nationwide celebrated National Summer Learning Week, an annual celebration dedicated to elevating the importance of summer learning for kids and families. An...

In the Field

Afterschool intermediaries shown to expand supports for youth

New research shows that the organizations dedicated to supporting and advocating for afterschool and summer programs – known as intermediaries – made substantial contributions in helping...

In the Field

Plug-and-Play Playlists for K-12 youth

News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: August 7, 2024

STEM

August resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Weekly Media Roundup: August 14, 2024

Virginia Designates Additional Aid for At-Risk Students, Virginia Mercury (Virginia) Beginning this fall, Virginia schools will have an additional $180 million per year to support at-risk students. A 2023 study found that Virginia provided less state funding for at-risk students than the...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      08/14/24

Weekly Media Roundup: August 7, 2024

Chicago Touts After-School Program Growth But Cuts Funding, Chalkbeat Weeks before the school year begins, many Chicago afterschool programs are facing dramatic funding cuts as federal COVID funds wind down and Chicago Public Schools is allocating fewer resources to out-of-school time programs....

BY: Magen Eissenstat      08/07/24

Weekly Media Roundup: July 31, 2024

A North Texas School District is Offering a Free Dinner Program for Students This Year, WFAA (Texas) This fall, Fort Worth Independent School District is partnering with Sodexo to provide free dinners at its afterschool enrichment programs. “We are excited about the opportunities this...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      07/31/24

Weekly Media Roundup: July 24, 2024

Davis Promotes Afterschool Programs in McKeesport Visit, The Mon Valley Independent (Pennsylvania) To celebrate Pennsylvania’s new BOOST (Building Opportunity through Out of School Time) initiative, which includes $11.5 million for afterschool, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis visited...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      07/24/24

Weekly Media Roundup: July 17, 2024

The Dog Days of Summer Drag. Summer Learning Programs Can Help, The Journal (Colorado) To celebrate National Summer Learning Week, 360 students across nine Colorado counties wrote postcards to their state lawmakers about why they love their summer learning programs. “I think summer camp is...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      07/17/24

Weekly Media Roundup: July 10, 2024

Education Matters: Central Valley Schools Are Expanding Students’ Learning Experiences,Your Central Valley (California) Thanks to a series of partnerships with county offices and Community Youth Ministries, students in the Selma Unified and Kings Canyon Unified School Districts in Fresno,...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      07/10/24

Weekly Media Roundup: July 3, 2024

Inside a Summer Learning Camp With an Uncertain Future After ESSER, Education Week More than 1,400 students are participating in Grizzly Learning Camp, a free, seven-week summer learning program run by Ypsilanti Community Schools in Michigan. It uses project-based learning – including...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      07/03/24

Weekly Media Roundup: June 27, 2024

The Surprising Reason Black Schools Face a ‘Fiscal Cliff’ This Fall, Word in Black As federal COVID emergency funds expire this fall, Black students around the country are at risk of losing access to afterschool programs and other supports that students in better-funded school...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      06/26/24

Weekly Media Roundup: June 20, 2024

Parents in Viroqua Come Together for the 'Save the After School Program' Campaign, WXOW (Wisconsin) At the McIntosh Memorial Library’s afterschool program in Viroqua, Wisconsin, students take part in outdoor games, visit local arts organizations, read to a therapy dog named Gordon,...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      06/20/24

Weekly Media Roundup: June 12, 2024

Tacoma's Late Night Summer Youth Program Aims to Curb Violence, Fox 13 Seattle (Washington) At 12 locations across Tacoma this summer, middle and high schoolers are taking part in Summer Late Nights programming held by Metro Parks Tacoma and Tacoma Public Schools. Each weeknight, teens can...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      06/12/24

Plug-and-Play Playlists for K-12 youth

This information was provided by the team at Mizzen Education. Sign up for their newsletter today! Mizzen offers a wealth of high-quality learning tools to the out-of-school time field. This week, we are focusing on one particular type of resource: plug-and-play playlists. Unlike Mizzen...

BY: Guest Blogger      08/08/24

August resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for August 2024 ACRES Coaching: Making Math Engaging Thursdays: 8/22, 9/5, 9/19/2024 1:00 - 3:00 pm EST / 10:00 am- Noon PST Are you looking for fun ways to help youth build number sense and problem-solving skills? Math can take on new meaning when it is integrated into daily...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      08/06/24

New resource database for programs interested in STEM, civic engagement, and youth empowerment

This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs working at the intersection of STEM and civic engagement. We are excited to showcase the systemic change...

BY: Leah Silverberg      08/05/24

Integrating play-based learning and STEM practices

By Blythe Romano, Research Specialist with the Association of Children’s Museums. Since 2020, the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) and Oregon State University STEM Research Center (OSU) has been working on the development of a set of tools that explore the intersection of play...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/18/24

Highlights from the Flight Crew Experience at Girls Build Solutions 2024

After six months of virtual programming as members of the Million Girls Moonshot 2024 Flight Crew, from June 24 to 26, 2024, young STEM advocates met in-person at Girls Build Solutions (GBS) 2024! The Million Girls Moonshot Flight Crew, launched by STEM Next Opportunity to engage millions more...

BY: Elizabeth Bannan      07/09/24

July resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for July 2024 ACRES Coaching: Asking Purposeful Questions Mondays: 7/8, 7/22, and 8/5/2024 2:00- 4:00 pm EST / 11:00 am- 1:00 pm PST Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      07/02/24

Afterschool STEM policy updates: June 2024

Members of the Afterschool STEM Hub meeting with Jacquelun Southerland in Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)'s office during the 2024 Afterschool for All Challenge With summer upon us, the country’s economy–and its STEM advocates–remain focused on fulfilling the promise of the...

BY: Leslie Brooks      06/28/24

Youth voice in afterschool STEM: Peeking behind the curtain

STEM learning in afterschool has really taken off over the past decade and there is little doubt of the importance of these spaces for engaging young people with STEM. The most recent America After 3PM study tells us that 73% of afterschool programs offer STEM and that 72% of parents look for these...

BY: Anita Krishnamurthi      06/27/24

OST STEM preparing young people for “green jobs”

Photo courtesy of Oasis Bike Workshop By Katie Headrick Taylor, Associate Professor, University of Washington’s College of Education. In 2021, President Biden proposed that 10 million green jobs be part of the federal government’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. These “green...

BY: Guest Blogger      06/25/24

Afterschool programs fill the AI skills gap

By Audra Darbyshire, Creative Manager at Technovation. This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs highlights examples of programs working at the intersection of STEM and civic...

BY: Guest Blogger      06/06/24

Child care momentum continues with a re-introduced bill for CCDBG

On August 1, Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced the Child Care and Development Block Grant Reauthorization Act of 2024. The act builds on the current Child Care and Development Block Grant legislation last reauthorized in 2014. Additional co-sponsors include Todd Young (R-IN), Susan...

BY: Jillian Luchner      08/13/24

Senate appropriators propose level funding for 21st CCLC in FY 2025

The Senate Appropriations Committee released and marked up their Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill on August 1, 2024. The bill proposes $231.34 billion in base discretionary funding for Fiscal Year 2025, and the Committee approved the bill along...

BY: Erik Peterson      08/02/24

Summer for All legislation introduced in the Senate

On July 26, at Camp Courant summer learning program in Farmington, CT, Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced the introduction of the Summer for All Act. The new federal legislation aims to help provide high-quality summer enrichment opportunities to all children, youth and families, and...

BY: Erik Peterson      07/30/24

Appropriations update: House Committee passes FY 2025 Education Spending Bill, Senate starts process

This week, both the House and Senate made progress on the FY 2025 appropriations cycle. The House Appropriations Committee continued to approve bills sent to them by the 12 spending subcommittees, while the Senate got its process started by deciding topline figures. House Committee acts on...

BY: Erik Peterson      07/12/24

Key House subcommittee makes deep cuts to education spending in FY 25

On June 27, the House of Representatives Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS-ED) and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its FY 2025 spending bill. Overall, the FY 2025 Labor-Health and Humans Services-Education bill (Labor-H) provides $68.1 billion for Department...

BY: Erik Peterson      06/27/24

Braiding pandemic relief funds to increase afterschool and summer opportunities

School districts continue to leverage American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to support students in afterschool and summer programs. Two new spotlights, Chickasaw City Schools and Tuscaloosa City Schools. take a closer look at how two school...

BY: Liana Shivers      06/21/24

5 highlights from the Afterschool for All Challenge 2024

This week, 200 advocates from across the country — including nine of our Afterschool Youth Ambassadors — came to Washington, D.C., as part of the Afterschool for All Challenge. On June 11, supporters attended meetings on Capitol Hill to urge their elected officials to support increased...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      06/13/24

House advances legislation that would improve youth workforce development

On April 9, the US House of Representatives approved H.R. 6655, “A Stronger Workforce for America Act,” by a vote of 378 to 26. The bipartisan legislation reauthorizes and makes critical improvements to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and seeks to expand skills...

BY: Erik Peterson      04/26/24

Two new bills in Congress aim to support young people through afterschool programs

While funding battles and impeachment debates continue to dominate the headlines from Capitol Hill, two new bipartisan bills were introduced in Congress in recent weeks that, if passed, could help support local afterschool programs and the young people they serve. Senators Cortez-Masto...

BY: Chris Neitzey      04/22/24

Congress wraps up FY2024 spending with mixed results for STEM education

by Della Cronin, principal of the Bose Public Affairs Group. The 118th Congress recently completed the fiscal year 2024 budget and appropriations process via the enactment of two packages of spending bills. The two massive measures each included six spending bills. The first invests $467.5...

BY: Guest Blogger      04/08/24

Meet the winner of our Lights On Afterschool poster contest

This year’s poster was created by Elizabeth F. and Sophia P. from Houston Healthy Hip-Hop: RAD ART, an afterschool program in Houston, Texas. Elizabeth and Sophia’s artwork features youth engaged in various afterschool activities, from science experiments and break dancing to space...

BY: Shaun Gray      08/15/24

The 2024 Lights On Afterschool Poster Contest is open!

The Lights On Afterschool poster contest is officially open, and this year we’re looking for any artwork that represents the spirit of afterschool programs. To make things even more exciting, we’re looking to gather new or already existing materials. If your program has pre-made artwork...

BY: Shaun Gray      04/09/24

Where we were during Lights On Afterschool 2023

Students at Life Pieces to Masterpieces in Washington, D.C. Afterschool Alliance staff members were out and about at afterschoool programs during Lights On Afterschool 2023. Here are a few snapshots of events they participated in. For even more Lights On Afterschool event recaps, check out...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      11/30/23

Lights On Afterschool: Where on earth is Chris Neitzey?

Photo courtesy of Chris Neitzey; Madison Deputy Mayor Sanon addresses the crowd outside the Wisconsin State Capitol.  For Lights On Afterschool 2023, Afterschool Alliance Director of State Policy Chris Neitzey visited a record-breaking six Lights On Afterschool events across Wisconsin. His...

BY: Chris Neitzey      11/20/23

Lights, learning, and lunchboxes – An innovative partnership during Lights On

By Meredith Bush, Senior Manager of Education Business Development at Center of Science and Industry (COSI), and Stephen White, Chief Strategy Officer, Vice President of Partnerships and Business Development at Center of Science and Industry (COSI). Afterschool Alliance teamed up...

BY: Guest Blogger      11/09/23

Lights On Afterschool STEM extravaganza

With Lights On Afterschool season upon us and as the new STEM Hub Manager here at the Afterschool Alliance, I was eager to participate in an event elevating the value of STEM learning for youth at a young age. I was delighted to learn about and attend the inaugural STEM Extravaganza in Columbia,...

BY: Leslie Brooks      11/02/23

Top ten highlights from Lights On Afterschool 2023

Yesterday, the 24th annual Lights On Afterschool was celebrated by afterschool programs and supporters nationwide. With 8,000 different events held in collaboration with hundreds of partners and a million attendees, it’s hard to select just a few special moments to share...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      10/27/23

Today is Lights On Afterschool!

In Arkansas, students are completing an obstacle course with members of their local fire department. In California, they are learning to weave baskets and performing songs and skits. In Delaware, they are exploring careers from landscaping to banking; in Georgia, identifying native plants...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      10/26/23

Energy Superheroes join Lights On Afterschool events in Charlottesville, Denver, Houston – and Mons, Belgium

We’re thrilled to share that Energy Superheroes are joining in the nation’s celebration of afterschool programs, Lights On Afterschool! Energy Superheroes are real-life women with superpowers and careers that are leading the energy transition. Many of these women help to power...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      10/24/23

Celebrate Lights On Afterschool with these last-minute ideas

The time has come: we are officially one week out from Lights On Afterschool day! Did you think it was too late to join in the celebration? Well, think again! Whether you want to partake in the Lightbulb Challenge or light up a local landmark, here are some ways to get involved in Lights On...

BY: Lucy Maddox      10/19/23

Child care momentum continues with a re-introduced bill for CCDBG

On August 1, Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced the Child Care and Development Block Grant Reauthorization Act of 2024. The act builds on the current Child Care and Development Block Grant legislation last reauthorized in 2014. Additional co-sponsors include Todd Young (R-IN), Susan...

BY: Jillian Luchner      08/13/24

Senate appropriators propose level funding for 21st CCLC in FY 2025

The Senate Appropriations Committee released and marked up their Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill on August 1, 2024. The bill proposes $231.34 billion in base discretionary funding for Fiscal Year 2025, and the Committee approved the bill along...

BY: Erik Peterson      08/02/24

Summer for All legislation introduced in the Senate

On July 26, at Camp Courant summer learning program in Farmington, CT, Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced the introduction of the Summer for All Act. The new federal legislation aims to help provide high-quality summer enrichment opportunities to all children, youth and families, and...

BY: Erik Peterson      07/30/24

Senate Finance Committee examines the State of Child Care

On July 9, 2024, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing titled "Examining the State of Child Care: How Federal Policy Solutions Can Support Families, Close Existing Gaps, and Strengthen Economic Growth." This hearing addressed the urgent child care crisis in the United States. The...

BY: Jamaiya Nowling      07/25/24

Appropriations update: House Committee passes FY 2025 Education Spending Bill, Senate starts process

This week, both the House and Senate made progress on the FY 2025 appropriations cycle. The House Appropriations Committee continued to approve bills sent to them by the 12 spending subcommittees, while the Senate got its process started by deciding topline figures. House Committee acts on...

BY: Erik Peterson      07/12/24

Key House subcommittee makes deep cuts to education spending in FY 25

On June 27, the House of Representatives Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHS-ED) and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its FY 2025 spending bill. Overall, the FY 2025 Labor-Health and Humans Services-Education bill (Labor-H) provides $68.1 billion for Department...

BY: Erik Peterson      06/27/24

Get ready for the 2024 Afterschool for All Challenge!

The 2024 Afterschool for All Challenge is coming up on June 11! To help afterschool supporters prepare to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill, Erik Peterson, Senior Vice President of Policy, and Maria Rizo, Senior Communications Associate, shared the latest policy news and top tips to advocate...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      05/31/24

FY 25 appropriations process hits its stride, time to advocate for afterschool

After many delays, Congress finished work on fiscal year (FY) 2024 spending bills in late March, allowing lawmakers to immediately turn to the FY 2025 process. The House Appropriations Committee has a new Chairman, both House and Senate Appropriation Committees have released guidance for spending...

BY: Erik Peterson      05/03/24

Afterschool STEM Hub hosts Capitol Hill briefing on impact of afterschool STEM programs on older youth

Panel featuring Anita Krishnamurthi, Zainab Abbas, Natalie Taitano, Siobhán Hayes, and Jubei Brown-Weaver. Photo courtesy of Liana Shivers. On Thursday, April 11, 2024, the Afterschool STEM Hub, an initiative of the Afterschool Alliance, hosted a congressional briefing on the benefits of...

BY: Leslie Brooks      04/29/24

House advances legislation that would improve youth workforce development

On April 9, the US House of Representatives approved H.R. 6655, “A Stronger Workforce for America Act,” by a vote of 378 to 26. The bipartisan legislation reauthorizes and makes critical improvements to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and seeks to expand skills...

BY: Erik Peterson      04/26/24

Afterschool intermediaries shown to expand supports for youth

New research shows that the organizations dedicated to supporting and advocating for afterschool and summer programs – known as intermediaries – made substantial contributions in helping communities during the pandemic and addressing the inequities made worse by the health...

BY: Ursula Helminski      08/09/24

$1.8M awarded to middle-school out-of-school time programs

The New York Life Foundation and the Afterschool Alliance are pleased to announce the 2024 Aim High grant recipients. Now in its eighth year, the Aim High grant has provided a total of $11.55 million dollars to afterschool, summer and expanded learning programs that help middle school students...

BY: Tiyana Glenn      07/23/24

Youth value voice, preparing for the future, and making a difference in afterschool

More than 9 in 10 youth report that they feel respected, are listened to, and trust the adults in their afterschool programs, according to research released by Every Hour Counts. Acting in leadership positions, working on social justice, and learning how to manage money were among the activities...

BY: Ursula Helminski      07/16/24

July resources from Million Girls Moonshot

Trainings for July 2024 ACRES Coaching: Asking Purposeful Questions Mondays: 7/8, 7/22, and 8/5/2024 2:00- 4:00 pm EST / 11:00 am- 1:00 pm PST Questions begin a path toward discovery, imagination, and STEM exploration. How can we help youth expand and clarify their thinking and develop...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      07/02/24

Afterschool Alliance and National AfterSchool Association team up to support a thriving afterschool workforce

We are excited to announce a groundbreaking collaboration between the Afterschool Alliance and the National AfterSchool Association (NAA), aimed at fortifying the workforce within the afterschool and summer programming sectors. This strategic partnership comes at a critical juncture as programs...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      06/18/24

New report on summer 2023 programming

“Looking ahead to summer 2024, it seems like summer programming is poised to shrink rather than grow…Now that so many districts have ramped up their summer programming, the United States could choose a different path by building on the momentum already achieved—instead of scaling...

BY: Nikki Yamashiro      06/14/24

Sustainability, systems thinking, and the ocean

Photo credit: Smithsonian Institution By Heidi Gibson, Manager, Global Sustainability Series, Smithsonian Science Education Center This blog is part of the Afterschool Alliance's Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative. This series of blogs...

BY: Guest Blogger      05/20/24

The 2024 Lights On Afterschool Poster Contest is open!

The Lights On Afterschool poster contest is officially open, and this year we’re looking for any artwork that represents the spirit of afterschool programs. To make things even more exciting, we’re looking to gather new or already existing materials. If your program has pre-made artwork...

BY: Shaun Gray      04/09/24

Measuring Youth Development: How out-of-school time programs collect and use data

Data collection can be one of the most useful – and most challenging – aspects of running an afterschool or summer program. A new Child Trends report commissioned by The Wallace Foundation explores the ways OST programs gauge their work, challenges to collecting data, and tips to...

BY: Ursula Helminski      04/02/24

Find essential OST research on the new Wallace Foundation website

Notice anything new? The Wallace Foundation has recently unveiled a new website. To help users navigate the new site, the foundation has provided an accompanying FAQ to address common questions about the site’s updated features. While steps were taken to ensure that former webpage links...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      01/23/24

Recapping the third Engage Every Student Summit

On July 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education hosted the third Engage Every Student Summit in Washington, D.C. Non-profits, representatives from cities and local governments, and afterschool and summer learning programs gathered at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library to participate in panel...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      08/01/24

Youth Voice Week 2024 was a huge success

The voices of young people are still echoing in afterschool programs across the nation, in the halls of Congress, and across social media after a powerful Youth Voice Week! From March 25-29, the Afterschool Alliance partnered with the Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society and...

BY: Maria Rizo      04/15/24

By helping create my afterschool program, I became the person I am today

By Ava Havidic, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. March 25 to 29, 2024 is Youth Voice Week! All this week, we will publish blogs from our Afterschool Youth Ambassadors, as they describe the impact their program has had on their lives and why afterschool is important to them and their...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/29/24

I'm grateful to my afterschool program for giving me a place to belong and helping me make friends.

By Gabrielle Haynes, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. March 25 to 29, 2024 is Youth Voice Week! All this week, we will publish blogs from our Afterschool Youth Ambassadors, as they describe the impact their program has had on their lives and why afterschool is important to them and...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/27/24

I have been led by my afterschool teachers, and now I am leading the youth of today.

By Jay'Len Clark, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. March 25 to 29, 2024 is Youth Voice Week! All this week, we will publish blogs from our Afterschool Youth Ambassadors, as they describe the impact their program has had on their lives and why afterschool is important to them and...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/26/24

Afterschool gave me access to opportunities that improved my outlook on life.

By Brandon Tibbs, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. March 25 to 29, 2024 is Youth Voice Week! All this week, we will publish blogs from our Afterschool Youth Ambassadors, as they describe the impact their program has had on their lives and why afterschool is important to them and...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/25/24

It's almost Youth Voice Week! Here's how to participate.

Next week marks the start of Youth Voice Week 2024, and all eyes are on the young people in afterschool. From March 25 to 29, we’re amplifying young people’s voices as they share the issues that are most important to them, and we’re inviting your program’s youth to...

BY: Maria Rizo      03/22/24

Afterschool is changing the narrative in my community

By Brandon Tibbs, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. Where I’m from, there’s three ways to be: a “Norbit” (a scholar), a “hoodlum,” or a baller. Afterschool programs aim to change that narrative. A typical day in the ComED youth program would...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/21/24

In afterschool, I had amazing experiences and got to meet amazing people

By Gabrielle Haynes, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. Throughout middle school, I loved going to the Boys and Girls Club afterschool, and I especially loved the staff. Being at the club felt like home to me; it just felt normal and comfortable. Every day, at about 2:15 pm, we would...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/19/24

In afterschool, we're building community and celebrating progress

By Edgar Euceda, Afterschool Youth Ambassador, class of 2024. One meaningful lesson I've learned in the Elsik Afterschool Debate Club, particularly as president of the club, is the importance of having a community that's not only supportive but also celebrates progress.  A few...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/14/24