Keeping the Lights On for Afterschool Programs
Special to The Truth
Afterschool programs help
students succeed in school and in life and provide
invaluable support to communities. As we’ve seen this year,
these programs play an especially important role when
students, families, and communities are struggling.
Programs across the
country have stepped up in the pandemic, providing virtual
educational activities, delivering meals and enrichment
kits, helping families bridge the digital divide, connecting
people to social services, and continuing in-person care for
the children of essential workers and first responders.
Unfortunately, a large
majority of afterschool programs that were open in the fall
of 2020 report they are straining to meet the needs of the
students and families they have long supported. National
surveys of parents and afterschool providers conducted by
Edge Research for the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit
awareness and advocacy group, find that programs and parents
are challenged by virtual learning; program budgets are
inadequate to address new safety protocols and students’
emerging needs; and students from low-income families are
now less likely than others to have access to afterschool
programs.
To underscore the value of
afterschool programs and the need to invest in them, the
Afterschool Alliance recently organized the 21st annual
“Lights On Afterschool,” the only national rally for
afterschool. It took place throughout the fall and included
local, state, and national events – many of them virtual
this year – showcasing the skills students hone and talents
they develop at their afterschool programs. From virtual
STEM fairs and art contests to car caravans and
letter-writing to isolated nursing home residents, events
focused on academics, civic engagement, STEM education,
social and emotional wellbeing, bullying prevention, mental
and physical health, and more.
“The strength and
resilience afterschool programs demonstrated in 2020 was
remarkable. Despite scarce resources, programs found ways to
help students through what has been, for many families, the
hardest of times,” says Jodi Grant, executive director of
the Afterschool Alliance. “However, there aren’t nearly
enough afterschool programs to meet the need, especially
now, with so many schools functioning virtually and with
school schedules changing without warning. We need to invest
much more in afterschool and summer learning programs.”
To learn more about the
Afterschool Alliance and “Lights On Afterschool,” which will
next be held on October 28, 2021, visit
aftershoolalliance.org.
“In normal times,
afterschool programs help students succeed by keeping them
safe, inspiring them to learn, and by supporting working
parents,” says Grant. “During a pandemic, the support they
provide is even more essential.”
Courtesy StatePoint
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