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Voters Strongly Back Afterschool, New Poll Finds
A new poll taken on Election eve and Election night for the Afterschool Alliance shows that voters strongly support afterschool programs, and want federal, state and local lawmakers to increase funding for them.
According to the survey, nearly nine in ten voters (89 percent) say that, given the dangers young people face today, afterschool programs are important. Four in five voters (83 percent) agree there should be some type of organized activity or safe place for children and teens to go after school every day that provides opportunities for them to learn. And 76 percent want the new Congress and their newly elected state and local officials to increase funding for afterschool programs.
The poll was conducted by Lake Research Partners with bipartisan analysis by Lake and The Tarrance Group for the Afterschool Alliance.
"During these tough economic times, when so many parents are forced to extend their work day or take more than one job, voters recognize that the afterschool programs that keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families are absolutely essential," said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. "Voters know a sound investment when they see one, and they know that quality afterschool programs are especially important right now because they give working families the support they urgently need, and make more options available to parents."
Other key findings from the new survey:
* Three in four voters (76 percent) agree that afterschool programs are "an absolute necessity" for their community; 58 percent strongly agree.
* Majorities of both Obama and McCain voters strongly agree that "there should be some type of organized activity or safe place for children and teens to go after school every day that provides opportunities for them to learn." Just 12 percent of voters disagree with that statement.
* Support for afterschool programs holds strong across all demographic, ideological and party lines. Ninety-four percent of Democrats, 83 percent of Independents and 71 percent of Republicans agree there's a need for an organized activity or safe place for children/teens, as do 73 percent of conservatives. Majorities of voters of all races and ages, from all regions, and parents as well as non-parents, agree.
* Men's intensity of support for afterschool programs is increasing. Today, 63 percent of men strongly agree there should be some type of organized activity or safe place for children/teens to go after school every day that provides opportunities for them to learn. In 2006, just 53 percent of men strongly agreed.
* Three in four voters (76 percent) think afterschool programs are important to helping youth stay in school and addressing the dropout crisis in America. Similarly, 76 percent see afterschool programs as important to helping prepare youth for the workforce. Only about one in five voters are neutral or see no link between afterschool programs and helping youth stay in school and prepare to enter the workforce.
"We're very encouraged by these results, and intend to ask federal lawmakers to significantly increase afterschool funding next year," Grant added. "The federal government's underfunding of afterschool has forced many programs to cut back so that they serve fewer children for fewer hours. Others have closed, leaving children unsupervised and at risk for substance abuse, gang involvement, teen pregnancy, crime and other serious problems after the school day ends. We look forward to working with the new Congress and President-Elect Obama to reach the funding levels mapped out in the No Child Left Behind Act and help make quality, affordable afterschool programs available to all children across the nation."
The national public opinion survey reached 1,200 likely registered voters, 1,000 via landline phones and 200 via cell phones, on November 2 - 4, 2008. Only respondents who told survey-takers that they were either almost certain to vote or had already voted were queried. The polls margin of error is +/- 2.8%.
From the Executive Director
During this time of economic uncertainty, afterschool has been deeply affected by the turmoil that is gutting city and county budgets across the country. It is a problem facing communities everywhere, even as the hardships families face make the need for safe and enriching places for children and youth even more urgent.
As parents look to longer hours, shrinking paychecks, and in some cases second or third jobs, we need more quality afterschool programs, not fewer, and we need policy makers to continue supporting the afterschool programs that keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families.
As the country begins the transition in government, the Afterschool Alliance is working hard to ensure that afterschool remains part of the national conversation. We are meeting with leaders of the House and Senate Afterschool Caucuses to share the results of our new public opinion poll, and to find ways to support struggling afterschool programs in stimulus packages and pave the way for an increase in afterschool funding.
We will work with President-Elect Barack Obama to support his proposal to double afterschool funding and create a new funding stream for summer learning programs. He has been a strong supporter of comprehensive afterschool programs that pool together community resources from schools, faith-based and community organizations, local businesses, museums and others - to help children and youth succeed.
The Afterschool Alliance will continue organizing state and local allies to engage newly elected state and local officials, and secure their support for afterschool. We intend to intensify our work with grassroots advocates across the country, and with the parents, children and youth who depend on afterschool each day, to ensure that every child who needs an afterschool program can be in one.
With your help, we will continue to make the case for afterschool, from local community centers to the Capitol Rotunda. We remain optimistic about the future of afterschool because we know that quality afterschool programs work and give children and youth the tools they need to succeed. Together, we will continue this work until quality afterschool programs are available to all.
Jodi Grant, Executive Director
Afterschool in the Election
The election put many issues before voters, in addition to which lawmakers to elect, including measures affecting youth, families and schools. Even youth too young to vote got involved, in some cases by casting ballots in mock elections held by afterschool programs, holding voter registration drives, or helping voters get to the polls.
In Oakland, California, voters opted to pass Measure OO, known as "Kids First Two." If it withstands challenges, this grassroots initiative will more than double funding for youth and afterschool programs. The measure requires that 2.5 percent of total city revenues be shifted to fund youth programs, or about $26.5 million by fiscal year 2011-12, reports the Contra Costa Times. Supporters gathered more than 40,000 signatures to place the measure on the ballot.
In Portland, Oregon, voters renewed a five-year property tax levy that supports grants to nonprofit organizations, including those that provide afterschool and mentoring programs. According to the Oregonian, the levy will raise $14 million a year and through the programs it supports, reach approximately 16,000 children.
In Austin, Texas, students at the Heart House afterschool program held their own "Heart House Council Election," casting ballots in a mock election. Youth politicians campaigned for seats on the council, designing platforms around good citizenship, which the program defines as: respect, responsibility, courage, compassion and honesty.
The mock election provided a hands-on opportunity for students to participate in the electoral process. A partnership with Hart InterCivic, which provides election products and services, allowed the children the opportunity to use authentic ballots created specifically for the Heart House election and cast their votes on real voting machines.
At the Kids Kollege Children's Defense Fund Freedom School in Jackson, Mississippi, youth in the afterschool program participated in voter registration drives and learned why people vote and the importance of voting.
CA, VA Youth Design Labels for Torani Syrup
Two budding artists from San Francisco, California and Newport News, Virginia will have their artwork on display in coffeehouses and kitchens throughout the country, promoting flavorful beverages and serving a good cause as well. This fall, Torani Raspberry Syrup and Torani Sugar Free Raspberry Syrup will sport new, limited-edition art labels designed by students in afterschool programs.
The labels were designed by ten-year-old Cassandra, of the African American Art & Culture Complex's afterschool program in San Francisco, and six-year-old Jonathan of the Hidenwood Youth Program's afterschool program run by Newport News Parks, Recreation and Tourism. The students' artwork was selected from hundreds of entries submitted by afterschool students around the country, and their work was celebrated at pizza and soda parties sponsored by Torani at each childs afterschool program.
Torani will donate five percent of the products' sales from September through December to the Afterschool Alliance.
"This is the fourth year that Torani has sponsored the Art on Labels contest for afterschool students, and we are once again delighted with the results," said Lisa Lucheta, Torani principal and family-owner. "For more than 80 years, Torani has been adding splashes of color to people's lives, just as the Afterschool Alliance works to give children everywhere the chance to participate in exciting, colorful experiences after the school day ends. Ours is a natural partnership, and Torani is proud to support afterschool programs."
"Torani is a real champion of afterschool programs, helping to enrich children's lives," said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. "The student-designed labels help showcase children's talent which is developed and nurtured in afterschool programs. This contest and our partnership with Torani have helped spread the word that all families need quality afterschool programs to keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families."
"Cassandra's face lit up and she jumped for joy," said African American Art & Culture Complex Youth Programs Coordinator Chantal Reynolds of the student's reaction to learning that she had won the art contest. "This is the first time Cassandra has won an award for an extracurricular activity, and with this she's learned she has other talents. She's very bright and has always gotten straight A's. I expect to see a lot from her, she's really going to be somebody."
The program, which serves children in kindergarten through grade twelve, provides a safe space where children can explore enriching activities such as drama, film, dance and visual arts. It also has a recording studio, which is what "pulls the high school kids in," Reynolds added. "There's a lot of trouble kids could get into around here. The Center offers a safe haven, and many of the children come because they like the adults and the attention they get here."
Jonathan's mother, Adrienne, says his favorite part of the before- and afterschool program is getting to socialize with the other children. "The program is awesome," she said. "It keeps him learning - even before he gets to school." As a single working mother, she calls the program a "lifesaver."
"He was as excited as a six-year-old can get," said Recreation Center Supervisor William Minor of Jonathan's win. Minor said the program, which serves children in kindergarten through grade five, keeps children safe and healthy and builds character by encouraging them to make better choices in life. "Jonathan is a great kid who always puts a smile on our faces," he added. "He was shocked to learn that something he had done won the contest."
To view the winning labels, click here. For more information on where to purchase Torani Syrups, including the Art on Labels winners, click here.
Outreach
Right now, with newly elected leaders transitioning into their new positions, advocates have a wonderful opportunity to reach out to make connections and educate future office-holders about the importance of afterschool programs. There are many ways to engage new officials, and begin establishing relationships that will pay dividends over time.
Parents, program directors, students and others can use the post-election period to send letters of congratulations to newly elected or re-elected officials and underscore the importance of afterschool programs to families in the community.
Also, invite lawmakers to visit the program to see firsthand the many ways it supports student learning and engagement. Invite them to join holiday parties or charity drives, attend spelling bees or basketball tournaments, or simply come to the program to meet with educators, parents and community members.
If lawmakers do come, providers should share and display letters of welcome from students, artwork, photos of afterschool activities, and other youth-generated work. Also have on-hand fact sheets about the program that provide data on the unmet need for afterschool programs in the city or state, testimonials about their value from parents, and related information.
For more information and ideas to have an impact during the transition period, check out the Afterschool Alliance's new Transition Ideas paper.
The Afterschool Alliance also has state specific information and information on planning a site visit.
Afterschool for All
Afterschool for All totals 21,215 partners this month. Notable partners who have pledged their support for afterschool for all children and youth include: The Asian American Coalition for Education; Mayor Bob Coble of Columbia, South Carolina; and Richland One School District Superintendent Dr. Percy Mack, also in South Carolina.
Visit the Afterschool for All website to see which new partners have signed up from your state. Contact Marie Coichy at mcoichy@afterschoolalliance.org or 646/943-8662 for more information.
Funding News
The Afterschool Alliance's website has resources for afterschool providers, including tips for initiating relationships with funders and businesses, and for identifying funding opportunities.
GRANTS/AWARDS AVAILABLE
Grants for Music Programs The NAMM Foundation is sponsoring program grants for non-profit public service organizations in support of innovative music education and hands-on music making programs that reach and serve new audiences with new protocols. Grants average $20,000 to $40,000. The application deadline is December 1. For more information, click here.
Grants for Youth Football Programs The National Football League (NFL) and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation are sponsoring the NFL Youth Football Fund Grassroots Program. The program supports upgrades of existing facilities that are in poor condition or otherwise underutilized; and partnerships with parks, recreational departments and YMCAs that promote youth and community programming. Grants are up to $200,000 each. The application deadline is December 15. For more information, click here.
Grants for Girls Education and Equity The American Association of University Women is sponsoring grants for innovative programs that promote education and equity for women and girls. Special consideration will be given to programs that focus on science, math and technology. Grants range from $5,000 to $10,000. The application deadline is January 15. For more information, click here.
Grants for Service Learning and Obesity Prevention UnitedHealthcare and Youth Service America are sponsoring UnitedHealth HEROES service learning grants for youth-led community education projects that engage children and youth ages five to 25 around the issue of childhood obesity. Grants are available in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and in select areas of Florida, Illinois and New York. Grants are up to $1,000 each. The application deadline is January 15. For more information, click here.
In His Own Words...
"It's a pleasure to join the Connecticut Afterschool Network. Because of you and all the advocates, especially our friends with the Afterschool Alliance, more children not only have a safe, healthy place to go after the school day has ended - but afterschool providers and centers also have the tools and support they need... Access to afterschool is so critically important... Absent supervision, kids get into trouble and engage in a range of inappropriate behaviors - from drugs and alcohol to gangs and promiscuity. For too many children, the lack of access to afterschool is a tragedy waiting to happen... I look at it this way: If our children fall behind for a decade, America falls behind for a century. For all those reasons and others, I decided years ago to push for afterschool issues in the Congress."
-- United States Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Co-Chair of the Senate Afterschool Caucus, Connecticut Afterschool Network Fall Conference, November 15, 2008
California
Actress Jennifer Aniston visited a Los Angeles afterschool program recently to speak with students about water nutrition, UPI reports. Alvaro Cortes, assistant superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District's Extended Day Programs, said that the Smartwater spokeswoman and "Friends" star spoke to students about the importance of water and its nutritious benefits.
Georgia
A Parks and Recreation Department employee from Brunswick, Georgia who won $345,000 in the state lottery used some of his winnings to throw a Halloween party for 120 students in his afterschool program. According to the Florida Times, Antonio Mangram described his windfall as "a boost, a leg up on the future."
Illinois
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has announced The Afterschool Chicago Website, a new interactive website where children and their families can research thousands of afterschool programs throughout the city. "The Afterschool Chicago Web site will make it easier for families to explore and access quality programs that best suit their child's needs and support their healthy development," Mayor Daly told Life Science Weekly. The website is one of the most comprehensive of its kind, and will feature a variety of programs offered throughout the day by many organizations.
New York
After realizing that many of its students were not getting hot meals at home, the Boys & Girls Club of Buffalo built a full-scale kitchen to provide hot meals to 8,500 children each week in their afterschool programs. According to the Buffalo News, the Boy & Girls Club raised the necessary funds with help from the Chicago-based William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, and can now provide hot meals to children at its sites in Buffalo, Amherst and Cheektowaga.
Ohio
The Business Courier reports there is a new partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense and the Armed Services YMCA to give families of active military personnel free access to many YMCA programs across the country. The membership costs for up to 18 months will be funded by the Department of Defense; however, families will have to pay for camps, sports, afterschool programs and other fee-based activities.
South Carolina
Students at Palmetto Middle School will soon be able to take part in the state's first afterschool and in-school program involving hunting, fishing and camping. According to the Associated Press, 36 percent of 10- to 17-year-olds in South Carolina are overweight or obese. Through a partnership with the state Department of Natural Resources, the program is designed to make students healthier and more respectful of the environment, while getting them excited to learn.
Tennessee
In an effort to apply classroom lessons to the real world, science teacher David Boggs of Vance Middle School has designed an afterschool program based on the SPEED channel's "Drag Race High" program. The Bristol Herald Courier reports that students will turn a 1984 Chevrolet Camaro into a race car that will compete next spring in bracket races at the local drag strip. The students must maintain a "B" average in their classes and have a good attendance record to be eligible to participate.
Vermont
Students on the Winooski Middle School girls' soccer team have turned their afterschool sports activity into a book club, too. Off the field, the team is reading The Beautiful Game: Sixteen Girls and the Soccer Season that Changed Everything. According to the Burlington Free Press, the idea came from Holly Morehouse, the Winooski coach and director of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool program for the school district, who said of the girls, "If they're not reading it, they're talking about it."
Resources
Afterschool Instructor and Professional Development Guides SEDL, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education as part of the National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning project, just released new guides for instructors and afterschool professionals. These are free supplements to its popular online Afterschool Training Toolkit. The new guides give afterschool professionals resources to develop innovative and academically enriching activities to extend their knowledge in new ways. Topics include technology in afterschool, arts, literacy, math and science. Also new is a third edition of the Resource Guide for Planning and Operating Afterschool Programs, which provides information on resources available to manage and sustain programs.
Financing and Sustaining Mentoring Programs The Finance Project has issued a new brief highlighting three strategies that providers and stakeholders can utilize to finance and sustain mentoring programs and services for youth. Finding Resources to Support Mentoring Programs and Services for Youth addresses: building partnerships with businesses and foundations; conducting community fundraising to generate and maximize revenue; and details federal funding sources that can be used to support projects.
Use A4A for Discount on School Supplies
The Afterschool Alliance partnership with Discount School Supply gives friends of afterschool a ten percent discount on all school supply orders. To receive the discount, put the code A4A (it stands for Afterschool 4 All) in the pink promotional box when ordering supplies at www.discountschoolsupply.com. Or mention it when you call 1-800-627-2829 to place an order.
Mark Your Calendars...
December 9 - 10, 2008 SEDL's National Center for Quality Afterschool is sponsoring the Afterschool Training Toolkit for Professional Development and Afterschool Enrichment in Austin, Texas. The training sessions will include assessments of professional development efforts; identification of strengths and gaps; strategies for delivering meaningful professional development that leads to continuous program improvement; and more. For further information, click here.
February 11 - 14, 2009 Foundations Inc. will host Beyond School Hours XII National Conference: The Winter Institute, in Burlingame, California. For more information, visit click here.
March 12 - 13, 2009 The Cooperative for After-School Enrichment will sponsor Out-of-School Time for High School: Focus on Practice, a conference to be held in Houston, Texas at the Harris County Department of Education Conference Center. The conference will include sessions led by high school youth. For more information, click here.
April 29 - May 1, 2009 NC CAP in North Carolina will sponsor the fifth annual SYNERGY conference, designed to bring together a broad spectrum of community and school-based afterschool providers for training, networking and sharing effective practices. NC CAP is currently inviting requests for proposals from interested presenters. The deadline for RFPs is December 1. For more information, click here.
*** And mark your calendars now for the Afterschool for All Challenge to be held April 27 and 28, 2009, in Washington, D.C. - as well as Lights On Afterschool 2009 on October 22, 2009! ***
