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Guest blog: Council for a Strong America identifies afterschool as key policy to help next generation succeed

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Guest blog: Council for a Strong America identifies afterschool as key policy to help next generation succeed

By Barry Ford is the President & CEO of Council for a Strong America.

Council for a Strong America has long advocated for high-quality afterschool programs as a way to strengthen communities and our country. Our organization is a national, bipartisan nonprofit that unites membership organizations including law enforcement leaders (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids), retired admirals and generals (Mission: Readiness), and business executives (ReadyNation).

Our more than 8,500 members in all 50 states know that one of the most effective ways to strengthen our nation is to provide young people with a foundation for academic, career, and life success. Our members advocate for evidence-based policies and programs that help kids grow up to reach their potential and contribute to our nation.

We recently had the opportunity to release a new report, A Blueprint for a Stronger America, which includes four key policy approaches that will set the stage for strengthening our nation. We brought that message to policymakers on Capitol Hill, with our members emphasizing the pivotal relationship between the policy approaches and the next generation’s long-term success.

One of these critical approaches is to provide effective afterschool programs that give young people an opportunity to build their academic and social skills while keeping them away from potentially dangerous scenarios.

Research tells us that juvenile crime peaks in the hours immediately after school, weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. That’s why high-quality afterschool programs are so crucial in helping students steer clear of crime and develop their academic and social skills: these programs focus on the “prime time for juvenile crime,” diverting young people away from unsupervised situations and toward productive, educational activities.

These outcomes matter to our members, who understand that improving the academic and physical fitness of young Americans through high-quality afterschool programs can boost public safety, help build a stronger workforce, and bolster national security.

And that last point is an increasing concern. We all intuitively understand the public safety benefits created by high-quality afterschool programs, and the relationship between a lack of supervision and kids’ tendency to get mixed up with crime. But the connection to military recruiting may not be as obvious.

Yet, we know from research that afterschool programs can lead to healthier habits, including decreases in substance use, and increased opportunities for physical activity. Moreover, a meta-analysis of 68 afterschool programs across the country found that nearly 3 in 5 students who attended such programs had improved behavior in and outside of the classroom, and also performed better in math and reading, had higher GPAs, better school attendance, and were more likely to earn credits toward graduation.

These outcomes matter in a number of contexts. For example, academic deficits, along with a lack of physical fitness and a history of crime or drug use, are three major disqualifiers for military service. Overall, an incredible 71 percent of Americans of prime recruiting age (17 to 24 years old) cannot qualify for military service, even if they wish to do so.

That challenge fuels the growing recruiting challenge currently plaguing our armed forces. Afterschool is one piece of the solution that will help these young people be able to qualify for military service—or to be able to pursue any career they so choose.

We’re proud that we’ve supported the evidence-based impacts of afterschool programs, but we also recognize that more must be done. Because of the positive impact these programs have on kids, and on public safety, Congress should increase funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool program in regular annual funding bills.

The added investment in these programs will help more young people have the opportunity to achieve their dreams, rather than being sidetracked before those dreams can even get off the ground.

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