Riding the ups and downs: Use data to stay steady and win over elected officials

As longtime advocates for afterschool and summer learning programs, we’ve gotten used to shifting landscapes and the resulting gambit of amusement park ride experiences–ups, downs, twists, and even the floor dropping away. But two things remain constant:

1. Every program is impacted by elected officials and their decisions on funding, policy, and/or regulations affecting afterschool and summer
    
2. Strong data, real-life examples, and seeing programs first-hand help elected officials understand the value of afterschool and summer

Currently, 1.4 million children across the United States are at risk of losing their afterschool programs, if 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)  funding is eliminated in next year’s federal budget. As you’ve undoubtedly heard from us, it is a critical time to reach out to your representatives in Congress to protect afterschool funding.

Today, we’re lifting up a great data piece to use in your outreach. This fact sheet on the impact of 21st CCLC programs summarizes the strong evidence demonstrating programs’ effectiveness, and is something your elected officials and partners should see. 21st CCLC evaluations have shown that programs are boosting outcomes for students in key areas: student engagement, GPAs, reading and math assessments, graduation, and attendance.

How can I use this?

1. Write a personal email to the education aides in your Congressional offices.  Let them know why afterschool and summer programs are important in your community, and pull a fact or two from the fact sheet. Ask them to keep funding for afterschool and summer programs via 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Link to the fact sheet for more information. Tip: Can’t find the education aides? Send it to their general email.
    
2. Include the fact sheet in information packets at meetings or site visits with elected officials. Direct, personal contact with members of Congress or their staff is the very best means to build support and relationships. In addition to providing a profile piece on your program, include this fact sheet as a complementary material, or pull key data points from it that help tell your story or touch on an issue important to the policymaker. Tip: See our guide to hosting a site visit, and crafting a program profile.
    
3. Share with your funders, partners, school leaders–anyone who may be more supportive of your work if they see strong outcomes, or may be advocating for afterschool and summer programs.

Visit AfterschoolWorksForAmerica.org to find more tools to fight for afterschool and summer learning programs. Sign up to get the latest afterschool and summer learning policy updates in your inbox.