Afterschool Ambassadors: Helping solve their communities’ greatest challenges

Like afterschool professionals across the country, the Afterschool Alliance’s Afterschool Ambassadors have their finger on the pulse of the students and families they serve, and a deep, enduring commitment to support them at the times and in the ways that matter most.

In Norman, Oklahoma, 2023 Afterschool Ambassador Whitney Dunn jumped into action in late February when several tornadoes touched down in her community. The tornadoes destroyed houses and cars, leaving many residents without power. Several families in Dunn’s program were directly affected; one lost their home entirely and others lost cars and had significant damage to their houses.

Dunn is Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Norman at the Center for Children and Families, Inc., which empowers youth through trauma-informed afterschool programming designed to enhance character, build leadership skills, encourage academic success, and facilitate healthy lifestyle activities. The Club provides mental health services for children who have experienced complex trauma, making these services available to every member.

After securing a $10,000 grant from Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Dunn provided much-needed financial support to affected families. Many were without power for two weeks and had to throw away all their food. Dunn’s program was able to provide replacement food and gift cards to help replenish their pantries. Her program also purchased clothing for those who had lost it and helped pay the insurance deductibles for several families.

But her program provided even more than financial support. Many students were deeply traumatized by the tornadoes, so the Club had therapists on hand to help students cope. Dunn and other staff members continued checking in with affected families for several weeks to see what additional assistance they might need, fulfilling her program’s mission to be a hope-centered family resource center.

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In New York City, 2023 Afterschool Ambassador Earl Whitfield had long been aware that the college admissions process is intimidating, even overwhelming, to students in his program, many of whom would be the first in their families to go to college. “The admission process is such a beast and often scares students off before they even get a chance to start,” he said, noting the challenges associated with selecting colleges to consider, scheduling tours, filling out applications, and navigating the potentially massive financial burden. Whitfield, whose mother is a college professor, is program director at CAMBA’s East New York Beacon 166 Community Center at the Van Siclen Community Middle School in East New York.

After learning about Same-Day Acceptance events, Whitfield reached out to several area colleges to see if they would be interested in participating in such an event. Since many colleges are experiencing declining enrollment, he thought this might be a good time for high schoolers to learn about a local college and for a college to engage with an audience of interested students.

York College agreed. On May 6th, students from 20 area schools will attend the Same-Day Acceptance event at CAMBA to not only learn about what York College has to offer, but also to apply and potentially be accepted on the same day. The event will include workshops, meet-and-greet sessions, and discussions with the head of admissions and representatives from three academic departments at York College, including the science department (CAMBA has a strong STEM program). Financial advisors will be on hand to provide guidance for families. More than 50 students have already signed up!

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In Washington, D.C., what began as an orientation for people volunteering at the Life Pieces To Masterpieces afterschool program has evolved into a training/workshop that prestigious national and international agencies are tapping into. 2022 Afterschool Ambassador Andrew Blickle, the Institutional Marketing Manager at Life Pieces, reports that 10 boys from Life Pieces worked with leadership to lead a workshop for 200 World Bank staff members in March.

Life Pieces works to change the way Black boys and young men see themselves and the way the world sees them. Its Color Me Community Initiative was created after the murder of Trayvon Martin, when tensions were high and boys in the program – who had to constantly confront negative, harmful images attacking their identities – had the opportunity to share knowledge with volunteers who were navigating complex feelings of guilt, blame, and shame following the attack.

Color Me Community events, workshops and conversations are co-led by boys in the program along with their mentors. They provide a nurturing, nonjudgmental environment for people of all races to safely grapple with issues that divide and separate us from one another. The Initiative uses interactive, arts-based activities to provide a safe, collective environment for people to explore the lenses through which they see the world, and better understand how others’ unique lenses affect them.

In addition to its work with the World Bank, Life Pieces has a partnership with the U.S. State Department’s International Visitors Leadership Program. Hundreds of changemakers from more than 50 countries have visited the program in D.C.’s Ward 7 to learn from the youth on topics ranging from social change through the arts to youth civic engagement in marginalized communities.