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Highlights from Youth Voice Week 2023

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Highlights from Youth Voice Week 2023

By Charlotte Steinecke Posted: Apr 06, 2023

Thank you for an amazing Youth Voice Week 2023! We were thrilled to see so many inspiring messages from young people across the country, sharing their views on the importance of afterschool and summer learning programs in their lives. Here are a few top highlights:

  • Afterschool Alliance Youth Ambassadors Jamora Arroyo-Jefferson and Spencer Harrison, as well as Afterschool Alliance Youth Ambassdor Emerita Angeles Mejia-Sierra, spoke about their experiences during the Engage Every Student webinar: Youth Voice and Choice on March 23, kicking off this year's events
  • Afterschool Youth Ambassador Avery Resinger shared how her afterschool programs have given her a safe place to make friends and be herself
  • On social media, young spokespeople from 4-H and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America spoke about their experiences in afterschool programs
  • Afterschool Youth Ambassador Madeline Hinkelman wrote a blog describing the inspiring opportunities her program has given her to explore potential careers
  • Overall, supporters of afterschool programs sent more than 1,300 messages to Congress, urging their policymakers to support these essential programs (and you can still join them!)
  • We debuted the newly-created Youth Voice Toolkit, designed to help afterschool programs at the beginning of their journey as they explore the spectrum of youth voice work

While we look forward to celebrating Youth Voice Week 2024 early next spring, we know the voices of young people must remain central our work year-round. For more information and to learn about our Afterschool Youth Ambassador program, please visit our Youth Voice webpage.

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