By J.D. LaRock
February 3, 2003

In the late 1990s, a poll by the Mott Foundation found that more than 90 percent of Americans endorse the idea that After-School programs are critical for the well-being of the nation's children. Last fall, voters in California approved a ballot measure — Proposition 49 — that could dedicate billions of dollars to support After-School programs in that state in the coming years. And at the 71st Winter Meeting, members of the Conference of Mayors made it clear that they, too, are committed to expanding high-quality After-School opportunities for children in America's cities. More than two dozen mayors took part in "Mayors Leading the Way on After-School," a workshop organized as part of the Conference's Mayors After-School Leadership Project, an initiative launched with the support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation in September 2002.

The workshop, which was opened by Conference President Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and moderated by Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street, coincided with the release of "After-School Programs in Cities Across the United States," a survey of the state of After-School education in 86 Conference member cities. Among other things, the survey found that while the number of children enrolled in After-School programs is growing, as many as two-thirds of students who are in need of such programs still do not have access to them. It also found that while After-School programs most often provide enrichment activities — such as arts and crafts — more than 60 percent of the cities surveyed reported that their programs provide academic assistance and tutoring as well.

A panel discussion was held with Fresno Mayor Alan Autry; Delia Pompa, Executive Director of the National Association of Bilingual Education; Robert Stonehill, Director of the U.S. Department of Education's 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program; and Walter Roberts, the Athletic Director of D.C. Scores, mayors and other participants described both the substantial progress and the remaining challenges in expanding After-School opportunities in cities. Mayor Menino, noting that education reform and family security are top-priority issues of his Conference presidency, described how Boston's 2:00-to-6:00 After-School Initiative and the Boston After-School for All Partnership have raised almost $60 million dollars from public and private sources, allowing almost 50 new After-School programs to be established in that city. At the same time, he said, the issue of "poorly-trained staff, and building professional staff" remains an issue in many of Boston's programs, and the "elimination of a large share of state funding" could threaten the sustained operation of some programs.

and building professional staff" remains an issue in many of Boston's programs, and the "elimination of a large share of state funding" could threaten the sustained operation of some programs.

Echoing the survey's findings, Mayor Street described how his first Children's Report Card found that "about 100,000 of Philadelphia's children have no After-School and no youth development. They're on their own until their parent or guardian arrives." In response, Street established the Our Children Investment Project, which seeks to earmark $150 million annually in city, private sector, and philanthropic funds to support youth development programs. Observing that "one size could never fit all" when it comes to those programs, Street discussed how Philadelphia officials have used GIS mapping techniques to match programs to the needs of the communities they serve. Quality assurance, student retention, and staff training are three areas where Street says further efforts need to be made.

Virtually every participant noted the role After-School programs play in preventing crime, stemming juvenile delinquency, helping working families, promoting diversity, and improving students- academic achievement. Mayor Autry, stating that "a criminal is created long before his first crime," spoke of how police in Fresno are heavily involved in the city's After-School programs in an effort to promote better student-police relations. Delia Pompa cited research which estimates After-School programs reduce child-care costs for the average family by as much as $1700 per year. She also spoke of how in communities such as Raleigh, NC, which has seen a 180 percent increase in the number of Latinos in recent years, After-School programs "provide a different space that allows for community input, and where immigrant parents feel much less threatened" than they sometimes do when dealing with teachers and school officials.

hers and school officials.

According to Robert Stonehill, the widespread success of After-School programs is the primary reason funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program has increased from $1 million in 1997 to $1 billion in 2001. In 2002, Stonehill said, the program funded more than 7,000 After-School programs serving more than 1 million children across the United States. In addition, he says, one in five schools across the country are participating in the 21st Century program, either as a grantee or an applicant. "The partnerships this program has established are incredibly important," said Stonheill. "Now, we face the challenge of creating sustainable programs."

Stonehill says the U.S. Department of Education will soon release an evaluation of newly-established 21st Century programs. The report, he says, will discuss several key areas where programs in their infancy tend to fall short. "People have great ideas," said Stonehill, "but they need help" in areas like creating long-term funding streams, ensuring that students attend After-School programs more than intermittently, and developing better-quality enrichment activities. "Kids have to be the architects of their own After-School programs," he asserted.

One program that is getting a thumbs-up from kids is D.C. Scores, an innovative After-School program in which students participate in a soccer league two days a week, and receive instruction in creative writing two additional days. The program is an affiliate of America Scores, which operates in several large cities.

Walter Roberts, joined by 6th-graders Patricio Quezada and Rita Rodriguez, closed out the formal part of the workshop by discussing how the benefits of the program. Rita reported that after taking part in the program, her scores on standardized tests improved from "basic" to the "proficient" and "advanced" levels. According to Patricio, having the opportunity to engage in activities such as poetry-writing "creates discipline" that he believes he otherwise might not have developed. But when it comes to creating the best After-School programs, he added with a smile, "Kids need to have fun, and adults should know what kids like to do."