By Shannon Holmes
July 24, 2006

Lights on Afterschool Don’t forget to save the date for the 7th annual Lights On Afterschool October 12. Lights On Afterschool is a hallmark event organized annually by the Afterschool Alliance to call attention to afterschool programs nationwide. More than 1 million Americans around the nation will take part in this important celebration. To learn more, visit www.afterschoolalliance.org.

Since the launch of Afterschool for All: Project 2010, a national effort launched by the Afterschool Alliance to bring together diverse voices in support of universal access to afterschool programs by 2010, more than 3,300 partners from a wide array of sectors have joined the effort. Among them are more than 165 mayors joining major corporations, national organizations, governors, police chiefs, parents, educators and others who recognize that quality afterschool programs are critical for our youth, families and communities. The Conference of Mayors has been a proud partner of Project 2010 since its inception in 2004.

Project 2010 provides a simple and visible way for city leaders to signal their support for afterschool programs. The afterschool hours are an issue in most households, and the public thinks more afterschool resources are needed. According to America After 3PM, the first-ever nationwide study on afterschool demand, one in four U.S. children – 14.3 million in all – are alone and unsupervised after school. It is during these hours that juvenile crime peaks and without afterschool programs, youth are more likely to drink, smoke, use drugs or become teen parents.

Often it is city leadership who are left to address the results of too few afterschool resources. Devoting resources to afterschool programs means making an investment in youth development, education and safety. Mayors nationwide understand the proven benefits of afterschool programs in their communities and are working hard to establish and expand quality afterschool programming for their youth. Included among the more than 165 mayors on Project 2010 are New York, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Miami, Houston, Providence and Las Vegas.

Young people in afterschool programs do better in school and achieve higher levels of education. Afterschool programs also reduce parental stress for working families and increase productivity in the workplace. Providence Mayor David Cicilline believes that, “The success of our young people depends on being involved in high-quality afterschool programs.”

For more information or to become a partner in Project 2010, visit www.afterschool2010.org.