Yesterday, President Trump released his budget proposal and 21st Century Community Learning Centers are eliminated (See Page 17). While the President’s proposal only serves as a guide for Congress, this is a cause of great concern for our field.
We need to band together as advocates to let our Senators and Representative know that 21st Century Community Learning Center (21CCLC) programs in Alaska provide essential supports for youth, families, and communities throughout Alaska by keeping youth safe and supervised, helping give working parents peace of mind, and inspiring learning outside of the classroom. The 21CCLC dollars that Alaska receives represents the single largest investment in afterschool in our state (~$5.5 million annually) and programs receiving the funds serve up to 5,700 youth throughout the year. 1 in 5 kids enrolled in afterschool in Alaska rely on 21st CCLC.
We need your voice for Alaska's youth and families. The Afterschool Alliance has made it easy to email your Senators and Representative by following this link: TAKE ACTION NOW. This takes less than 2 minutes of your time and can help make a HUGE impact for our field.
If you are concerned about lobbying on grant dollars, remember that you can make these calls or send these emails on your lunch break or off the clock as a private citizen. If you have additional concerns, don’t hesitate to contact me and I am happy to help you navigate this process.
We need all hands on deck for this effort. Please share this information with your staff, board members, and parents and youth as appropriate. Please forward this email and share in as many venues as you can!