Gwynn Hughes, Executive Director, Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership
This year holds the promise. It is a promise that advocates and leaders in the afterschool field have reached for for years: prioritizing the needs of children and adolescents - the Commonwealth's young people - so that they can succeed in school and in life.
Our priorities are visible to policy-makers. Consider the progress made in our state last year because of your support and expertise: a new Afterschool and Out-of-School Time Grant program for "comprehensive after-school and out-of-school time programming"; the establishment of the first legislative Afterschool Commission in our state; and with the leadership of Massachusetts 2020, an initiative to expand the school day by 30% in several schools across the state. With the support of DOE, and in particular our 21st Century CLC grantees, and the school-age initiatives within EEC, state government has given continued and greater support to youth programs this past year.
We have created a broad-based statewide afterschool network. This network includes afterschool and school-age providers, municipal and state officials, faith-based organizations, foundations, law enforcement, advocacy and intermediary organizations, business and labor, and other important friends. Together, through our recent regional network meetings held across the state, our coalition set forth that we need not only more resources to better support young people, but more coordination among existing out-of-school time programs. You are part of our coalition. You made clear that we needed to do a better job of supporting afterschool professionals, including strategies to reduce turnover among afterschool staff, improve access to higher education, and increase compensation. You said that we needed to increase the access and affordability of programs by improving transportation, consumer education for families and better access for children with special needs. Finally, you said that we needed to achieve these changes by creating new and innovative education policies that are grounded in the principles of youth development.
With the recent gubernatorial election, the current transition period and upcoming change in administration, it is a good time for us to collectively consider what additional steps we can take on behalf of our young people. Our starting point should include a common agenda rooted in what young people need. Research shows us that young people are literally "hardwired to connect"-they thrive, learn and develop best when they have opportunities to form strong connections with caring adults and teachers, and live in communities that are well-connected and integrated. From a young person's perspective, the more connections among before-school, school day, after school, and family, the better for youth success.
It is no longer schools versus community-based organizations. Only with adults working together do our children and youth win. We should continue to participate in our regional dialogues and create youth, education and social policies that strengthen our communities, strengthen collaborations, and better support the professionals who work with young people every day.
All of us need to participate in the upcoming public hearings this year for the Afterschool Commission, and attend the Afterschool and Youth Advocacy Day on March 14th, 2007, to secure additional public dollars. And, yes, we should use our statewide network to speak openly about our differences, to find common ground when and where we can, and to speak more with one voice than we ever have before. The children and youth who we advocate for need us to engage in these collective conversations, bring our expertise to the table, and forge alliances for our field. No matter on what particular issue we may differ, our shared cause is to highlight what young people need - in our conversations with parents, policy-makers, school, community and faith leaders, and the private sector.
John Quincy Adams said that "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." You are the leaders in your communities and in your organizations, leading to better support young people. This is our opportunity to demonstrate that our field consists of shared leadership and a common vision: to provide young people in this state with the opportunities they deserve to thrive, learn, develop, connect and succeed in an ever-challenging and complex world.