Afterschool Ambassadors

The Afterschool Alliance's Afterschool Ambassador program identifies afterschool providers and advocates of special achievement and helps them raise their voices in support of afterschool.

Selected from some of most effective afterschool programs and advocacy organizations in the nation, Ambassadors work every day to help keep kids safe, inspire children to learn and help working families. They know firsthand the barriers and benefits that communities face in making afterschool available to all children. The Alliance selects 15 to 25 Ambassadors from around the country each year, and then provides training, technical support, and modest funding for their Ambassadorial activities throughout the school year. Those activities include: coordinating a major Lights On Afterschool community event; working in concert with other local providers, advocates and business and community leaders to promote afterschool; reaching out to policy makers and the media on afterschool issues; and more.

The 2008-09 Afterschool Ambassadors are listed below.  To see previous years' participants, see ourAmbassador Emeritus page.  Ambassadors are chosen by application in the spring. For information on how to apply to become an Ambassador, contact the Afterschool Alliance, or call (202) 347-2030.

Afterschool Ambassadors 2008-2009

MEGAN DEMARKIS
Harlem RBI’s REAL Kids Program
333 East 100th Street
New York, NY 10029
212-722-1608, x225
mdemarkis@harlemrbi.org

ELIZABETH FULMER
Orange County Public Schools
445 West Amelia Street
Orlando, FL 32801
407-317-3383
fulmere@ocps.net

DAYNA KRANNAWITTER
Community Learning Center
Arnold Elementary
5300 West Knight Drive
Lincoln, NE 68524
402-310-3909
daynak@L-housing.com

REGLA ARMENGOL
Prospera Initiatives, Inc.
4216 Evergreen Lane
Suite 134
Annandale, VA 22003
571-278-3996
regla@prosperaweb.org

SHERRIE BELT
School’s Out Washington
801 23rd Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98144
206-323-2396
sbelt@schoolsoutwashington.org

VIRGINIA BURLEY
Community Connections
450 Sanders Circle
Montpelier, VT 05602
802-223-3456
gburley@u32.org

BOBBI DAVIS
Children’s Board of Hillsborough County
1002 East Palm Avenue
Tampa, FL 33605
813-204-1752
bobbid@childrensboard.org

MARCO GALVAN
Dallas Afterschool Network
13736 Rolling Hills Lane
Dallas, TX 75240
214-306-8400, x801
mgalvan@dallasafterschoolnetwork.org

LADONNA GAMBLE
Bridges to the Future
923 East Kearsley Street
Flint, MI 48503
810-760-1478
lgamble@flintschools.org

JENNY ARCILLA-GONZALEZ
Chinatown Beacon Center
80 Fresno Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-982-0615, x14
jenny@chinatownbeacon.org

MELANIE HAAS
Colorado MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement)
4054 South Wisteria Way
Denver, CO 80237
303-771-4347
melanie.haas@cudenver.edu, haasm@cahs.colostate.edu

CHARLES HARRINGTON
EdGE Program
Maine Sea Coast Mission
20 Ocean Whisper Drive
Addison, ME 04606
207-546-4466
Charrington@seacoastmission.org

ROBIN MAINHARDT
Project Bridges CCRR
201 Hospital Road
Eagle River, WI 54521
715-479-0337
Project.Bridges@ministryhealth.org

CAROLINE MERENDA
Rochester Area Community Foundation
500 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
585-271-4271, x4303
cmerenda@racf.org

LORAS OSTERHAUS
Clinton Community Schools
600 South 4th Street
Clinton, IA 52732
563-243-9600, x47
losterhaus@clintonia.org

CAROL SCOTT
University of Delaware, New Castle Cooperative Extension
4-H Youth Development
461 Wyoming Road
Newark, DE 19716
302-831-8161
ctscott@udel.edu

FLORENCIA (FLO) TRUJILLO
Farmington Public Library
2101 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, NM 87401
505-599-1261
ftrujill@infoway.org

NASSIM ZERRIFFI
Global Kids
137 East 25th Street
2nd floor
New York, NY 10010
212-226-0130, x110
nassim@globalkids.org