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Why Engage Candidates on Afterschool?
Afterschool keeps kids safe, helps America’s families
and inspires learning – years of polling have
shown these messages resonate with voters.
The facts are compelling:
- 25 percent of youth, or 14.3 million children,
have no place to go after school.
- The parents of 28 million children work outside
the home.
- Juvenile crime triples in the hours after
the school day ends.
- Opportunities for youth to explore arts, physical
activity and music are diminishing during regular
school hours.
- High school graduation rates are falling –
and afterschool helps keep kids attending and
engaged in school.
Candidates listen to voters. If a campaign
is aware that voters are engaged, aware and passionate
about an issue, s/he is compelled to learn more
and even present a plan. The following statistics
come from the Afterschool Alliance’s America
After 3 PM Household Survey:
- The parents of 15 million children would send
their child to an afterschool program - if one
were available.
- Nearly 9 out of 10 voters are concerned
that children are unsupervised after school
with too much unstructured time. Half are very
concerned. They are equally concerned about
children and teens.
Candidates listen to the media. Coverage
in the press is essential for any candidate running
for office. From local cable access and community
newsletters to broadcast TV, media gets attention.
If afterschool is being covered by the press,
it is very likely that a candidate will become
engaged, or more so, on the issue.
For all these reasons, and more, engaging candidates on afterschool promotes afterschool in your
community, congressional district, or state. It helps spread the word on the importance of
afterschool, and brings us closer to providing Afterschool for All!
For more information and a more comprehensive list of what prominent Americans are saying about
afterschool and the numbers behind their comments, please refer to the Afterschool Alliance’s
Candidate Resource Kit on our website:
2007 Canditate Kit
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