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Suncoast AfterSchool Alliance |
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The Alliance is a non-partisan coalition of parents, educators, business and civic leaders, and organizations that share a deep commitment to the school age youth,, particularly middle schoolers, of the Florida Suncoast. The Alliance believes that, as a result of their regularly attending quality, free after school programs, children will be safer and will achieve more academically, and that their lives, and the lives of their families and their communities, will improve. Goals of the Suncoast AfterSchool Alliance Public Focus – focus the bright light of public scrutiny on the need for public funding of after-school programs so that 21st Century Community Learning Centers will be fully supported and funded Public Awareness - raise awareness within the public at-large as well as among civic leaders and elected officials of the importance of quality after-school programming to the welfare of youth, families, and communities Resource Coordination – networking and information sharing among public and private organizations and individuals who have a stake in the academic achievement, safety, and social welfare of youth, especially middle-school-age school-age children of the Suncoast region
FCAN
FOUNDATION’S Universal, quality after school programs impact education, public safety, and working families at all levels. The Suncoast AfterSchool Alliance (SAA,) a project of FCAN Foundation, with support from US Action Education Fund and Afterschool Alliance, works to ensure that all children who need them have quality out-of-school-time programs.
THE ISSUE: AFTERSCHOOL HOURS BRING HAZARDS TO KIDS Each new school year brings a host of concerns for working families with school-age children. One of their greatest worries is whether their children will be safe during the afterschool hours, because that is when many youth are unsupervised and when juvenile crime peaks. Recent surveys by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids and the National PTA found that working families worry about their children during these hours and believe that afterschool programs can prevent juvenile crime and keep children safe. - In a new national poll, nine in working mothers with children said that they are most concerned about their children's safety during the after school hours. In the same poll, nine in mothers also agreed that expanded prevention efforts such as afterschool programs could greatly reduce youth violence. (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2003) - A national poll of police chiefs found that 69 percent chose afterschool and child care programs as the most effective strategies for reducing youth violence, over strategies such as trying juveniles as adults, hiring more police and installing metal detectors in schools. (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2000) - The U.S. Census Bureau reports that as many as 15 million "latchkey children" go home to an empty house on any given afternoon. (U.S. Census Bureau, Urban Institute estimate, 2000) - The number of afterschool programs in this country today meets only half the demand among elementary and middle school parents. (National Opinion Research Center, August 1998) - The hours after school are "prime time" for violent juvenile crime. Between the hours of 3 and 6 PM, a youth's chance to become a victim of crime more than triples. (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 1999) - Teens who do not participate in afterschool programs are three times more likely to use marijuana and other drugs, and they are more likely to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and engage in sexual activity. (YMCA of the USA, March 2001)
SAA’S STRATEGY WORKS SAA's educational work was instrumental in efforts to restore an administration proposed $400 million (40 percent) cut to 2004 Federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool budget – the primary public source for afterschool support. SAA empowers local citizens who can work for more quality afterschool programs. The SAA News List keeps Friends of Afterschool posted on current legislative action in Washington, so you are better informed. Linked to over 5,000 nationwide events, SAA coordinates numerous community partners to create the local, annual “Lights On Afterschool!” celebration to raise public awareness about the role of afterschool programs and the unmet need. “Lights On Afterschool! 2002” attracted over 400 youth, policymakers, families, and community leaders. SAA successfully brings the afterschool issue to media and public attention through letters to the editor, radio and TV broadcasts, and editorial meetings. SAA is a vital source of information for funding opportunities through 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants for Florida communities.
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