10 years of expanded after school
 |
A decade ago, 10,000 New York City children participated in daily after school programs, while today, 140,000 city kids attend “after school” every afternoon. This week, the massive expansion of these programs across the city was celebrated at an event honoring the ten-year anniversary of The After School Corporation (TASC), a non-profit that pairs schools and community groups to offer substantial after-school programs. Philanthropist George Soros, who established TASC with a $125 million donation, was the toast of the event, although a child’s version of Joel Klein (in both his human and superhuman form) got the most laughs during the screening of a short movie about the after school movement in New York.
Watch the adorable clip for a feel-good few minutes (and more statistics).
The people at TASC describe the time between 3 pm and 6 pm as “the danger hours”, and they cite research that shows quality, educational programs that fill the gap between school time and post-work time help students do better during school hours.
With President Obama hoping to double the number of children with access to good after-school programs across the country, New York leads the way with the largest municipally-funded after-school system in the nation. And the images of spandex-clad Joel Klein and Mayor Bloomberg aside, the real heroes of the day are the after-school providers, who’ve made the past decade’s growth in New York City something everyone can celebrate.
Subscribe to 
Creative, informative and hopeful.
Comment by jmb — March 5, 2009 @ 2:05 pm
The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) funds hundreds of after school programs at no charge to parents all over New York City. You can search the DYCD web site by zip code to find a program near you.
Comment by Yael Bat-Chava — March 11, 2009 @ 10:34 am