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| Organization :
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The After-School Alliance |
| Address :
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1616 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006 |
| URL :
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http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/ |
| Email :
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info@afterschoolalliance.org |
| Focus Area :
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Community
Education
Other
Youth Development |
| Organization Description :
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The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of afterschool programs and advocating for quality, affordable programs for all children. It is supported by a group of public, private and nonprofit organizations that share the Alliance's vision of ensuring that all children have access to afterschool programs by 2010.
The Alliance was formed on the belief that afterschool programs are critical to children and families today, and that the need for programs is not adequately addressed. As many as 15 million children have no place to go after the school bell rings. These children are more likely to be victims of crime or to participate in risky behaviors. Meanwhile, children in afterschool programs have improved grades, behavior and school attendance. They have important opportunities to learn and grow.
Creating more afterschool programs, increasing program quality and moving toward long-term sustainability requires building strong public will in support of afterschool. The Alliance was created to conduct this public awareness and advocacy work. Its purpose is to serve as a public resource on and voice for afterschool by:
Researching, collecting, and disseminating key data and lessons learned;
Educating the public through ongoing awareness efforts;
Engaging local practitioners and community residents in outreach and advocacy;
and
Promoting investment in afterschool initiatives at the national, state, and local levels.
The Afterschool Alliance and the Advertising Council are sponsoring an essay contest for kids who have discovered a new passion in life through an afterschool program. The Something Way Better to Do: Finding Inspiration Afterschool essay contest will award top prizes of $1,500 in several categories. To enter, students in grades 5 through 12 should submit an essay of 500 words on a question about how their afterschool experience changed their life. Official rules and entry forms are available at www.afterschoolscene.com. Entries are due June 30, 2005, and can be submitted online. |
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