Lights on, doors open: Key West Boys & Girls Club joins over one million Americans in nation-wide rally for afterschool programs

Children, parents, and business leaders rallied together this week at Key West Boys & Girls Club at the Reynolds Street School for “Lights On Afterschool,” a nationwide celebration that acknowledges the achievements of afterschool students and draws attention to the need for more afterschool programs. The only nationwide rally for afterschool programs, the gathering was one of more than 8,000 such events that emphasized the importance of keeping the lights on and the doors open after school, with over one million Americans demonstrating their support for afterschool programs to serve the millions of children nationwide who are unsupervised and at risk each weekday afternoon.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Keys Area are one such program, the largest provider in the Keys offering the most affordable after-school and full-time care to over 450 students during school holidays, professional development days, and summer vacation, while also providing youth development programming that includes tutoring, literacy support, computer skill development, STEM initiatives, sports and recreation, Spanish, dance, drama, photography lessons, and health and wellness life skills.

“There’s no reason that learning should stop at 3 p.m.,” says the non-profit’s Executive Director Dan Dombroski. “Especially for kids that might otherwise be unsupervised because their parents are working. That’s when they’re most at risk.”

The demand, says Dombroski, is high.

“Every week we get calls from non-Club parents looking to get their kids registered,” says Dombroski.

Data from “America After 3PM,” the research series on afterschool commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance, shows a vast unmet demand for afterschool programs nationwide. In Florida, 22% of the state’s children participate in an afterschool program, yet 41% would be enrolled if a program were available. Further, 89% of Florida’s parents are satisfied with their child’s afterschool program, and 87% agree that afterschool programs give working parents peace of mind.

“Like many afterschool programs across the nation, we are funded by grants and donations from community foundations and businesses, the city, and the county,” says Dromboski. “It’s critical that we keep growing these funding streams in order to meet the needs of our community.”

“Lights On Afterschool” is organized by the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children have access to quality afterschool programs. A newly released national poll they instituted shows that nearly nine in ten adults (89%) say they believe afterschool and summer programs are important to their communities, with two in three adults saying they want their federal, state and local leaders to provide funding for afterschool and summer programs.

“By supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs, you are keeping our community’s kids safe, inspiring them, and helping their working parents,” he says. “It really does take a village.”

For more information about the Boys & Girls Club of the Keys Area or to make a tax-deductible donation, contact Executive Director Dan Dombroski at 305-206-2258 or visit bgckeys.org. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Keys Area.  Helping kids succeed since 1996.

IMAGE:

Key West Boys & Girls Club parent Stephanie Karch, Club Members Lillyonna Connelly, Kimani Poitier, and Cuyler Thirft watch as Assistant Program Director Nicole Canfield paints Caleb Karch’s face as part of the Club’s celebration for “Lights On Afterschool,” a nation-wide celebration that emphasizes the importance of keeping the lights on and the doors open after school. Many Florida Keys families turn to the Clubs to find affordable after-school and full-time care that includes a full roster of youth development programming for their children during school holidays, professional development days, and summer vacation.

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