Title
Authorizing the Philadelphia City Council Committee on Education to hold hearings regarding expanding the number of high-quality afterschool offerings in the City of Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, According to the U.S. Department of Education, children and youth who regularly attend high-quality afterschool programs have better grades and conduct in school, more academic and enrichment opportunities, improved peer relations and emotional adjustment, and fewer incidences of drug use, violence and pregnancy; and
WHEREAS, According to the Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool Youth Development Network, high quality afterschool programs can reduce risk behaviors and reduce crime rates; and
WHEREAS, According to the Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool Youth Development Network, afterschool programs improve employee productivity and reduce absenteeism by supporting many working parents, and further, that low or no-cost afterschool programming is of vital importance to low-income families; and
WHEREAS, The decrease in resources available to the School District of Philadelphia for afterschool programming has made programs funded and provided by the City the primary opportunities available to many Philadelphia youth between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. as well as during the summer; and
WHEREAS, In 2011, the Wallace Foundation through its Next Generation Out of School Time Initiative, selected Philadelphia as one of nine cities to receive a three year grant to strengthen the coordination and effectiveness of its wide range of out of school time programs; and
WHEREAS, The Wallace Foundation has extended its investment for two more years through April 2017 so that Philadelphia can continue the important work of systems building and coordination it has begun around out of school and after school programming; and
WHEREAS, PhillyBOOST, a collaboration among the City's Departments of Human Services, Parks and Recreation and the Free Library of Philadelphia, as a result of the Walla...
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