empowering youth
Learning happens all the time and everywhere. To support our young people in their own development, we must maximize learning beyond school hours and school year. At the same time, young people need a fun, safe place to grow and thrive. Whether it is after school or in the summer, partners across Summit county offer enrichment, sports and wellness or college and career readiness programs that are right for youth!
vision
Ensure that all children and youth have equitable access to high quality out of school time programs that enhance positive youth development, reduce youth violence, advance educational achievement, and better prepare youth for college and career; Provide support and solutions to real problems faced by afterschool and summer program providers.
mission
Galvanizing the entire community to provide equitable and innovative opportunities where youth build essential skills needed for success in life.
values
- Youth are seen, heard, valued and empowered in leadership and governance
- We will identify and eliminate inequities through intentional design
- Families are viewed as essential to youth development and learning
- We will create environments where network members feel a sense of belonging to thrive personally, professionally, and in collaboration with others
benefits of afterschool involvement
Children spend 80% of their waking hours beyond school. How do we collectively make those hours count? After-school and summer programs offer invaluable benefits to children by providing enriching experiences beyond traditional classroom hours. They also contribute to the holistic development of students by fostering social skills, teamwork, and self-confidence through diverse activities such as sports, arts, and college and career readiness.
youth violence prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify 6 major strategies to prevent youth violence. One of the strategies identified is connecting youth to caring adults and activities which includes mentoring and after school programs. The CDC states “After-school programs provide opportunities for youth to strengthen their social and academic skills and become involved in school and community activities to expand their prosocial experiences and relationships.These approaches also address key risk and protective factors for youth violence by helping to provide supervision during critical times of the day, such as from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. when youth crime and violence peak.”
