by Bela P. Shah

On May 22-24, 2006, NLC will host the first-ever National City Afterschool Summit to highlight the impressive commitment and leadership of local elected officials to provide quality afterschool programs for children and youth.

Local officials from across the country are invited to attend the summit, which will be held in Washington, D.C., at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

Local Leadership on Afterschool
Municipal leaders increasingly recognize the positive impacts of afterschool programs on improving public safety and academic achievement, helping working families and supporting healthier, happier young people.

That is why mayors and councilmembers across the country are leading the way in bringing together disparate parts of their communities to provide high-quality, accessible afterschool programs. Numerous cities are making significant investments in their young people by financially supporting afterschool efforts.

The National City Afterschool Summit will facilitate peer learning and networking for local elected officials focused on opportunities for leadership in afterschool.

Raising Public Awareness
NLC?s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families is organizing this event with the generous support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and in partnership with the Afterschool Alliance.

During the summit, the Afterschool Alliance will hold its annual Afterschool For All Challenge, which brings hundreds of afterschool providers, young people and policymakers to Washington, D.C., for training, workshops, and legislative visits on Capitol Hill.

By joining forces with the Afterschool Alliance, local elected officials can participate in all Alliance trainings on polling, advocacy and public engagement. Mayors and councilmembers will have the opportunity to lead delegations from their cities to meet with Congressional leaders. 

To culminate the summit, mayors who have demonstrated their commitment to young people through leadership in creating quality afterschool programs will be honored at a Breakfast of Champions. More than 500 individuals will attend this breakfast, including mayors, councilmembers, senior city administrators, afterschool program providers and youth from afterschool programs. The Breakfast of Champions will take place on Wednesday, May 24, 2006, at 7:00 a.m.

Details: Registration for the National City Afterschool Summit will open shortly. For more information on the Afterschool Alliance, visit http://www.afterschoolalliance.org. For more information on the summit, contact Bela Shah at shah@nlc.org or 202-626-3057.