Desiree Morales, Every Hour Counts
The prevailing story of Out-of-School Time (OST) during the pandemic feels triumphant — the value of our relationship-forward approach prioritizing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is in the spotlight, and the Biden administration pushed forward an unprecedented investment in afterschool and summer, recognizing that OST…
By Every Hour Counts
These were among the first words heard by attendees of the 2021 Every Hour Counts National Conference. Some of the words that came next were, “Excited and happy. Curious where this will go. Determined.”
The voices speaking these words came from young people in cities across…
Guest blog by Jodi Grant, Executive Director, Afterschool Alliance
As we head into the 22nd year of Lights On Afterschool, the nation’s celebration of afterschool programs, I have mixed feelings. Should we be celebrating? After all, this isn’t the school year we hoped to have. …
From Crisis to Opportunity
While the COVID-19 pandemic has presented our nation with countless obstacles and challenges, it has also presented us with an opportunity to become stronger and more resilient. The most recent COVID-19 relief legislation, the American Rescue Plan Act, provides $122.775 billion to States and districts through…
by Every Hour Counts
The new year brings fresh, new opportunities for Every Hour Counts to drive change in Washington — the kind of change that will increase opportunities and resources for young people, families, and communities across the country.
Guest blog by Barbara Couto Sipe, President & CEO, NextUp RVA
The COVID-19 crisis has shined a light on many inequities in our society, one in particular being access to quality educational opportunities. When schools closed last spring, our current model, which brought high-quality afterschool programs directly to the schools…
Insights from Six Cities on Building Partnerships to Improve SEL
By Ally Margolis, Policy & Communications Manager, Every Hour Counts
Our country’s compounding crises have magnified the importance of supporting children socially and emotionally. …
By Ally Margolis, Every Hour Counts
As this new, unprecedented school year begins, social-emotional learning (SEL) and development is needed now more than ever before — both for young people and the adults we entrust to care for them. As Dr. Shawn Ginwright explains in Healing the Impact of Racial…
Guest blog post by Saskia Traill, President & CEO, ExpandED Schools
In April, Mayor Bill De Blasio announced that he was doing away with New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program, which annually puts tens of thousands of youth in paid summer jobs. With a huge budget deficit looming amid…
By Ally Margolis, Every Hour Counts
Longstanding, structural inequities seem to seep their way into every crevice of our country. The coronavirus further exposes this problematic pattern, unveiling entrenched racial inequities in education, health care, criminal justice, employment, technology, and more. …
