Afterschool Champions Guide

The State of Afterschool in West Virginia

• Afterschool and summer learning programs help West Virginia kids, families and communities thrive, but right now we don’t have enough programs and the programs we do have don’t have the capacity to support every child who wants to participate. For every child in an afterschool program in West Virginia, four more are waiting to get in. Connect with us to learn about the out-of-school time programming we offer and how we’re working to increase access for more students.

• More than 30,000 kids in West Virginia benefit from afterschool and summer learning programs that help them do better in school, build life skills and explore careers—and more investment could expand those opportunities to thousands more. Connect with us to learn about the out-of-school time programming we offer and how it could benefit more kids through those funds. 

• 97% of West Virginia parents are satisfied with their child’s afterschool program, and out-of-school time programming is proven to support working parents who need a safe place for their kids to go after school. Afterschool and summer learning programs create opportunities and build healthy futures for kids, families and our state on the whole. 

• Afterschool and summer learning programs are proven to equip kids for success in school, keep kids supervised and safe, and help communities thrive. Our kids, families and businesses depend on afterschool. We need your support to ensure these essential education programs are a priority for West Virginia!

• Afterschool and summer learning programs keep young people safe and engage youth in enriching activities that help them build life skills and healthy relationships. But in West Virginia, where the unmet demand for afterschool is high, we must expand program availability to meet the needs of kids and families today. Connect with us to learn about the out-of-school time programming we offer and how we’re working to increase access for more students.

Afterschool and Healthy Futures

• Afterschool and summer programs play an important role in supporting the healthy development of young people and are all the more critical today. Approximately 6 in 10 parents are more worried about their child’s emotional well-being today than they were before the pandemic, and missing out on social connections and friendships is a top concern for parents.

• Supporting health and wellness is an important aspect of out-of-school time programs, from providing youth access to nutritious meals and snacks to promoting healthy habits and engaging students in safe, fun physical activity. Afterschool program staff work with students, families, schools and other community partners, helping to provide the positive settings, relationships, and experiences that are the foundational building blocks for young people’s healthy development.

• Juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs and alcohol spike in the hours of 3:00 to 6:00 pm. Afterschool and summer learning programs help children make smart decisions and avoid risky behaviors.

Afterschool and Learning

• Out-of-school time programs help children learn, grow and realize their full potential. Afterschool and summer learning programs inspire children to learn by giving them engaging, hands-on and fun projects, and opportunities to express themselves creatively.

• Out-of-school time programs spark interest in school so students attend school more often, get better grades, and are more likely to graduate.

• Teachers report that students in afterschool programs show more interest in learning, behave better, and complete their homework assignments.

• Regular participation in afterschool programs provides new learning opportunities and helps boost students’ reading and math performance and grades.

• While all youth benefit from quality out-of-school time programs, young people from families with low incomes benefit most—and the benefits last. Students who regularly attend continue to improve their academic performance and see meaningful results into young adulthood.

Afterschool and Families

• Nearly 8 in 10 parents agree that afterschool programs provide working parents peace of mind knowing that their children are safe and supervised. They don’t have to worry about where their kids are or what they are doing after school lets out.

• 80% of parents agree that afterschool programs allow children to build positive relationships with caring adults and mentors. Caregivers are able to focus on providing for their families rather than worrying about their children’s supervision.

• West Virginia kids spend about 34 hours a week in school, and their parents work an average of 40 hours a week. Afterschool programs close the child care gap by providing a safe place for youth to go when schools let out and parents are still working. 

All of the data in the messages are from the following sources, where you can also access more data about afterschool and summer learning.

• https://afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM/data/geo/West%20Virginia/overview

• https://afterschoolalliance.org/documents/AA3PM-2020/WV-AA3PM-Healthy-Futures-2022-Fact-Sheet.pdf

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/13541AD0XYD5RK_TyOhCZUH2fqrjNsFAw/view?usp=sharing  

The sustainability of your afterschool program depends on outreach and relationship-building with a variety of leaders who can help you build new connections in your community and expand your support. It takes time, effort, and a team to build meaningful collaborations—there is no need to go it alone.

Some stakeholders and decision makers you should think about including in your advocacy include: 

• School principals

• School superintendents

• Social Services directors

• Police chiefs

• Parks & Recreation directors

• Mayors or city council members

• State and congressional legislators

Each stakeholder can help you access different support that’s integral to the success of your program, so it’s important to cast a wide net with your advocacy. 

Use this worksheet to help you identify afterschool stakeholders in your community and potential new funding sources to support your afterschool program.

Now that you’ve identified who you want to reach, it’s time to take action. Here are a few strategies that you can explore:

• Hold an “Advocacy Minute” at the beginning of a training, workshop, or speech

  • Before a training or event, share one or more of the graphics at the bottom of this toolkit. Ask the participants to consider how they could educate or share the information with stakeholders. Encourage them to plan for opportunities to champion afterschool. 

• Send an email to decisionmakers

  • Use this template email to communicate with champions and decisionmakers about the value of your program. It can be tailored with program-specific data or stories.

• Be a champion for your program on social media

  • Use the social posts and graphics below to post on social platforms about the value of your program, and encourage others to share your posts.

• Organize a letter writing session

  • Writing to your legislator can be difficult if you are doing it on your own. Gather a group of friends, community members, and/or colleagues to come together and write letters to your legislators together. You can bounce ideas off one another, proofread each other’s letters and provide support.

• Register yourself and your friends to vote

  • Participating in local, state and federal elections is a crucial form of advocacy.

  • Make sure you and the people you know are registered to vote in time for the next election in your area.

  • You can register to vote in West Virginia here.

• Conduct a program site visit

  • Learn how to successfully set up and execute a site visit for stakeholders or decisionmakers by using this Afterschool Alliance resource. This site visit resource uses a Congressperson as an example but it can be modified to invite any stakeholder or decisionmaker in your community.

Pair these social posts with the graphics below. 

• For every child enrolled in afterschool in WV, 4 more are waiting to get in. Let’s invest in these programs and expand out-of-school time opportunities for youth across our state. 

  • Share with enrollment graphic

• Afterschool helps West Virginia thrive! Out-of-school time programs are proven to promote healthy futures for our youth—so let’s ensure these vital programs get the funding they need to support WV kids. 

  • Share with prevention graphic

• At [program name], we serve ## children and help them learn and grow in a safe and engaging environment. Learn more about the programs we offer: [link to site] 

  • Share with program story graphic

• WV parents agree that afterschool has a positive impact on their children’s lives and their own. Let’s expand out-of-school time programs to support WV youth and their families! 

  • Share with percentage graphic

• From supporting working parents to improving academic outcomes, afterschool and summer learning programs play a vital role in our community. Let’s make sure that every child who wants to participate in out-of-school time programs has the opportunity to!

  • Share with investment graphic