NLC to promote out-of-school learning programs
The Washington-based National League of Cities (NLC) has received a $1.275 million grant from the New York-based Wallace Foundation to educate city officials on the best ways to provide out-of-school learning opportunities for youths. Over the next three years, the NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education and Families (IYEF) will provide information on how to build coordinated, citywide approaches to out-of-school programs.
According to NLC, evidence shows that out-of-school programs help working families, can keep children safe and help prevent crime. “The Wallace Foundation and the [IYEF] share the same vision — that city leaders are essential in building a strong system of out-of-school time programs that meet the needs of all children and youth,” said IYEF Executive Director Clifford Johnson in a statement. Effective out-of-school programs use diverse activities, such as dance, music and sports, to help participants develop new skills or to assist them with their school curriculum.
The Wallace Foundation already is supporting out-of-school programs in Boston, Chicago, New York and Washington. NLC will work with the Seattle-based Institute for Community Change to develop ways to expand out-of-school programs across participating cities, and to measure the impact of the programs. More information is available at http://www.nlc.org/pressroom/pressreleaseitems/WallaceFoundationGrant.aspx.