[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 128 (Friday, October 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1779]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         LIGHTS ON AFTERSCHOOL--PROJECT OF AFTERSCHOOL ALLIANCE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 12, 2000

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, many times we hear, ``Our children get into 
trouble because their time is not occupied with worthwhile pursuits.'' 
Today, I want to recognize a project that has shown great success in 
dealing with that very problem.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform to my colleagues about a project 
that helps bridge the gap between childhood and the adult world. 
``Lights on Afterschool'' is a project of the Afterschool Alliance. It 
is a nationwide event, taking place today, October 12, 2000, to 
recognize the critical importance of quality after school programs in 
the lives of children, their families, and their communities. The 
project is sponsored by J.C. Penney Inc. and the National Community 
Education Association. Lights on Afterschool will spotlight innovative 
and effective after school programs. Parents, community and business 
leaders, elected officials, and the media will have an opportunity to 
see firsthand how after school programs help our children discover the 
heroes within themselves!
  Mr. Speaker, the Afterschool Alliance was launched September 1999 by 
U.S. Secretary of Education, Richard Riley. It is a coalition of 
public, private, and nonprofit organizations dedicated to raising 
awareness of the importance of after school programs. The goals of the 
project are to increase funding for after school programs and to ensure 
top quality resources for all participants in after school programs. 
The alliance was created to facilitate public awareness and advocacy 
work. Its primary purpose is to offer positive choices to the children 
of our nation.
  After school programs provide safe, structured, and supervised 
activities, utilizing the physical resources provided by our schools, 
without taxing or overburdening the existing educational system. 
Statistics indicate that 15 million children are left unsupervised 
during non-school hours, and juvenile crime is three times higher in 
the period after the school day ends. The time spent in these after 
school programs means less time spent unsupervised, and more time spent 
challenging and developing a child's mind. Students who participate in 
after school programs are only half as less likely to use drugs, and a 
third as likely to become teen parents. The after school programs teach 
respect for others, and integrate valuable social skills into lessons. 
After school programs now exist in thirty percent of K-8 schools. This 
is a tremendous beginning, yet it leaves over two-thirds of potential 
sites not used during this critical period of time. The Afterschool 
Alliance wants to ensure all children will have access to these 
programs by the year 2010.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in commending the 
efforts of the Afterschool Alliance and wish them success on their 
project, Lights on Afterschool.

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