| YOU DID IT! Thanks to your incredible advocacy, full funding has been restored for the Fairfax County middle school afterschool program for the 2025-26 school year. According to the Fairfax County Government website, “Following feedback from thousands of residents, the board restored full funding for the middle school after-school program.” Together, our community sent more than 26,000 emails and showed up powerfully, including youth advocates, to speak at budget hearings. This victory is a direct result of your voices, passion, and persistence. Thank you for standing up for young people and the programs that support them. | | | Registration NOW OPEN! VPOST's 16th Annual Conference, The Heartbeat of OST: Relationships that Inspire, Empower, and Transform, will be held at the Virginia Crossings Hotel and Conference Center in Richmond, VA on September 15, 2025. Register today! | | Request for Workshop Proposals Now Open We're looking for high-quality workshop presentations for our annual conference! This year’s theme is The Heartbeat of OST: Relationships that Inspire, Empower, and Transform. It speaks to the profound impact of meaningful connections in out-of-school time programs. Does this theme speak to you? VPOST is looking for those who have insights, proven strategies, inspiration, and innovations in the field! Full details are in the Request for Proposal, including where to submit your application.
Sponsor or Exhibit at our Conference VPOST is searching for partnering organizations to sponsor or exhibit at our conference. We welcome companies and organizations with products or services that support and provide solutions for educators, children, and families. Get the Sponsor and Exhibitor Info Packet here. | | | | | 1 in 5 children nationwide may lose their afterschool programs if Congress does not stop the President’s call to cut all dedicated federal funding for local afterschool and summer programs. These community programs, directed and run by local entities, keep kids safe and learning. Kids in afterschool do better in school, achieve higher levels of education, and earn more as adults. Parents get peace of mind and a stronger ability to provide for their families. | | | | Americorp Funding
On Friday, April 25, the AmeriCorps agency sent notifications terminating nearly $400 million in grant program funding. This funding supports more than 1,000 programs and 32,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers across the country. The AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA programs are an essential part of the afterschool and summer learning field. AmeriCorps members help support students academically and through foundational skill development, as well as assisting with afterschool and summer meals, coordinating STEM and arts activities, and working one-on-one with students in the hours when school is out. Has your program been impacted by these cuts? Afterschool Alliance is collecting stories of funding cut impacts and Voters for National Service has an action alert demanding Congress protect Americorps.
| | Policy Pulse Webinar Series | | Every second Friday at noon, Afterschool Alliance Senior VP of Policy, Erik Peterson, will recap the latest policy developments, what we know (or don’t know!) about how they may impact afterschool and summer programs, and what may be coming up next. Watch recent webinars and sign up for the upcoming ones here. |
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