Learning After School (NAPSA)—Now that summer vacation is ending and children are heading back to school, millions of parents are searching for safe, enriching afterschool care for their children. There are some smart solutions to an important challenge facing American families—afterschool care. Nationwide, as many as 15 million “latchkey” children have no adult supervision during nonschool hours. Fortunately, some innovative groups have designed afterschool programs meant to give children safe, fun and enriching places to go when schoollets out. Oneinitiative—the Afterschool Ambassador program, sponsored by JCPenney Afterschool—uses community leaders (or “ambassadors”) to promote afterschool programs. The Ambassadorsserve one-year terms that involve leading the programs, organizing public events, communicating with policy makers and building community support for afterschool. “Our Ambassadors are afterschool trailblazers,” says Afterschool Alliance Executive Director, Judy Y. Samelson. “They demonstrate in their daily work the wonderful services that afterschool provides—keeping kidssafe, giving them academic help and enrich- Afterschool programs improve student grades and teach children social skills and conflict resolution. ment opportunities.” Each Ambassador plans a major event for “Lights On After- school!,” the Afterschool Alliance’s annual celebration to be held on October 10 this year, when pro- grams across the country turn their lights on and rally community support for afterschool. JCPenney Afterschool is the National Presenting Sponsor for “Lights On Afterschool!,” and each of the retailer’s more than 1,000 department stores in the U.S. provides an “Afterschool Community Zone” where parents can find information about afterschool programsin the area. For more information, visit www.afterschoolalliance.org.
