Advocacy Day 2024

On Wednesday, June 5, Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time (APOST) supported the participation of several OST organizations in Allegheny County in attending the state-wide Advocacy Day at the state capitol organized by the Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool Youth Development Network (PSAYDN).

OST professionals and youth from those programs joined APOST on buses from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg to highlight the importance of out-of-school time opportunities in Pennsylvania through meetings with their legislators. Organized by PSAYDN, organizations were able to meet with one to two elected officials to discuss the needed investment and advocate for $11.5 million in the 2024-2025 budget to be allocated to the OST sector through the Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) program. Professionals and youth expressed this ask alongside their sentiments of what OST programming has meant for them personally.

In addition to engaging directly with legislators, participants attended a press conference where thirteen students of all ages spoke from the heart about how much their program meant to them. A student from Allegheny Youth Development (AYD) shared that the afterschool program supported his learning in math and improved his grades. The student continued on to share with the world of the program’s impact on not only his academics, but also his experience making friends. “It also helped me with my social skills and really helped me get out of my comfort zone,” the student shared.

We are grateful for each student’s strength and confidence in speaking publicly of their personal experiences to shed direct light on the positive outcomes that develop from high-quality OST learning experiences.

APOST thanks all the organizations that attended with us for a successful day of advocacy for the youth programs that matter to them and we are eager to continue to push for the proper funding needed to support OST in Allegheny County.