I was among nine students from Baldwin who traveled to the Pennsylvania State Capitol with over 100 students statewide on Wednesday to advocate for increased funding for after-school programs.
The event was organized by the Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool Youth Development Network. Baldwin students had the opportunity to represent the South Hills Interface Movement in front of Allegheny County’s state legislators.
In the morning, SHIM students spoke with Senator Nick Pisciottano and his legislative director, Jared Vento, about the governor’s budget proposal for after-school programs.
Pisciottano voiced his support for increased funding. The senator is a West Mifflin alum and recently attended Baldwin’s We Are Neighbors event.
In the afternoon, students attended a press conference to advocate for more “out of school time” funding.
Contrell L. Armor, the director of the PSAYDN, spoke about the impact and importance of after-school programs and out-of-school-time. Guest speakers included students, after-school program organizers, and legislators. They tackled all of the benefits of increased funding.
“For every $1 investment in out-of-school programs in Pennsylvania, there is a more than $6 return on the investment,” Philadelphia Representative Elizabeth Fiedler said.
Other speakers spoke on the impact these programs have on students.
A senior from Propel Andrew Street High School, Cameron Jones, shared his story as a person whose life was drastically improved by Youth Enrichment Service, a non-profit aimed at helping at-risk youth impacted by social and economic issues.
Jones said that at one time, he had a cumulative GPA of 1.7. Then he got involved in Youth Enrichment Service, which gave him a new environment in which he could find opportunities to make his own pathways and self-advocate. This fall, Jones will be attending the University of Pittsburgh.
Some state legislators are seeking an increase in funding for after-school programs, but Pisciottano said that the federal government’s financial cuts might be a problem for funding.
“The folks in D.C. can’t figure out their own budget, which makes it harder for us to do ours,” he said.
Funding will not be confirmed, however, until the state budget is determined.
