Mayor de Blasio releases plan to double after-school programs for middle schoolers
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday released a white paper detailing his plan to double the number of free, high-quality after-school programs for New York City middle school students, providing a slot for every kid who needs one.
Currently, about a quarter of the city’s middle schoolers, or 56,369 students from 239 schools, attend after-school. The planned expansion will reach nearly 120,000 children.
After-school programs encompass a range of activities, from homework help and tutoring to arts, science, chess clubs and sports.
“We are putting forward programs that will be game-changers for kids,” Mayo de Blasio said at a City Hall press conference. “I’ve seen with my own children what finding a passion in art or science can mean to someone at that age. This is a critical investment that will transform our schools—but it is also a powerful policy to keep kids out of trouble and fight the influences that can take them off the right path.”