PRINTER'S NO. 2243
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
147
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY WHEATLEY, LEWIS DELROSSO, SCHMITT, SANCHEZ,
LONGIETTI, FREEMAN, McNEILL, MILLARD, M. MACKENZIE, BROOKS,
A. DAVIS, HOHENSTEIN, HOWARD AND KIM, OCTOBER 6, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, OCTOBER 6, 2021
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Designating October 28, 2021, as "Lights On Afterschool Day" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, The residents of this Commonwealth stand firmly
committed to quality after-school programs and opportunities
because those programs and opportunities:
(1) provide safe, challenging and engaging learning
experiences that help children develop social, emotional,
physical and academic skills;
(2) support working families by ensuring that their
children are safe and productive after the regular school day
ends;
(3) build stronger communities by involving students,
parents, business leaders and adult volunteers in the lives
of young people, thereby promoting positive relationships
among youth, families and adults; and
(4) engage families, schools and community partners in
advancing the welfare of our children;
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and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has provided significant leadership in
the area of community involvement in the education and well-
being of our youth, grounded in the principle that quality
after-school programs are key to helping our children become
successful adults; and
WHEREAS, It is estimated that every $1 invested in after-
school programs saves $3 by increasing students' earning
potential, improving students' performance at school and
reducing crime and welfare costs; and
WHEREAS, For students in kindergarten through twelfth grade,
more than 89% of their time is spent learning outside school
during after-school and summer programs, in libraries, museums
and science centers or at home or in the community; and
WHEREAS, After-school programs engage students in hands-on,
real-world science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)
projects to help build vital 21st-century skills, cultivate an
interest in STEM and offer innovative ways for students to
connect STEM to their lives and communities; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 19.4 million families report that they
would enroll their child in an after-school program if one were
available; and
WHEREAS, After-school programs can provide holistic support
for children and improve the development of social and emotional
competencies such as problem solving, critical thinking and
interpersonal skills; and
WHEREAS, Many after-school programs across the country are
facing funding shortfalls so severe that they are being forced
to close their doors and turn off their lights; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is committed to investing in the health
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and safety of all young people by providing expanded learning
opportunities that will help close the achievement gap and
prepare young people to compete in the global economy; and
WHEREAS, "Lights On Afterschool," the national celebration of
after-school programs held this year on October 28, 2021,
promotes the importance of quality after-school programs in the
lives of children, families and communities; therefore be it
RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
designate October 28, 2021, as "Lights On Afterschool Day" in
Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the General Assembly enthusiastically endorse
"Lights On Afterschool" and commit this Commonwealth to engage
in innovative after-school programs and activities that ensure
that the lights stay on and the doors stay open for all children
after school.
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