WATCH FULL PSA HERE.
October 26 marks the national annual observance of Lights On After-school. The Westchester County Youth Bureau is in support of the hundreds of programs that provide high quality, safe environments for children and youth during unsupervised hours throughout Westchester County. Many organizations including non-profit youth centers, municipal youth bureaus, parks departments and faith based groups receive funding from the County’s Youth Bureau to ensure that children and youth have academic support, access to technology, performing arts, sports, field trips and other enriching opportunities.
County Executive George Latimer said: “As a former County Legislator and the current County Executive, I have never lost sight of the importance of after-school programming here in Westchester County. We have championed initiatives to include the Invest in Kids Program, and have since increased the investments made in after-school offerings. We have worked to ensure that facilities remain open and our children and youth have safe places to learn, explore and innovate. Our Youth Bureau works diligently to support families by allocating funding to the after-school community and connecting agencies to private sources to expand technology and health resources and I commend them on their efforts.”
Throughout the year, programs are visited, monitored and spotlighted by the Youth Bureau’s staff. Since 2019, the Bureau has created PSAs to highlight organizations in different parts of the County that keep their doors open before and after-school, but also on weekends. This year’s PSA features the Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle. The Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle serves hundreds of youth daily and offers fun activities to include homework help, STEAM, healthy cooking projects, girl’s empowerment, sports and computer gaming.
Youth Bureau Executive Director Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden said: “Westchester is a special County that embraces the theme of ‘Lights on After-school’ because all children and youth deserve opportunities to keep the lights shining in their minds, bodies and hearts. I am particularly proud that the County Executive has allowed the Youth Bureau to expand its support to geographical areas that were historically left out and to populations of children and youth who require specialized supports and services. External funding has also helped us to create a vast catalogue of age-appropriate, asset building, and supportive activities that promote mental, social, emotional and physical health”
If you are an after-school program provider and would like the Westchester County Youth Bureau to highlight your after-school program via its’ social media platforms, please send pictures with a caption of the program to Vanessa Zahran at .