1. Create New and Leverage Existing School Partnerships

• Provide career mentoring to middle and high schoolers in an afterschool program.
• Go to your local school and talk with the principal about their afterschool program.
• Seek out the local graduation coach to learn what his/her students need most and bridge that conversation as a business leader with the coach and school principal to ensure afterschool programming meets these kids needs.
• Donate supplies and equipment to a local afterschool program (e.g. computers, paper).
• Sponsor afterschool staff to attend GAIC’s new Afterschool Academies Institute to receive state-of-the-art techniques and professional development. 

2. Educate your community on the importance of afterschool

• Sign on to the Afterschool For All petition (formerly called Project 2010).  Affirm smart solutions by signing!
• Set up a meeting with school board members and officials (Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent and Principal).
• Set up a meeting with an elected official (e.g. Mayor, County Commissioner), your local school principal and afterschool director to express the business community’s interest in this topic.  Your voice goes a long way!
• Write an op-ed supporting afterschool to help increase awareness about how afterschool helps America’s economy, keeps kids safe and inspires students.