The Spring 2011 cycle was an incredibly busy time, not only for our outstanding teens who continue to impress and reach new heights, but also for After School Matters as an organization.

In March, then Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel and I visited several After School Matters programs –science, sports, martial arts and video production–  at Foreman High School on the northwest side of Chicago. We were pleased to hear Mayor Emanuel reference After School Matters as the “heartbeat” of and a benchmark for after school programming in Chicago.

I also witnessed the work of our teen curators at the Art Institute Teen Lab program. Just imagine 30 high school students from across the city exploring digital storytelling as a medium for expression and a tool to communicate their ideas about the museum, its collection and exhibitions.  It is a joy to behold the success that stems from partnerships with organizations like the Art Institute of Chicago.

At the conclusion of Mayor Daley’s Neighborhood Appreciation Tour at Ogden Park, we were thrilled to be a part of the press conference to celebrate our programs in the community and to also share that more than 900 After School Matters teens are in the process of becoming recreation leaders or lifeguards with the Chicago Park District this summer.  This is the most teens we’ve ever produced out of our programs! We must ask ourselves what we can do to continue to develop the skills of our teens to make these opportunities possible.

Cordially,

Maggie Daley
Chair, After School Matters

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