Jodi Grant
Blog Post List
July 19, 2024
By Jodi Grant and Delaney Ruston The calls to protect our kids from the harms caused by social media are intensifying. The Surgeon General issued an unprecedented call to put warning labels on social media platforms. Los Angeles’s Unified school District, the second largest school district in the country, announced a ban on cell phones in schools , to begin next January. California Gov. Newsom and Virginia Gov. Youngkin are proposing the same in their states. New York just became the first state to prohibit social media platforms from offering addictive social media feeds to young people...
MomsRising
Education Fund
October 23, 2020
The toll the pandemic is taking on America’s moms is well documented and truly concerning, not just for moms but also for families and our country. At this time when millions more families are struggling to make ends meet, Moms are leaving the workforce because of the unmanageable burdens thrust on them as schools close or go virtual, child care programs close, and we all try to adapt to the safety protocols we need to stay safe. But there’s another aspect of moms’ struggle that is threatening families and our recovery: the fact that so many of the afterschool programs parents rely on are...
MomsRising
Together
October 25, 2019
For 20 years, the Afterschool Alliance has been organizing a celebration and rally for afterschool programs each October. Moms lead the way on these events, because they know how important it is that their kids have safe, supervised, educational activities each afternoon, after the school day ends. Yesterday, on the 20th anniversary of the extraordinary event we call Lights On Afterschool, there were 10,000 events across America and at U.S. military bases worldwide. At a Knoxville, Tennessee afterschool program, students explored what to do about a simulated oil spill and how to use robotic...
MomsRising
Together
June 12, 2019
In Washington, DC today, I’m joining hundreds of moms, kids, community and business leaders, educators and others to walk the halls of Congress to urge our elected representatives to stand up for afterschool programs. Afterschool and summer learning programs are vital to our families and communities. I speak from experience, not just as the executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, but as a mom whose daughters benefited from a host of afterschool enrichment opportunities ranging from music theater to computer programming throughout their time in school. Even though reams of research...
MomsRising
Together
October 24, 2018
In Newark, New Jersey, the afterschool program is teaming with the Audubon Society to use infrared cameras to study how animals move overnight, and students are creating their own comic book heroes. In San Benito, Texas, a few miles from the border with Mexico, afterschool programs will hold children’s tech shows that feature robot battles and music, after which the mayor will handle barbeque duties to help feed the crowd. In Phoenix, Arizona, 23 afterschool programs will host open houses, each with a circuitry center where students can learn about electricity and light. Each site also is...
MomsRising
Together
October 3, 2017
With school back in session, kids and parents across the nation are settling back into their school-year schedules. For many, that means adjusting to school closing times that leave students unsupervised for hours each afternoon, until their parents return home from their jobs. Afterschool programs offer a solution to that problem – and much more. One of the Afterschool Alliance's new tools, Finding the Right Afterschool Program for Your Family, walks parents through questions they’ll want to ask and information they’ll want to evaluate before choosing a program.
MomsRising
Together
June 7, 2017
President Trump has proposed eliminating all afterschool program funding. Nearly 2 million kids and families could lose the afterschool programs they count on to keeps kids safe and engaged in learning, and help working parents keep their jobs. The Afterschool Alliance is hosting a nationwide Day of Action to fight President Trump's proposal. We're asking concerned citizens to take action from home by contacting Congress . Congress will decide whether local afterschool and summer learning programs remain open, reduce their services, or shut their doors. Let our leaders know that America’s...
MomsRising
Together
December 4, 2014
One thing I’m grateful for during this season of thanksgiving is the peace of mind that comes from knowing that my two daughters are happy, healthy, safe and constructively engaged during the school day and, just as critically, in the hours afterward. My girls are lucky.
MomsRising
Together
February 14, 2014
Valentine's Day is all about showing the people you love how much they mean to you. It's about expressing how you feel to those who make your life richer and more meaningful. This year, moms around the country are sending Valentines to their afterschool programs. It’s no wonder that afterschool programs hold a special place in the hearts of many busy parents. As a mom myself, I know how important it is to be sure that when they are not with me, my children are safe, supervised, learning and engaged. Afterschool programs do all that – they provide a space for children to expand their horizons...
MomsRising
Together
January 29, 2009
The hours after school are often rife with worry as moms and dads struggle to cobble together safe and adequate childcare arrangements. As a mom, I constantly worry about what is best for my daughters after school. Safety is key, but it is not enough.
MomsRising
Together