All too often, those of us in the field work so hard to make an impact in the lives of children that we forget to communicate the connections between tragic headlines and how our work impacts large-scale problems. While provisions (i.e. legislation) directly related to guns are critical to prioritizing youth wellbeing and safety, quality afterschool also plays role in addressing the needs of young people by ensuring that they not only shore up their cognitive and academic skills but engage youth in ways that improve their social-emotional skills. Such efforts are what allow young people to become more self-aware, socially conscious and develop resiliency skills. Read more on the importance of afterschool in the articles published in Hampton Road’s The Daily Press and Richmond's Times-Dispatch.

If you have impact stories you would like us to highlight, please contact Joy Jackson at joy.jackson@v-post.org.