Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Letter to the editor:

Our children’s future depends on all of us

Each day after school, 11.3 million kids return to an empty home. One out of six students fails to graduate from high school on time. Nearly half don’t believe the American dream is possible.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

At Boys & Girls Clubs across Nevada, we see the inequities and roadblocks our country’s young people face. With that in mind, we are committed to providing every child the opportunity for a better future, no matter their background, to assure that success is within reach for every young person.

Out-of-school time is at the forefront of our agenda because we believe it is the critical vehicle for accomplishing these solutions for kids and teens, including ensuring safer childhoods.

With the launch of our inaugural advocacy platform, the Agenda for America’s Youth, we will champion issues that support youths in making positive decisions and embracing healthy lifestyles and wellness. When every young person has access to quality out-of-school time opportunities, when they’re safe emotionally and physically, when they are healthy and when they have the leadership skills for great futures, that is how we ensure equity and inclusion for all young people.

But we can’t do it alone.

It’s on all of us to create opportunities for kids based on their potential, not on their circumstances. Our young people are the promise of tomorrow, our future leaders and innovators of our economy. Prioritizing and investing in afterschool time not only leads to better outcomes for our kids but to a healthier, safer and more prosperous nation.

The writer is the board chair of Nevada State Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs.