Message From Co-Chairs

Children and youth across the Commonwealth need our help and support to become caring and productive members of our society. As Co-Chairs of this Special Commission, we welcome your input as we work together with our 36 members to craft recommendations on how best to support the healthy development of children and youth when they are in and out of school. In addition to the Commission meetings about this critical issue, we intend to hold at least nine public hearings across the Commonwealth. We are aware that not everyone will be able to attend and and invite you to use this blog to communicate with us about your issues and concerns. We look forward to your comments.

Posting Rules and Etiquette

We welcome and value your feedback and ask that you do the following in order to post your comments to this blog. 1. To provide your first and last name and the town or city in which you live to help us track the feedback statewide. 2. To label your comments so we can direct your feedback to the right Commission Work Group. The Commission's three Work Groups are: 1) Information and Access; 2) Quality, Workforce and Professional Development and 3) Sustainability. If your comments cut across all three Work Groups, please label that as "Crosscutting Issue". 3. To add constructive and professional comments - rude or profane comments will be deleted. Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Special Commission Releases Report in Springfield on Tuesday, November 13



Senator Thomas McGee and Representative Marie St.Fleur watching the Over the Top dancers at the North End Youth Center in Springfield on November 13, 2007. Photo courtesy of the Springfield Republican.

The Massachusetts Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time released its report on Tuesday, November 13 at the North End Youth Center in Springfield. Covered by Channel 22, Channel 40, WFCR, Boston.com, and the Springfield Republican, the time children and youth spend in afterschool programs was heralded as key opportunity to develop the future leaders and citizens of Massachusetts.

Co-Chairs Senator Thomas McGee and Representative Marie St. Fleur welcomed the crowd which included a spirited performance by the Over the Top Dancers followed by a presentation by both Co-Chairs about the initial findings and recommendations of the Commission. Fellow Commission members Michael Cahill, Gwynn Hughes, Debbie Kneeland, Rick Metters and Susan O'Connor were also introduced. Two youth speakers talked about why afterschool programs were important in their lives as well.

Youth exhibits were featured from the Brick House in Turners Falls, Citizen Schools in Springfield, Girls Inc. in Holyoke, the Connections Program in Holyoke, the NEARI Jump Start Program in Holyoke and Youth Leadership in the Arts in Northampton.

Click the below links for some of our media coverage:

1) Boston.com
2) Springfield Republican
3)Channel 22
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