Municipal officials from Fort Oglethorpe and more than 45 cities across the state of Georgia will convene in Atlanta Jan. 22 for the first municipal afterschool summit sponsored by the Georgia Afterschool Investment Council and the Georgia Municipal Association.

Safe, Healthy and Strong Cities: The Promise of Afterschool Programs, hosted by Savannah mayor Otis Johnson, will offer tools and resources to help municipal leaders expand afterschool opportunities and showcase successful local initiatives. National and local panelists will address issues such as funding afterschool programs and developing effective partnerships with school, business and community organizations to benefit youth.

State legislators and school officials are also invited to attend the half-day summit.

“City leaders should support afterschool programming because it addresses one of the important challenges for both families and government: the ‘gap time’ between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. This is the time when young people have the least adult supervision,” mayor Johnson said. “I know how good afterschool programming can build good character and leadership skills. This is why I am a strong advocate for afterschool programming.”

Across Georgia, 25 percent or 412,699 of students in grades K-12 spend an average of 8 hours per week unsupervised after school, according to America After 3 p.m., a survey released in October 2009 conducted for the national Afterschool Alliance and sponsored by the JCPenney Afterschool Fund.

All that unsupervised time alone can have consequences for children like criminal involvement, obesity and poor school performance; however, involvement in afterschool programming can make a big difference.

“High-quality out-of-school time programs improve school attendance and achievement, reduce the likelihood that youth engage in crime and risky behaviors, and promote physical fitness and healthy lifestyles,” said Jill J. Riemer, executive director, Georgia Afterschool Investment Council (GAIC).

Only 17 percent of Georgia’s K-12 children participate in afterschool programs and for many parents who want to enroll their children in afterschool programs, there are barriers.

“Georgia boasts many high-quality afterschool programs that provide positive and effective programming for kids,” Riemer said. “But, these programs are not evenly distributed across the state. In many areas of Georgia parents who want their kids in afterschool programs aren't able to enroll them, usually because programs aren't available, they can't afford the fees or transportation issues make it impossible.”

The National League of Cities believes city governments can make a difference in improving access to afterschool programs. In 2009, with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, NLC provided grants to the Georgia Afterschool Investment Council and four other state afterschool networks to host a municipal summit on afterschool/expanded learning time.

The Georgia Afterschool Investment Council is partnering with the Georgia Municipal Association to present the summit the day before GMA’s annual Mayor’s Day.

“This summit is a wonderful opportunity to begin to provide mayors, municipal and state leaders with tools and strategies to address this important issue,” Riemer said.