Young People Join OST Coalition to Ask Councilmembers for Afterschool Funding
|
On March 8–a day off from school–17 teenagers gathered on the marble staircase inside the John A. Wilson Building to prepare for a hands-on lesson in advocacy. Young people who participate in Global Kids DC’s afterschool program heard from Global Kids Director Wida Amir and DC Action Policy Analyst Ryllie Danylko. The lesson was how the DC Out-of-School-Time (OST) Coalition works with members of the DC Council to push for funding and legislation to make opportunities like the one they have at Global Kids available to everyone. An equally important teaching was that the DC Council members are elected officials who answer to DC residents–including young people.
The day’s advocacy agenda included educating legislators about the need for: a $10 million boost to out-of-school-time funding, an increase in grant sizes for small nonprofits from $25,000 to $75,000, passage of legislation to ensure students with special needs can access OST programs, and an OST Roundtable at the DC Council to publicly discuss issues facing the sector and create accountability in DC government. Councilmembers Charles Allen, Christina Henderson, Brianne Nadeau, Zachary Parker, Robert White, and members of Chairman Phil Mendelson and Councilmember Matt Frumin’s staff met with the advocates.
|
Fair Budget Coalition Urges Equitable Budget Policy in FY24 Platform
|
DC Action is a proud member of the Fair Budget Coalition, and last week we joined with over 35 supporters to visit the Wilson Building and hand deliver copies of the coalition’s budget recommendations to every council office. The Fair Budget Coalition’s FY24 Budget Platform: Meeting the Needs: Equitable Budget Policy is a clear and unambiguous set of recommendations which would help make the bold investments we need to advance racial justice across the six key issue areas of community safety, economic justice, fair taxes and public deals, food access, health justice, and housing. Councilmembers and their staff were receptive to and appreciative of the recommendations and for the opportunity to hear directly from advocates, community leaders, and their constituents.
|
Residents, Advocates, and Councilmembers Rally for District’s Right to Self-Govern
|
For the first time in decades, home rule is under assault in the District. Thanks to Republican-led efforts, and the failure of the White House and certain Democrats in Congress to stand up to them, legislation passed by the DC Council to reform the District’s 122-year-old criminal code was blocked from going into effect. Regardless of where anyone stands on specific legislation, we should be clear-eyed about what it means when national elected officials use racist fear mongering to intervene and block important policy changes; it is a direct threat to self-governance. That is why DC Action was proud to participate in the #HandsOffDC rally last week, along with dozens of other local organizations, and march with hundreds of supporters to tell Congress to respect DC Home Rule. Our Chief of Staff Matthew Hanson was also one of the supporters to participate in non-violent civil disobedience at the rally. Since then, Republicans have made it clear that they are coming for other laws and reforms in DC. We will need to resist them every step of the way. We must stand up for not just home rule, but for full statehood. No politician, local or national, should support anything less.
|
About DC Action
DC Action is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, multi-issue advocacy organization making the District of Columbia a place where all kids grow up safe, resilient, powerful and heard. DC Action uses research, data, and a racial equity lens to break down barriers that stand in the way of all kids reaching their full potential. We are home to DC Kids Count, Under 3 DC, DC Out-of-School Time Coalition, the DC Home Visiting Council and the Youth Economic Justice and Housing Coalition. Our collaborative advocacy campaigns bring the power of young people and all residents to raise their voices to create change.
|
Copyright © 2023, DC Action, All rights reserved.
|
|
