Every child deserves a safe, supportive place to grow when the school day ends. At Girls on the Run, we teach our participants to stand up for themselves and for others. This is why we advocate for all after school opportunities for all children, not just those in our program. 

Why does afterschool programming matter? The organization HOPE has provided a framework for what makes a program function as a Positive Childhood Experience (experiences that foster healthy development, and that act as buffers to the impacts of negative or traumatic experiences). Girls on the Run provides all the building blocks of a P.C.E. identified by HOPE: relationships, environment, engagement, and emotional growth. These experiences are critical for healthy development and help children thrive even when life gets challenging. 

We want every child in Clark County to have access to these opportunities, not just participants in our program. That’s why we partner with the Nevada Afterschool Network to advocate for Afterschool for All, ensuring nonprofit programs reach children across the community, especially in schools where cost or transportation might otherwise be barriers. 

Learning doesn’t stop when the bell rings, and programs like ours bring growth directly to children in schools. Every March, the Afterschool Alliance, along with state partners across the county, advocate for funding for afterschool programs at the federal level. Our Executive Director, Kate McLaughlin, has traveled to Washington, DC to advocate for afterschool funding with the Nevada Afterschool Network as well as to Carson City to encourage state lawmakers to fund after school programs at Title One schools. While 28 states provide support for afterschool programs, Nevada is not yet one of them. Together, we can change that!

This month, our work was recognized by the Clark County Board of Commissioners’ Women’s History Month celebration, highlighting the impact of programs like GOTR in promoting healthy childhood development. 

We will continue to empower all children in Clark County, through our program and our advocacy. If you’d like to learn more or get involved, reach out to our Executive Director Kate McLaughlin at kate.mclaughlin@girlsontherun.org.