IHI After- School CALL IN TO STOP CUTS - OST Coalition Monday Update #1

[IMANI HOUSE]

IHI PARENTS:  ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM...  PLEASE PARTICIPATE.  SB

Good Afternoon Everyone-

 

This is the first Monday update of many to come. Thank you to those who came to the steering committee meeting last week, the input was extremely helpful. There are many steps and action ideas that need follow up. Below is a summary of the meeting and the coalition’s next steps, please read carefully and take a look at the attachments. Thank you.

 

Meetings:

 We are waiting to get a date for a meeting with the Mayor’s office, and we are trying to schedule a meeting with the appropriate Deputy Mayor. We will let you know as soon as we have dates. Please remember to schedule district meetings with your Councilmembers.

 

Attachments:

 

ü  Attached is the OST Fact Sheet for FY12. It highlights the benefits of an OST program as well as the economic impact after-school has and the detrimental impact these cuts will have.

ü  Save After School Campaign document. It includes tips on all Press and pitching stories as well as the social media and online tools information. Please please please forward this document around and begin to use the social media tools. *see below in Media section*

ü  City Council response to  the budget. This document will give some inkling to how the council is responding to youth issues. http://council.nyc.gov/html/budget/PDFs/2012/budget_response_fy_2012.pdf

ü  Attached is the key policymakers for the Save After-School Campaign document. Please take a look at this and see if any of the City Council members are in your district.  It also gives an idea who we are targeting with our campaign efforts this year. If your organization is in any of the mentioned Councilmember’s districts please let us know and begin to set up meetings as soon as possible.

 

Action Updates:

·         311 Borough call-in days –Please mark these days on your calendars as the OST coalition’s 311 Borough call-in days. We encourage all of you to mobilize your staffs, participants, parents, and supporters to call 311 on that day to express support for your OST program in your borough and express your opposition to the cuts. Next week, the coalition will provide a sample call script for each borough.

*        April 28^th  BROOKLYN 311 CALL-IN

*        April 29^th  QUEENS 311 CALL-IN  

*        May 2^nd    MANHATTAN 311 CALL-IN

*        May 3^rd    BRONX 311 CALL-IN

*        May 4^th    STATEN ISLAND 311 CALL-IN

 

·         Social Media & Traditional Media - The OST coalition will use the web and social media to generate support for its cause. The website for the OST coalition is www.edalliance.org/saveafterschool  Also, attached please find the press and social media document for the Save After School campaign.

 

-          Right now, please go to www.facebook.com/saveafterschool and click the “LIKE” button  (This one is the MOST IMPORTANT!)

-          Forward the above link to staff, parents & students and ask them to “LIKE” the page and post to the wall answering the question: “Why is after school important to you?”

-          Forward the attached press/social media document to your agency’s Communications staff or have them contact us directly at Reva...@edalliance.org

-          If you have placed a story in a news outlet, please email the story to Reva Gaur. We would like to centralize all the stories in one place on the OST coalition website. If you have questions about reaching out to the media, please let me know.

 

·         Meetings with Elected Officials –

It is highly encouraged that each organization sets up meetings with their Council Members to discuss the cuts to OST and how it will impact their districts and New York City’s after-school programming. Please feel free to reach out  to the leadership team, (CC list on this email) if you would like guidance on meetings with electeds, or even if you would prefer someone to attend a meeting with you. It is important that every organization begins to meet with electeds but also starts to host community meetings and rallies in their areas. It gives Councilmembers more incentive to visit your organization if you are hosting an event, etc.

1.       To find your Councilmember, type your address here: http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml

 

·         Petitions- Like last year, Educational Alliance has created an online petition dedicated to saving New York City’s OST programs. The petition is ready and available here: http://edalliance.wufoo.com/forms/mayors-budget-will-halt-afterschool/  

 

The petition will be available in hard copy as well. Our goal this year is to collect 17,000 signatures for each child that could lose their after school programs! Make sure to tell your friends and family members! (Note: petitions don’t have to be signed by NY residents.)

*** It is really important to get these petitions filled out and signed. Feel free to start collecting signatures now. ***

 

·         Next Meeting - The next OST coalition steering committee meeting will take place on Wednesday April 27th, at 10:00 a.m. at the UJA-Federation, 130 East 59^th Street.  Please RSVP to Alyson Grant gra...@ujafedny.org by Monday April 25^th by the close of business.

 

·         Forthcoming - As discussed in our meeting last week, we are working on a report to address the cuts to OST and Child Care and we are also drafting talking points for the following:

1.       Revenue ideas

2.       Youth friendly talking points

     

 

 

This is a lot of information to consume in one email. If there are any further questions or concerns please feel free to email me. Thank you so much for everyone’s dedication on this very important campaign.

 

 

Norah Yahya 
Communications and Government Relations Associate 
United Neighborhood Houses
70 West 36th Street, Fifth Floor

New York, NY 10018 
Tel: (212) 967-0322 Ext. 316
Fax: (212) 967-0792