Dear BELL family and friends,

Our scholars, scholar families, educators, and all those we serve, need your voices to be heard. If approved, the president's budget proposal would eliminate all funding to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant program. That's $1.2B in resources removed from communities who depend on it for after-school and summer learning programs like BELL. This proposed cut would impact over 1.5 million children and families that benefit from programs supported by this funding.

This proposal neglects our families and friends from communities who rely on BELL and other programs for high-quality after-school and summer programs. It would turn our nation's backs on people like Kourtney, a 10-year old BELL scholar who has finally caught up with her math and is improving her reading every day. It would turn our backs on 11-year-old Alex, a scholar who channeled his boundless energy to excel in math after struggling for years. It would neglect single mothers like Helen and young parents like the Ruiz's who would not be able to work extra overtime hours to support their families.

The White House argues that there is minimal evidence that after-school and summer programs are effective. That is simply not the case and BELL serves as a great example. Year after year, data show scholars in BELL's 5-6-week summer program gain on average, 1-2 months or more of literacy and math skills, often outpacing their rate of learning during the school year. Furthermore, the Afterschool Alliance highlights 40 studies that confirm the positive effects of after-school programs, including improved academic skills, behavior, safety, and family life.

If you believe that our children are our future, and that we must invest in those children and families who need our help the most, please join us in sounding the bell to our legislators. Please contact your local and state officials to let them know you are against the call to eliminate funding to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant program. You can also visit Afterschool Alliance to find out who your local legislator is and urge them to protect summer and after-school choices.

Sincerely,

Tiffany Gueye
BELL CEO