A proclamation celebrating Denver afterschool programs and the 2015 Annual National Lights on Afterschool Day. A proclamation celebrating Denver afterschool programs and the 2015 Annual National Lights on Afterschool Day.
So I did forget to announce that. Kudos to the airport. All right. Proclamations. We have two this evening. We'll start with Proclamation 758 sponsored by Councilman Lopez. Will you please read Proclamation 758. Thank you, Mr. President. I will. Proclamation number 758 Series of 2015 Celebrating Denver Afterschool Programs and the 2015 Annual Nights I'm Sorry National Lights On After School Day. Whereas the Denver City Council recognizes that after school programs make a lifelong difference for kids and their parents. And. WHEREAS, Denver is home to over 93,000 school age youth, producing a significant need for afterschool programs to support their academic, social and physical development. Those engaged in high quality afterschool programs outpace their peers in academic growth, have better school attendance, and have better behavior in school while staying on track to graduate high school. And. Whereas, high quality afterschool programs provide students with access to academic support, music, arts, sports, leadership, development, conflict resolution and more. Building many important 21st century skills that inspire increased confidence, making connections to future education and career opportunities. And. Whereas, the demand for after school programs far outweighs the availability for every one student enrolled in a quality after school program, there are two students just waiting to get in, and national studies show parents with regular after school care for their children missed eight more days of work per year than their peers whose children are in regular school after regular afterschool programs. Revealing the importance of these programs and supporting working families the economic strength of our great city. And. Whereas, The Denver Afterschool Alliance, a collaboration among the city and county of Denver, Denver Public Schools and many of Denver's funding and community based organizations helps improve program quality and increase afterschool access for all of Denver's youth. And. WHEREAS, The Denver Afterschool Alliance provides tools and resources to help providers improve program quality and measure outcomes, creates a long term collaborative, collaborative plan addressing the need for high quality afterschool programs across Denver and maps programs citywide, addressing gaps in availability and helping parents fight the right or find the right program excuse me for their child. And. Whereas, every $1 invested in afterschool programs saves $9 by reducing crime and welfare costs, improving kids performance at school, and increasing kids earning potential. Whereas the Denver City Council pledges to support afterschool programs so that Denver's children and families benefit from quality afterschool programs that help close the achievement gap and prepare young people to compete and succeed. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Council, the city and county of Denver, Section one, that the Denver City Council recognizes the outstanding leadership of the Denver Afterschool Alliance for their innovated afterschool programs for Denver children and recognizes the 2015 National Lights on Afterschool Day. Thursday, October 22nd, 2015. In Section two that the clerk of the city and county of Denver shall a test and a a seal of the city and county of Denver to this proclamation and transmit it to the Office of Children's Affairs. Thank you, Councilman Lopez. Your motion to. Adopt. Thank you, Mr. President. I move that council proclamation number 758 2015 be adopted. It has been moved and seconded. Comments. Councilman Lopez. Thank you, Mr. President. This is just a great program. Eight years ago, I traveled with MAXINE Quintana and leaders from our Denver Public Schools, inner city to Washington, D.C., to make sure that we fight for funding for this program and actually to grow the program now. It was excellent then, but it is even more impressive now. And when I hear about this program, I think other colleagues on this Dias have had this experience of reading this proclamation. And I'm just glad that we're able to do it and bring it back home. It's great to see this kind of success. And I just am I can't emphasize more just how important that return on investment is. $1 saves nine. And far too long and far too much. In this city, we seem to be too focused on correcting adult behavior rather than creating amazing children and not having to build jails, but instead build schools. So until we get to that day, I think we're going to take your lead and these great kids who are here dressed in orange. And especially the kid at the Broncos hat. I think we really have a great thing going. Mr. President, thank you. Thank you, Councilman Lopez. Councilman Brooks? Yeah, I think, Mr. President and Madam Secretary, please. I mean, to this this proclamation has a sponsor. Councilman Lopez, you've you've been on a roll two weeks in a row. Four excellent, excellent proclamations. I feel like we need to do a proclamation to you. But I want to just just talk real quickly about the just the importance of public investment and private investment. Public private partnerships into afterschool programs, I think is incredibly important. I grew up as a latchkey kid, so I grew up in these programs. And my professional career started leading these programs. And so as I look in, I see the the youth leaders and folks here, I want to thank you for your investment into these young people. And there's an ROI that you cannot count from a fiscal perspective. And it's a changed life. You can't count that. And that's what so many adults did for me. And that's what I got a chance to do for for so many young people. And now those young people are 25 and 35 and they have kids and and they are now leading in this city. And I just hope that the young adults who are leading here can one day see these young kids who are in a city council meeting. For goodness sakes, I'm so sorry. You you can see their lives in the next five, ten years and see them as transformed. And so we need more and more of this all throughout our community. And we can never stop investing in our young people. You want to know what Denver looks like? I tell people this all the time. You don't know what Denver looks like. You look at these orange shirts because that's our future and that's where we need to be investing in, too. So I proudly support this, and I would proudly support any budget amendment to put more money into afterschool programs. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Brooks. Councilman Clark. Thank. Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you, Councilman Lopez, for bringing this up, this proclamation. I'm very excited to support this tonight. There is no better investment than we can that we can make in the future of our city that investing right here and all of you see the future of our city, future city council people. Although after tonight, you might think this is a little boring for what you want to do. Future mayors, future leaders of our city. And I love that on your shirts that says after school matters because I matter. So if you'll indulge me for just a second, I'm gonna count to three. And all of you out there in those shirts, I want you to yell as loud as you can. I matter on three. You think you can help me out? That I can't hear you? Can you help me out of that? That's more like it. One, two, three. Thank you all for being here. You are the future of our city, and it's fantastic whenever we can do anything to support you. So when you guys need something, you call us, okay? Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Councilman Clark. There's no better way than. And on that note, Madam Secretary, roll call. Lopez I knew Ortega I assessment I black brooks I matter. Clark, i Espinosa. Flinn, i gilmore i cashman. I can eat. Mr. President, I. Well, interestingly enough, Councilman Lopez, we were waiting. Got it. Madam Secretary, please call the voting. Announce the results. 3939. 785 has been 758. Excuse me. Has been a Dr. Catherine Lopez. Don't suppose there's someone in the audience you like to invite to the podium to receive the proclamation? Yes, I do. There's a couple of great people. First is MAXINE Quintana with the Denver Office of Children Affairs and she has a guest, too. I want to welcome to the microphone. It's Arabi, Mohammed. Welcome. Thank you, Councilman Lopez. Thank you guys are for letting us be here tonight and for this wonderful proclamation again and just getting to bring our young people here in city council chambers to see what you guys do as the leaders of our city everyday. So thank you. I'm not going to speak long. I really want to give Aubrey a chance to say a few words. But in my role not only as the director of Out-of-School Time Initiatives for the Office of Children's Affairs and as a member of the staff team for the Denver Afterschool Alliance, you guys all have additional information about the Denver Afterschool Alliance in your packets. I just want to reiterate again the importance and the need for afterschool programing. And again, as Councilman Lopez said in the proclamation, for every one child in a program, there are at least two waiting to get in. I want to thank City Council for the support that we as a city already provide for afterschool programing through our dedicated funding for Measure two A and the marijuana tax revenue funds that we get in our office. That again goes right back out the door to serve program during the after school hours. And while again it's meeting some need, it's still not meeting enough. And so we in the Office of Children's Affairs and the Denver Afterschool Alliance are continuing to leverage our resources and to bring more stakeholders to the table so that we can ensure that every child in every neighborhood in Denver has an after school program that they can benefit from. So I want to introduce Aubrey. Hello. Hello. My name is. I have a moment. After school programs have made a very amazing impact in my life, especially at the Bridge Project and Boys and Girls Club after school at the Bridge Project and Boys and Girls Club give you a safe place to complete homework and to be able to experience new opportunities. At the Bridge Project I have experienced being able to work with kids that have different abilities than me. I have also experience being able to speak out on my voice and say my opinions and thoughts throughout the public. I've also been able to speak at the voice of educator and education and prove to the educators that Davis Elementary School should stay open at the Boys and Girls Club. I have experience being able to run for Youth of the Year, which is a program that you have to explain what the club means to you and why you go to Boys and Girls Club. I have also experience being able to attend Easter Parade, which is which is a program that you get to create your own Easter and walk down the red carpet after school programs, give us kids opportunities to have a chance to experience new things and to be able to meet new people . Afterschool programs also give us kids a chance to make strong relationships with kids and stuff. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Lopez, for bringing that forward. And thank you all for coming. I can't imagine you want to stay. So thank you all so much. All right. We've got one more proclamation. And what do you know? Sponsored by Councilman Lopez 779 We read please read proclamation 779. Oh. Councilman Brooks, you got your wish, man. Council Proclamation 758 series of 2015. Well, I know. I'm sorry. Sorry. Scott Shire Council Bill. Our Council Proclamation 779 six of 2015 proclaiming the week of October 19, 2015 to October 23rd, 2015, as Choose to be great week in Denver, Colorado.