Senator Collins Meets with Leaders of Maine Afterschool Programs

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins met with leaders of the Maine Afterschool Network and the Maine Seacoast Mission this afternoon at an Afterschool Showcase event in Washington, D.C.  During the event, Senator Collins was presented with a Superhero Cape award for her bipartisan work to reauthorize and improve the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, a program that supports afterschool programs. 

“It was a pleasure to meet with members of the Maine Afterschool Network and the Maine Seacoast Mission, who ensure that communities throughout our state have access to high quality afterschool programs,” said Senator Collins, a founding member of the Senate Afterschool Caucus.  “Afterschool programs provide an enriching and educational environment for students once school has ended for the day.  In addition, these programs offer parents peace of mind knowing that their children are in a safe and structured setting.”

The Afterschool Showcase featured students and educators from several afterschool programs across the country who were demonstrating some of the activities that take place in their programs.  The Maine participants of the event included Erin Frati, Ethan Brownell, and Kristyn Brownell of the Maine Afterschool Network and Charlie Harrington of the Maine Seacoast Mission.

More than 28,000 Maine students have been served through afterschool programs since 2010, with remarkable improvements in measures ranging from nutrition and physical health to social skills and academic performance.