Tina Jones, program director at the Read and Rise Afterschool Program in Texarkana, recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional representatives and advocates to increase funding for after-school and summer learning programs serving Arkansas students.
Afterschool Ambassadors
Jones and Amos Gray, founder of the High Impact Movement in Hot Springs, were among 16 individuals nationwide selected as 2026 Afterschool Ambassadors for the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit organization that supports afterschool programs across the country.
During the visit, the pair discussed the need for expanded access to afterschool and summer programs and shared findings from a recent Afterschool Alliance survey that highlighted challenges facing Arkansas families. According to the survey, parents of 212,070 Arkansas children want summer programs for their children, but only 78,308 children are enrolled.
The barriers pushing programs out of reach for Arkansas families are cost, cited by 32% of survey respondents; program location or transportation challenges, cited by 20%; and programs being unavailable, cited by 21%.
Jones said families see the benefits these programs provide for the students both academically and socially. The survey also found strong public support for summer learning programs, with nearly 9 in 10 Arkansas parents surveyed saying they support public funding for summer programs.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
