State Senator Zellnor Myrie on Thursday released a plan to provide free, universal afterschool programs and full-day early childhood education for New York City students.
The Opportunity Agenda initiative aims to alleviate the financial burden on families, enhance academic and career outcomes and create job opportunities, while strengthening the city’s care sector, according to a press release.
Myrie’s plan includes free afterschool programming until 6:00pm for students from 3-K through 12th grade, along with expanded workforce development programs and summer youth employment opportunities.
The state senator, who is running for mayor, said his parents worked full time as he grew up in Brooklyn. Their workday didn’t end when classes ended, so he would spend every day after school at the Crown Heights Youth Collective, a local afterschool program.
"Afterschool was a lifeline not just for me because of the skills and confidence I could acquire, but also for my mom," he said. "I credit afterschool for keeping me off the streets and paving the way for me to attend college, receive a law degree, and become a State Senator."
