Denzel's After-School Challenge
Denzel's letter to national newspaper still timely 

National spokesperson Denzel Washington sent an impassioned letter to USA Today, urging support for national after-school initiatives. While written in support of National Boys & Girls Club Week 2003, his words still ring true today.

April 8, 2003 

To The Editor:

These are troubling times for our nation, and especially for children.  While it is important to help our kids cope with the daily media dose of terrorism and war, there are other dangers much closer to home. Child predators, gang violence, drugs, and academic failure are but a few of the challenges our kids deal with daily.  

We like to think of the home, with a healthy family life and parental guidance, as the answer to nurturing and protecting our kids. But for millions of children in America, there's a gap.  Research from the FBI and others tell us the hours of 3-8 p.m. are the most dangerous time of day for young people – when crime involving youth doubles – as they leave school and return to an empty household or neighborhood street – unsupervised.

The answer, according to a consensus of experts, is to provide after-school programs in every community. In places where programs are in place, youth-related problems are minimized.  Children are safe; they're engaged in life-enhancing experiences with caring adults and meaningful challenges.

As the national spokesperson for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, last year I helped launch Campaign 3PM, to advocate that every young person be involved in a safe and supervised after-school program. As we celebrate National Boys & Girls Club Week, April 6-12, in 3,300 Clubs worldwide, including all U.S. military bases overseas, I urge all parents, educators, and community leaders to make this dream a reality.

Denzel Washington
Member, Board of Governors
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Atlanta, GA