After School Advocacy

Yesterday, the FY26 federal budget “blueprint” was released.  The news for arts and education is grim. The budget calls for the elimination of The National Endowment for the Arts, the [...]

A statement from CAPE on recent events: The new presidential administration, in its first few weeks, has upended the US Constitution by unilaterally making cuts to spending on critical domestic [...]

ACT Now is spearheading a sign on letter to Governor JB Pritzker to encourage him to fund afterschool in the FY 26 state budget. To ensure more equitable funding for afterschool and youth [...]

Dear Friends, Since last year, CAPE has been one of many after-school program providers across the state of Illinois fighting to maintain funding.  In 2023, the Illinois State Board of […]

On Thursday, October 10th Chicago Tribune journalist Ikram Mohamed met parents of CAPE students at Telpochcalli School in Little Village. Read Ikram’s article here. Telpochcalli is one of [...]

At North-Grand High School, we use music classes as a catalyst for academic and social change and development. As an example, students are expected to maintain good standing grades across […]

The Governor of Illinois has proclaimed today, October 24, 2024, Lights on Afterschool Day! JB Pritzker enthusiastically endorses LOA and is committed to the education of youth in the state. […]

This morning we joined ACT Now for a rally to urge the state to issue afterschool funding, and heard testimonies from impacted programs, community members, students, and parents. The fight […]

9/5/2024 Update: As of September 5, 2024, no new information has been forthcoming from any government officials about plans to solve the statewide after-school funding crisis.  In August, CAPE [...]