Letter to the president

Dear Mr. President,

 [1^st paragraph states the reason for the letter and who you are]

I am writing to inform you of how important the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) afterschool program is in our community, and to ask you to do everything in your power to ensure that the program receives the full funding it deserves.  I work with [program name], an afterschool program funded by a 21st CCLC grant, and I know firsthand how it helps academic achievement, keeps kids safe, benefits working families, and has a positive effect on the entire community.

 [2^nd paragraph gives reasons for your position and includes a personal needs account]

Our program helps several hundred working parents in our school district who otherwise would not have access to an extended learning program to enrich their children’s lives during the hours after school. In addition, our program provides our community’s citizens with a proven history of success – a history that features improved student test scores, improved school attendance and more focused students.  Successful afterschool programs like ours offer an academic environment that is critical in the 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. time period before most working parents can get home.

 [3rd paragraph should summarize your message]

Our 21st CCLC program provides an environment where extended academic learning is the norm. Students in our afterschool program achieve better in math, reading and other subjects; have fewer behavioral problems; and have better attendance records.  This is fantastic for the families who are able to enroll their children in afterschool.  However, as new data from America After 3 PM: A Household Survey on Afterschool in America, conducted by the Afterschool Alliance and JCPenney Afterschool Fund demonstrate, 11.3 million K-12 children take care of themselves after the school bell rings.  Furthermore, parents of more than 19.4 million children say their children would participate in an afterschool program if one were available.

[Always thank a public official]

Thank you for your public service.