Gun violence puts Philly kids at risk. After-school programs can keep them safe.

This week, 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde was killed by gunfire outside Roxborough High School as he was leaving a football scrimmage. The incident — in which four of his friends were also shot — has left the city reeling.

After-school and out-of-school time activities should be safe places for kids to go. Clearly, Philadelphia isn’t supporting the social and emotional development of its youngest residents — just look at the sheer number of young people impacted by gun violence.

While the exact motives of the shooting are still unclear, an earlier intervention in the lives of the shooters could have prevented them from turning to violence. We also need to make after-school programs safer for kids. Fully funding after-school programs would increase the number of adults at school during those hours, including security personnel, and provide safe transportation for kids to and from activities so that they’re not as vulnerable to violence.

After several years of upheaval and uncertainty, Philadelphia’s kids are in a state of crisis. With the rise of neighborhood violence, there is a critical need for activities and intervention in the after-school hours to support the development, health, and safety of our students. Research shows that out-of-school time activities are part of a multipronged strategy to help meet kids’ social and emotional needs. After-school programs cannot be an afterthought in planning for student success.

We are calling for city, state, and school district leaders to act boldly and quickly, and make more financial investments in after-school programs for kids of all ages. There is key funding from the American Rescue Plan available to the school district allocated specifically for out-of-school time programming. This funding should be released immediately to increase the availability, accessibility, and safety of extracurricular programs in Philadelphia.

“No child should be fearing for their life while walking out of a football scrimmage.”

Along with an increase in funding, we need the city and school district to use their investment well. This is why, on Sept. 22, Vetri Community Partnership testified at a school board meeting in favor of the creation of an Office of Extracurricular Partnerships, joining the Greater Philadelphia Extracurricular Collaborative and other out-of-school time providers.

This office would make school-based extracurricular programs easier to administer, ensure they are more equitably distributed across district schools, and remove barriers to participation. It would also foster coordination between the district, the city, schools, and community-based organizations. In such a space, the district can better align resources like transportation, meals, and initiatives improving community safety. The result is more accessible and safe programs for students and families.

The demand for after-school programs is there. According to the Afterschool Alliance, for every child who is enrolled in an after-school program in Pennsylvania, four more children are waiting. A 2019 report from the national nonprofit Council for a Strong America found that after-school programs play a vital role in turning the hours from 2 to 6 p.m. into a time for opportunity for kids.

» READ MORE: The shooting at Roxborough High and the absurd state law that limits local gun safety measures | Editorial

While keeping kids safe and out of trouble is a key reason to increase investment in after-school programs, there are other benefits. Working parents in Pennsylvania overwhelmingly agree that after-school activities preserve their peace of mind and help them keep their jobs. Meanwhile, students enrolled in after-school programs are learning life skills, getting homework help, participating in STEM learning, and getting physical activity. These are all outcomes that can help prevent violence and help children cope with the reality of living in Philadelphia today.

Investing in these programs now is urgent. Kids in the city need safe places to go where staff are trained in trauma-informed care and where kids can have enriching experiences without a looming threat of violence. No child should be fearing for their life while walking out of a football scrimmage.

We believe that Philadelphia can be a place where children thrive, but they can only succeed with important, thoughtful, high-quality investments in their success. The funding is there — all that is required is the political will to make a change.

Maddy Booth is CEO at Vetri Community Partnership. Laura Johnson is a founding member of the Greater Philadelphia Extracurricular Collaborative. Onna Jones is assistant director of partnerships at Hopeworks.