P.S. 2 Afterschool Program Restoration Celebrated

City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr (l., hand raised) joins in celebrating the restoration of HANAC funds for the Out-of-School Time (OST) Program at P.S. 2 in Astoria. This initiative, restored by the mayor and the city council, provides academic, recreational and cultural activities for students. Following a hard-fought grassroots effort to save an afterschool program at an Astoria elementary school, students, parents and teachers received word that funding for the program was fully restored in time for a happy, restful summer.

The Out-of-School Time (OST) Program, which falls under the Department of Youth and Community Development, was slated to close at the end of the school year at 33 locations throughout the city, including P.S. 2 in Astoria. This initiative, restored by the mayor and the city council, provides academic, recreational and cultural activities for students.

Currently, about 175 students participate in the program, which is operated by the Hellenic American Neighborhood Action Committee (HANAC), and an additional 150 children are on a waiting list. The program runs from 3 to 6 p.m. during the school year–an important service for families.

In April, City Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr. joined more than 100 parents, students and teachers at the school’s steps to speak out against the cuts. Many people held signs, passed around petitions and chanted, “Save HANAC” and “We love HANAC”.

“This is a great example of community involvement. Our students, parents and teachers worked hard to make sure this important program was saved,” Vallone said.

Vallone also helped organize a meeting with DYCD at the school, where many parents said they can’t afford childcare services and could face the possibility of losing their jobs if their children were left without an afterschool program. Vallone personally spoke with Mayor Michael Bloomberg about the importance of the program and stressed that 17 of the 33 proposed cuts were in Queens–a significant imbalance that would impact many parents.

HANAC Executive Director John Kaiteris said, “A community of hardworking parents can continue to work and support their families in this very difficult economy, knowing that their children are in a safe, nurturing environment.”

If the cuts had been implemented, P.S. 2 students would have had to travel a minimum of 20 minutes to access the nearest afterschool services. P.S. 2 offers the only afterschool program in the 11370 ZIP Code.