我已准备好资助有组织的项目
街头帮派在南布朗克斯招募成员，人们对科罗拉多州利特尔顿校园枪击案的含义困惑不解，市长与教育总监因学校治理问题发生冲突——显然，关于年轻人以及如何最好地引导他们走向成年的问题，在这里和全国都是头条议题。
Gangs recruiting in the South Bronx, people perplexed by the meaning of the Littleton, Colo., school massacre, the mayor and schools chancellor colliding over school governance—clearly, questions about young people and how best to guide them to adulthood are Topic A here and around the nation.
然而，在混乱之中，有一件事几乎人人都同意会有助于改善儿童的社会与教育发展：课后项目。
Amid the turmoil, however, there is one item that almost everyone agrees will help improve children’s social and educational development: after-school programs.
尽管有这种共识，一些关键的纽约市领导人似乎不愿意在预算中拨出足够的资金来支持课后项目，即使我的组织愿意提供大额配套资金。
Yet despite this agreement, some key New York leaders seem unwilling to budget enough money to support after-school programs, even though my organization is willing to provide major matching funds.
课后项目并非什么新鲜事。在第二次世界大战期间，它们为那些母亲为支援战争而工作的孩子提供照顾。如今，这些项目解决了双收入家庭和单亲家庭的需求——这些家庭在放学后没有成人在家。
After-school programs are hardly a new idea. During World War II, they provided care for children while mothers worked to support the war effort. Today, these programs address the needs of two-income families and single parents where there’s no adult home when school lets out.
课后项目提升了教育质量，补充了传统的在校时间，并在从艺术到计算机科学的各个方面提供学习机会。
After-school programs enhance the quality of education, complementing the traditional school day and offering learning opportunities in everything from the arts to computer science.
通过让年龄较大的学生协助养老院中的老人、清理公园或辅导小学生，课后项目满足了社区需求，同时提供了宝贵的工作经验。
By enlisting older students to assist senior citizens in nursing homes, clean a park or tutor elementary school children, after-school programs address community needs while providing valuable work experience.
随着福利改革的到来，课后项目可以通过提供负担得起的儿童看护，帮助依赖公共援助的单亲父母过渡到工作岗位。
With the advent of welfare reform, after-school programs can help single parents on public assistance make the transition to work by providing affordable child care.
通过让儿童在下午 3 点到 6 点之间保持建设性的参与，课后项目是预防犯罪和减少毒品问题的最有效方法之一。联邦调查局报告称，超过一半的青少年犯罪发生在下午和傍晚。在这段时间让儿童有事可做，有助于促进健康的社交能力，并防止帮派形成。对于纽约州来说——该州 10 至 17 岁青少年的暴力犯罪率是全美人均最高的——这一点尤其重要。
By keeping children constructively engaged between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., after-school programs are among the most effective ways of preventing crime and reducing the drug problem. The FBI reports that more than half of juvenile crime occurs during the afternoon and early evening. Keeping children occupied during these hours promotes healthy socialization and prevents the formation of gangs. For New York State, which has the highest per capita rate of violent crime among 10 to 17-year-olds in the country, this is particularly important.
扩大课后项目的一个重要步骤是“21 世纪社区学习中心”，该项目由美国教育部资助。这个 2 亿美元的项目——克林顿总统已提议将其扩大到 6 亿美元——为州和地方的课后项目树立了榜样。其最终目标是在未来五年内提供 10 亿美元，用于 4,000 个以学校为基础的项目。
A significant step in the expansion of after-school programs is the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which are funded by the US. Department of Education. This $200 million program—which President Clinton has proposed to expand to $600 million—serves as a model for state and local after-school efforts. Its ultimate goal is to provide $1 billion to 4,000 school- based programs over the next five years.
在纽约州，我已承诺在未来五年内每年提供高达 2500 万美元来支持课后项目。这笔投资必须由其他私人和公共资金以 3 比 1 的比例进行配套。
In New York State, I have pledged up to $25 million a year for the next five years to support after-school programs. This investment must be matched by other private and public funds on a 3-to-l basis.
去年，纽约市和学校总监鲁迪·克鲁为这项工作承诺了 900 万美元的配套资金，使全市 50 所公立学校中约 15,000 名儿童及其家庭能够享受课后项目。
Last year, New York City and Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew committed $9 million in matching funds to this effort, making after-school programs available to approximately 15,000 children and their families in 50 public schools citywide.
我很高兴市议会在其 1999-2000 年预算中为课后项目专门拨款 1000 万美元。这笔资金将支持在下一个学年将项目扩展到 100 个地点，惠及 30,000 名儿童。
I am pleased that the City Council has earmarked $10 million in its 1999-2000 budget for after-school programs. This would fund an expansion in the next academic year to 100 sites, serving 30,000 children
在州层面，州长帕塔基已提议为“优势学校项目”拨款 1000 万美元，这是一项课后倡议，将额外惠及 13,000 名学童。但州参议院在其预算决议中将其削减至仅 150 万美元——而州议会则完全将其取消。
At the state level, Gov. Pataki has proposed $10 million for the Advantage School Program, an after-school initiative that would reach an additional 13,000 school children. But the state Senate, in its budget resolution, reduced this to only $1.5 million—and the Assembly eliminated it.
课后项目是一项值得进行的投资。我准备好了。
After-school programs are an investment worth making. I’m ready.