California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance
The California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance (CA3) is the statewide voice for expanded learning (afterschool and summer) programs. The coalition represents the interests of the children, youth, and their families that rely on publicly funded expanded learning programs throughout California.
A deep body of national and California-focused research proves that high-quality expanded learning programs increase student attendance and engagement, raise English language proficiency and graduation rates, build social and emotional skills, and prevent summer learning loss. Families with means provide enrichment and academic support to their kids after school and in the summer, but our public education system must ensure ALL California students have access to these critical learning opportunities to reduce the state’s educational disparities.
The California AfterSchool Network is a proud Steering Member of CA3.
How CA3 Works
In CA3, school districts, county offices of education, community-based organizations, law enforcement, local government officials, policy experts, families, students, and other allies come together to:
- Promote legislative and administrative policies, both state and federal, that enhance the quality and accessibility of publicly funded expanded learning programs in California’s most underserved communities.
- Build awareness with the public and policymakers of the essential value and role of expanded learning programs to support student success.
Formed in 2009, CA3 has successfully supported the enactment of dozens of legislative, administrative, and budget proposals impacting more than 900,000 students in 4,500 programs across California. After a decade of flat state funding and double-digit rising operational costs, we led the Save After School campaign to secure an additional $50 million for state-funded afterschool programs in 2017, and another $50 million in 2019.