Mayor's Office

Our community is dependent on the tireless work performed by those who have dedicated their lives and professions to our youth. The City of Madison is proud to honor 12 such stars, nominated by their peers and selected by students to be the 2022 MOST outstanding youth workers for this year’s Lights on AfterSchool Day. This is a day aligned with the Afterschool Alliance’s program Lights on Afterschool, towards their larger mission of ensuring all children have access to quality, affordable afterschool programs.

Being exemplary in this space means supporting youth mental health, meeting young people’s basic needs, ensuring that our kids do well in school and in their lives, as well as creating long-lasting connections with kids and their families. These honorees' above-and-beyond effort is directly in-line with my budget investments towards building safer communities, healthier neighborhoods, and more social and employment opportunities for youth, all made possible through hundreds of thousands of ARPA dollar allocations, $1M towards Violence Prevention, and other budgeted investments in afterschool programs, youth-serving organizations and neighborhood centers. I am deeply grateful to have these partners in serving our community’s young people and commend them on their well-deserved recognition.

See the proclamation honoring the day and the awardees below.

Lights on After School Day Proclamation:

WHEREAS, the residents of Madison stand firmly committed to quality afterschool programs and opportunities because they:

• Provide safe, challenging, and engaging learning experiences that help children develop social, emotional, physical and academic skills.

• Support working families by ensuring their children are safe and productive after the regular school day ends.

• Build stronger communities by involving students, parents, business leaders and adult volunteers in the lives of young people, thereby promoting positive relationships among youth, families and adults.

• Engage families, schools and community partners in advancing the welfare of our children; and

WHEREAS, Lights On Afterschool, the national celebration of afterschool programs, held this year on October 20th, promotes the importance of quality afterschool programs in the lives of children, families and communities; and

WHEREAS, 10,000+ Madison children rely on afterschool organizations and the services they provide on a regular basis; and

WHEREAS, this essential work would not happen without thousands of youth workers who dedicate their lives to providing opportunities to young people in our community; and

WHEREAS, Nanceny Fatou Fanny, Erics Peters, Johnny Kennedy, Tauri Robinson, Daukesha J. Mccurty, Megan Woodward, Sarah Karlson, Dr. Roxie Hentz, Allie Dunham, Monica Cloutier, Will Smith and Sabrina Ruedinger were nominated by their peers and selected by students as 2022 MOST outstanding youth workers; and

WHEREAS, they collectively have dedicated over 150 years of their lives to providing opportunities to and working on behalf of young people; and

WHEREAS, this year's winners are exceptional, but also represent a field full of people like them dedicated to using their lives to uplift young people.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that I, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, on behalf of the residents of Madison, Wisconsin, do hereby proclaim October 20th, 2022 as

Lights On Afterschool Day

Congratulations to the 2022 MOST Outstanding Youth Workers. I commit to do my part to ensure the lights stay on and the doors stay open for all young people after school.