Lynn legislators net after school grants

LYNN – In the midst of another violent week involving Lynn teenagers, local delegates have announced a combined $80,000 in funding for two city organizations, helping to continue several successful after school programs and partnerships with Lynn Public Schools.
Lynn Sen. Thomas McGee along with state Reps. Robert F. Fennell, Steven Walsh, Mark Falzone, and Lori Ehrlich announced Thursday that $50,000 has been awarded to Girls Inc. of Lynn and $30,000 to the Greater Lynn YMCA as part of a statewide after school grant from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The funding is part of a $5.5 million after school and out of school time line item in the state’s fiscal year 2009 budget, designed to provide resources for organizations that help keep kids off of the streets.
Keeping kids safe and away from violence is becoming a top priority in Lynn, as more and more of the city’s youth are showing up on police reports rather than honor rolls.
Tuesday night 18-year-old Patrick Severino and 19-year-old Orlando Guzman were arrested and charged with attempted murder, among other charges, after a shooting in the Highlands neighborhood.
On a lesser scale, three middle school students from Lynn were arrested over the weekend when they broke in to the Fecteau-Leary School, trashed classrooms and destroyed several computers.
It was similar crime and violence that many focused on last spring when McGee took his Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time to North Shore Community College for a public forum.
The Special Commission held 10 hearings throughout the Commonwealth, including a hearing held at the Lynn Campus of North Shore Community College attended by over 100 people, including members of the Lynn legislative delegation.
Based on the results, McGee had a large hand in supporting the line item funding and leading the drive for additional resources.
“These grants are enormously important to youth in Lynn,” said McGee. “There is overwhelming evidence that engaging young people in constructive activities outside of the regular school day is critical to their well-being. Kids with access to these programs are healthier, perform better in school and are less likely to participate in risky behaviors. I am very pleased with the state-wide increase in funding, and glad to see the benefits coming to Lynn.”
The funding will strengthen partnerships between Girls Inc. of Lynn and the Lynn Public Schools and North Shore Community College, while The Greater Lynn YMCA will partner with Ingalls Elementary School, Breed Middle School, and the city of Lynn.
Superintendent Nicholas Kostan said that Lynn Public Schools has partnered with these organizations for years in an effort to provide programs and facilities for students while they are out of school, and is looking forward to working with them again this year.
“We have always partnered with Girls Inc., they use many of our school facilities for a program that begins after school is out,” he said. “They are a very good group to work with and a lot of our kids participate in programs over there at Girls Inc. so I am glad to see they will continue.”
Statewide, the grant will assist 67 public school districts, non-public schools, and community-based organizations along with more than 257 partnering after-school and out-of-school time organizations. Grant awards range from $25,000 to $150,000.
“The best way to prevent violence and drug use in our community is to provide children and teenagers with alternatives, such as the programs offered by Girls, Inc. and the Greater Lynn YMCA,” said Walsh. “The rest of the Lynn delegation and I will continue to work to bring more funding to the city to provide our young people with opportunities and keep them off the streets.”