PSAYDN Education and Awareness Campaign

PSAYDN is excited to launch our 2025–2026 Education and Awareness Campaign to elevate the importance of afterschool and summer learning opportunities across the Commonwealth. Through this campaign, we will host monthly virtual sessions focused on building knowledge, capacity and collective voice in support of out-of-school time (OST) programs statewide.

2025–2026 Education and Awareness Campaign Launch

Aug. 21, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Virtual

We are honored to welcome Chris Neitzey, senior director of policy at the Afterschool Alliance, as our featured presenter for this kickoff session. Chris will share timely updates on recent federal and national advocacy efforts that have advanced policies and funding priorities benefiting out-of-school time programs across the country.

Learn key wins from the past several months, including bipartisan support for afterschool and summer learning, successful strategies used to engage policymakers, and insights into the evolving national OST landscape.

Gain a deeper understanding of how these developments connect to Pennsylvania’s own advocacy goals and what opportunities lie ahead to elevate OST priorities at both the state and local levels. This session will help lay the foundation for PSAYDN’s 2025–2026 education and awareness campaign and empower our network to take action to sustain and grow OST investments in our communities.

Meet Our Presenter

Chris Neitzey
Director of State Policy
Afterschool Alliance

Chris Neitzey is the director of state policy for the Afterschool Alliance. Chris joined the Afterschool Alliance in August 2018 as the director of STEM initiatives. In this role, Chris works to advance federal, state and local policy to expand access to high-quality afterschool and summer STEM programming. Prior to joining the Afterschool Alliance, Chris led the policy and advocacy work of the New York State Network for Youth Success, New York’s statewide afterschool network. Chris also worked for the Maryland Science Center prior to his work in New York, delivering STEM programs to students in school and afterschool programs across the mid-Atlantic region. Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography from Towson University and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University.

Lights On Afterschool Event Registration

Oct. 23, 2025

Host a Lights On Afterschool (LOA) event and receive a starter kit—including 10 free posters—and get a chance to win weekly prizes. Create an account to register your event now and easily update the details as your plans evolve. 

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