A Thanksgiving Mesage from the MOST Network
Dear friends and partners,
Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy the company of others and consider all that which gives us joy in our lives. We at the Maryland Out of School Time Network want to recognize some of the wonderful professionals we’ve collaborated with over the past year, whose ranks include some of the most dedicated and capable individuals in the nonprofit world. Everyone can benefit from showing more gratitude to others, and we celebrate any opportunity to foster a stronger sense of community among those in the youth development profession.
With that said, we are so thankful for the hardworking people in the Americorps program: the VISTAs, supervisors, and project sites who work to address poverty and inequality across the state
We are thankful for those working to implement Community School model in Maryland: the Community School Coordinators, lead agencies that work to provide holistic learning experiences to the next generation.
We are thankful for our partners running youth development programs outside of the traditional school day. Afterschool programs, mentoring programs, youth workforce development programs and the networks of support make a real difference in the lives of young people every day.
We are thankful for our partners in advocacy, especially our allies in the Maryland Education Coalition and Blueprint Coalition. We appreciate our sister organization Mentor Maryland DC for our ongoing collaboration.
We are thankful for those in Maryland’s school systems who believe in our mission: the Teachers, administrators, club sponsors, coaches, and principals who are the face of OST programming
We are thankful for those who support MOST’s mission with their contributions and their time, including our Board of Directors, the C.S. Mott Foundation, H.J. Weinberg Foundation, our College and Career Readiness Ambassadors and CCR Advisory board, and the volunteers who work to make our events as enriching for students as possible.
Raising and educating children is difficult even under the best of circumstances. It is remarkable that after nearly two years of historic change and dislocation, we still see countless industry professionals going above and beyond to serve young people and their communities every day. Our organization is lucky to consider these thoughtful individuals our partners, colleagues, and friends.
This thanksgiving, we are so incredibly grateful for all those who have made a career out of caring and for the hopeful future they continue to build. We wish you all a safe and restful holiday season and look forward to working with you again next year.
