IRMO – The Afterschool Alliance has selected Julius Scott, Coordinator of Community Services who supports multiple afterschool programs within School District Five of Lexington & Richland Counties, to serve as a 2025 Afterschool Ambassador – one of only 15 leaders in the country chosen for the honor this year. Afterschool Ambassadors continue working with local afterschool programs while serving a one-year Afterschool Ambassador term, during which they engage with community leaders and policy makers to organize events and in other ways grow support for the afterschool and summer learning programs that students and families rely on.
“I am honored to serve as an Afterschool Alliance Ambassador, championing the transformative power of afterschool and summer learning programs this year,” said Scott. “This opportunity allows me to advocate for equitable access to high-quality enrichment experiences that bridge opportunity gaps, foster academic success, and nurture the social-emotional growth of students. Through this role, I will work alongside educators, policymakers, and community leaders to elevate the critical role of afterschool programs in shaping bright futures. By amplifying the voices of students and families, building cross-sector partnerships, and raising awareness of unmet needs, I aim to expand opportunities that empower youth, strengthen communities, and create pathways to lifelong success.”
The Afterschool Alliance’s Afterschool Ambassador program identifies afterschool providers and advocates of special achievement and helps them raise their voices in support of afterschool.
“We are absolutely delighted that Julius Scott will serve as a 2025 Afterschool Ambassador for the Afterschool Alliance,” said Jodi Grant, Afterschool Alliance executive director. “This is going to be a pivotal year when we simply must continue the progress in making afterschool and summer learning programs available to more students, even as federal education spending is under scrutiny. We intend to continue spreading the word that afterschool programs are a wise, essential investment because they keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, and give parents peace of mind that their children are safe and supervised after the school day ends. Scott is exactly the kind of champion we need.”
Selected from some of the most effective afterschool programs and advocacy organizations in the nation, Ambassadors work every day to help keep kids safe, inspire children to learn and help working families. They know firsthand the barriers and benefits that communities face in making afterschool available to all children. The Alliance selects 12 to 20 Ambassadors from around the country each year, and then provides training, technical support, and modest funding for their Ambassadorial activities throughout the school year. Those activities include: coordinating a major Lights On Afterschool community event; working in concert with other local providers, advocates and business and community leaders to promote afterschool; reaching out to policy makers and the media on afterschool issues; and more.
Each Ambassador will organize a major event for Lights On Afterschool, the Afterschool Alliance’s annual rally for afterschool. Most of the thousands of local Lights On Afterschool events will be on or around Thursday, October 23, 2025.
The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs. More information is available at www.afterschoolalliance.org.
The work of Community Support Services in Lexington-Richland School District Five is rooted in an emerging cradle-to-career network dedicated to improving student outcomes by fostering cross-sector partnerships that extend beyond schools and into communities. The work prioritizes students in under-resourced areas, ensuring they have access to high-quality afterschool programs, kindergarten readiness, career pathways, mentorship, and holistic support. By collaborating with educators, businesses, and community leaders, the office strives to remove barriers, increase equity, and create opportunities that empower students and families for lifelong success.
