Battle Creek Students Protest After School Program Cuts

The potential elimination of some after school programs in Battle Creek brought out more than 200 students waving protest signs in the city’s downtown area.

The Trump administrations latest budget proposal calls for the elimination of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Initiative. It supports after school programs across the country. The Battle Creek Enquirer reports the students split up into groups. Then school supervisors guided them as they worked their way through downtown Battle Creek late yesterday afternoon to stop and waive their protest signs at street intersections. The “Lights On After School” protest happened at many cities around the country.

In Battle Creek, the program has funded  after school robotics, newspaper, and cooking clubs.  Field trips to museums and even football games have also been funded by the program.