The lieutenant governor’s office announced this morning the creation of a statewide initiative to encourage schools, communities and businesses to come together to offer more after-school programs to intermediate and middle school students.

Until now intermediate and middle schools have been relatively on their own when it comes to funding after-school programs, and funding largely depends on federal assistance and grants, Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui said at a press conference this morning at Washington Middle School.

The Intermediate/Middle School Challenge Initiative aims to better connect the middle school and high school experiences and ensure all intermediate and middle schools can offer the programs their students need and want, Tsutsui said.

“In order to provide a top-notch program we will embrace a community-based approach to fund these programs through the utilization of available federal and state resources as well as a reliance on community partners, local businesses, working professionals, educators and our kupuna to lend knowledge and financial resources,” he said. “If we are all able to step up to the challenge together I believe we can establish a program that will require minimal state funding and will be financially viable in the long term.”