John Foti After School Enrichment Matters

John Foti’s mantra is Take a bite—you might just like it, and his vision is simple: Give all kids the chance to discover new passions. That starts by making sure every student has the ability to participate in after-school activities, regardless of household income. Leveling the playing field has become a mission for the longtime Arlington resident and youth sports coach. After School Enrichment Matters, the fund he created in partnership with the Arlington Community Foundation and the Arlington Sports Foundation, makes sure students in Arlington’s eight Title 1 elementary schools don’t miss out. Since its inception in 2020, the fund has raised roughly $185,000, allowing some 9,200 local students to try new things, from hockey, cartooning and theater to coding, robotics or chess. –Michael Gueltig