Welcome to Start School Later Pennsylvania!
Pennsylvania is waking up!
- Pennsylvania has very active local chapters and many of our school districts have already or recently delayed their school start times.
- Please help yourself to the numerous resources you will find on our webpages and reach out to us if we can be of help in any way.
The first ever PA statewide conference is coming soon!
Adolescent Health and School Start Times: Science, Strategies, Tactics, & Logistics
Join us for a dynamic full day workshop on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at the Clarion Hotel in Exton, PA from
9:30 am to 3:00 pm. Open to school administrators, teachers, school board members, student health advocates, and other stakeholders. Attendees will hear from and interact with various school officials and sleep experts to learn about success stories and implementation strategies for healthy school schedules that enhance student success and their safety, health and well-being. Click for more conference information and to register.
Questions? Contact: Dr. Gail Karafin gkarafin@verizon.net
9:30 am to 3:00 pm. Open to school administrators, teachers, school board members, student health advocates, and other stakeholders. Attendees will hear from and interact with various school officials and sleep experts to learn about success stories and implementation strategies for healthy school schedules that enhance student success and their safety, health and well-being. Click for more conference information and to register.
Questions? Contact: Dr. Gail Karafin gkarafin@verizon.net
The Pennsylvania Senate acknowledges the need to study adolescent sleep
and school start times!
In October 2018, the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously approved a resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish an advisory committee to conduct a study of issues, benefits and options related to instituting a later start time to the school day in secondary schools. Click for the full text of the resolution
The Commission’s report is due to be completed and published no later than October 18, 2019. Stay tuned!
The Commission’s report is due to be completed and published no later than October 18, 2019. Stay tuned!
About our PA Chapters:
Along with a statewide chapter, Pennsylvania is home to nine local chapters and a student chapter:
Berks County
Bucks County
Chester County
(Unionville HS Student Chapter)
Delaware County
Lower Merion
Montgomery County
Southeastern PA (RASNC)
Phoenixville
Western Region (Pittsburgh area)
Berks County
Bucks County
Chester County
(Unionville HS Student Chapter)
Delaware County
Lower Merion
Montgomery County
Southeastern PA (RASNC)
Phoenixville
Western Region (Pittsburgh area)
PA Healthy School Hours Success Stories
For a list of PA schools that have already changed their hours, click here
For a list of PA schools that are investigating changing their hours, click here
SSL Pennsylvania! was founded by Gail Karafin, Ed.D., a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist in local practice in Doylestown and Bensalem for over 20 years.
Gail understands first-hand the impact of early school start times on the health of her current students and endured early school starts when her children were in high school. Because she understands that the problem of early school start times has continued for over a generation, she understands that a statewide education campaign is essential for communities and schools to address this health problem.
Gail understands first-hand the impact of early school start times on the health of her current students and endured early school starts when her children were in high school. Because she understands that the problem of early school start times has continued for over a generation, she understands that a statewide education campaign is essential for communities and schools to address this health problem.
Check out chapter leader Dr. Gail Karafin's 2-part article on TEEN SLEEP ISSUES AND SCHOOL START TIMES in THE PENNSYLVANIA PSYCHOLOGIST! PART 1. PART 2.