Nikki Gillani

Chicago, IL

School Partnerships Manager, Afterschool for Children and Teens Now (ACT Now) Coalition

Ensuring access to high-quality, affordable out-of-school care for youth across Illinois.

Nikki Gillani advocates for policies that connect schools and community-based organizations that serve youth during out-of-school time, collaborating with communities across the state, with a growing portfolio in rural areas. Faced with a $22 million funding shortfall from the Illinois State Board of Education that jeopardized over 200 afterschool programs, Nikki led a multifaceted strategy involving policy advocacy and technical assistance to preserve youth development programs in Illinois. She played a key role in securing stopgap funding and a $50 million budget allocation for youth programs, while also forming a statewide advisory council to address programmatic challenges and promote sustainable funding strategies. Through the Scholars program, Nikki seeks to professionalize and expand the youth development field by creating clear and robust educational pathways for aspiring professionals, ensuring every child has access to high-quality afterschool environments. Given that her sector is still new and lacks established roadmaps for collective action, she aims to gain perspectives from Scholars outside her sector to inform and enhance her approach.