Inspiring celebrations of afterschool during Lights On 2022

In Alaska, students balanced spiders on webs they created with marshmallows and toothpicks, and enjoyed Polynesian dance. In California, they conducted “Will It Float?” exercises. In Florida, they created elephant toothpaste from dish soap, hydrogen peroxide and yeast; in Indiana, celebrated Hispanic heritage; in Maryland, studied financial literacy; and in Michigan, held a Supreme Chef challenge. In Montana, students introduced the community to their goats, chickens, and hedgehog. In New York State, students made calm-down jars and took a challenge to improve their health.

All that, along with student performances, academic contests, hikes, food drives, debates, open houses, and much more took place at afterschool programs across the country today for Lights On Afterschool. The 23rd annual Lights On Afterschool included events at schools, 4-Hs, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, parks, museums, community centers, and other places. It kicked off with a celebration in Oakland, California last week.

“Thousands of local programs are showcasing the skills students hone and talents they develop at their afterschool programs,” said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant. “The Afterschool Alliance organizes Lights On Afterschool to celebrate the many ways these programs help students succeed in school and in life, and to underscore the need to invest in afterschool programs, which keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, and give working parents peace of mind. But too many children and families are missing out. There aren’t nearly enough afterschool programs, and many are facing major challenges. We urgently need greater investments in afterschool, so all students will be able to benefit from the academic and well-being supports these programs provide.”

The New York City skyline shined for afterschool tonight when the Empire State Building lit up in yellow and blue. New afterschool billboards with the tag, Freedom to Explore, ran in 25 markets nationwide thanks to Clear Channel Outdoor, as well as on jumbo screens in Times Square. Other landmarks lit up for afterschool this week included Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida; the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana; South Street Station in Boston, Massachusetts; the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation in Flint, Michigan; the Ocracoke Island Lighthouse in North Carolina; City Hall in Charleston, South Carolina; the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge in Nashville, Tennessee; and the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C.

In D.C., NASA hosted a virtual event, plus several in-person gatherings, featuring a pre-recorded interaction with actress Keke Palmer of Disney’s Lightyear posing questions from afterschool students around the country to International Space Station astronaut Jessica Watkins. The event was a collaboration between NASA, the Afterschool Alliance, and STEM Next Opportunity Fund’s Million Girls Moonshot.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona shared a message during Think Together’s virtual Lights On Afterschool celebration.

To spark excitement about energy careers, the authors of Everyday Superheroes: Women in Energy Careers donated books to afterschool programs for Lights On Afterschool. Energy Superheroes and trailblazers signed donated books and built mini wind turbines with students at afterschool programs in Oklahoma City, Boston, Chattanooga, and Houston this week. Other Lights On Afterschool events today, this week, and next:

Kenai, Alaska: Shanette Wik, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Kenai Peninsula. On October 29th, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Kenai Peninsula will celebrate Lights On Afterschool with a Trunk or Treat carnival, including a cake walk, face painting, pumpkin golf, tombstone toss, a photo booth, captain hook ring toss, and more. There will be a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) station where kids make their own ice cream, sensory bottles, and catapults.

Hallandale Beach, Florida: Afterschool Ambassador Nicole Carter, City of Hallandale Beach-Hepburn Center. The City of Hallandale Beach is hosting a week-long Lights On Afterschool celebration with Lights On Afterschool lightbulbs decorating the breezeway at city hall. Yesterday, the city commissioner issued a proclamation in support of Lights On Afterschool. Today, the City is hosting a Lights On Afterschool Rally with music, games, food, a STEAM (science, technology, arts, engineering and math) demonstration, and a social and emotional wellness session by Mentally Fit.

Alliance, Nebraska: Mara Andersen, ARC AfterSchool. ARC AfterSchool and UNL Extension office are hosting a Lights On Afterschool open house and family STEM night. Students and their families are participating in a Mars Landing challenge where they will work in teams to guide their rover to Mars before time runs out. There is an escape room where families work together to solve clues, as well as arts and crafts activities.

Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico: Rhonda Fowler, Holloman School Age Center, rhonda.fowler@us.af.mil The Holloman School Age Center is celebrating Lights On Afterschool with an open house. This year’s theme is “Around the World and their Cultures.” Visitors are touring the program and learning about the programs and services offered. Rooms at the center will focus on a specific country and include activities pertaining to that culture. Parents will work on “make and take” crafts with their children.

A list of local Lights On Afterschool events is here. To find other events in your area, see this map.