Lights On Afterschool

Afterschool Challenge

STEM

News Roundup

Archives:

Select:
Afterschool Alliance

10 bright ideas for a fun, easy Lights On event

READ FULL STORY

10 bright ideas for a fun, easy Lights On event

READ FULL STORY

RECENT AFTERSCHOOL SNACKS

News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: October 17, 2019
research

Afterschool turns the peak time for crime into a time of opportunity for young people
Lights On Afterschool

Reach out now to generate coverage of your Lights On Afterschool event!
Lights On Afterschool

City leaders & education advocates light up billboards nationwide for the 20th Lights On Afterschool

FEATURED FOR Oct 18, 2019

In the Field

Bill White’s afterschool legacy

Posted On: 10/11/2019
Lights On Afterschool

We challenge you: Raise your arms for afterschool!

Posted On: 10/10/2019
News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: October 9, 2019

Posted On: 10/09/2019
Lights On Afterschool

10 bright ideas for a fun, easy Lights On event

The 20th Lights On Afterschool is only a few days away! There's still time to plan an amazing event, or to add another dimension to your plans for October 24. Visit our Last-Minute...

News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: October 17, 2019

New After-School Program Promotes Academic and Personal Growth, Central Illinois Proud (Illinois) In the coming weeks, teenagers living in Peoria, Illinois will be able to access a new...

research

Afterschool turns the peak time for crime into a time of opportunity for young people

For close to 20 years, we at the Afterschool Alliance have been dedicated to the cause of expanding afterschool opportunities because we know the life changing impact programs can have on children,...

Lights On Afterschool

Reach out now to generate coverage of your Lights On Afterschool event!

For most afterschool programs, and for the afterschool field overall, Lights On Afterschool is the most visible time of the year. It’s a time when we use social and mainstream media to share...

Lights On Afterschool

City leaders & education advocates light up billboards nationwide for the 20th Lights On Afterschool

Adapted from a recent press release. Big, bright news for the 20th Lights On Afterschool! In partnership with the Afterschool Alliance, the National League of Cities, and the National Summer...

In the Field

Bill White’s afterschool legacy

Bill White (right) at the After School Summit of 2003, a gathering which helped spur the continued growth of afterschool and summer programs supported by 21st Century Community...

Lights On Afterschool

We challenge you: Raise your arms for afterschool!

We're just two weeks away from the 20th Lights On Afterschool. Join us in celebrating afterschool and summer learning programs that make a huge difference in the lives of our kids with the 3rd...

News Roundup

Weekly Media Roundup: October 9, 2019

Crowell Looking to Expand Boys and Girls Club, Daily Mountain Eagle (Alabama) At afterschool programs facilitated by the Boys & Girls Club of Central Alabama, more than 75 students participate...

Weekly Media Roundup: October 2, 2019

After-School Program Named for Some of Sarasota’s First Black School Administrators, Herald-Tribune (Florida) At a new afterschool program in Sarasota, Florida, children living in a mixed-income housing community will create relationships with college students who serve as mentors, get...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      10/02/19

Weekly Media Roundup: September 25, 2019

East LA Board Shop Combines Skateboarding, Education To Keep Kids Off The Streets, CBSN Los Angeles (California) The Garage Board Shop, a skateboard retail store in Los Angeles, was originally a business opportunity for its owners. But soon, they converted it to a nonprofit that facilitates an...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      09/25/19

Weekly Media Roundup: September 18, 2019

YouthPlaces Is Offering Kids A Place to Hang Out Downtown After School, WESA-FM (Pennsylvania) When YouthPlaces, a Pittsburgh nonprofit, surveyed students about the possibility of an afterschool program to offer teens a safe, constructive space and also reduce loitering downtown, the response...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      09/18/19

Weekly Media Roundup: September 11, 2019

Junta’s After-School “Place” Thrives in New Home, New Haven Independent (Connecticut) The Neighborhood Place (TNP), an afterschool program in New Haven, Connecticut, can now reach up to 75 students with academic support and artistic programming since moving into a larger space....

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      09/11/19

Weekly Media Roundup: September 4, 2019

Expanding ROC Kids Read Literacy Program at Rec Centers, Rochester First (New York) This fall, more than 200 students will strengthen their literacy skills at afterschool programs in recreation centers throughout Rochester, New York. Spearheaded by Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren, the ROC Kids...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      09/04/19

Weekly Media Roundup: August 28, 2019

With New Bradenton Facility, Boys & Girls Clubs Will Serve Even More Youth in Manatee, Bradenton Herald (Florida) This week, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County in Florida cut the ribbon for a new, 37,800-square-foot facility where students will be able to learn healthy behaviors...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      08/28/19

Weekly Media Roundup: August 14, 2019

Connecticut Students Explore Plastic Consumption Project, Greenwich Time (Connecticut) A group of rising seventh graders in Greenwich, Connecticut spent their summer learning about environmental sustainability and interviewing local business leaders about plastic use as part of the Horizons...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      08/14/19

Weekly Media Roundup: August 7, 2019

Summer Learners Enjoy a 5-Star Taste of the Real World, The Westerly Sun (Rhode Island) Students in the Tower Street Community Center Summer Learning Program explored culinary arts, nutrition, sustainable farming, the hospitality industry and more during a recent trip to Ocean House hotel and...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      08/07/19

Weekly Media Roundup: July 31, 2019

A Summer of Career Exploration in the Gate City, New Hampshire Union Leader (New Hampshire)  Woodworking, cosmetology and culinary arts are among the career paths middle school students are exploring this summer at the Power Scholars...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      07/31/19

Weekly Media Roundup: July 24, 2019

Science Camp Offers Fun, Learning: Sallie B. Howard School Hosted Monthlong Program, Wake Weekly (North Carolina) Eighty-five soon-to-be sixth graders attended Sipnayan Camp this year in Wilson, North Carolina. Over the course of the program, the students studied math and reading, performed...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      07/24/19

4-H is seeking Game Changers this October

By Kittrina Thompson, digital marketing manager, National 4-H Council, 4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD) is an annual initiative inspiring kids everywhere to take an active interest in STEM topics through hands-on learning. Celebrations begin October 1, with participation across the country...

BY: Guest Blogger      08/22/19

Facebook’s Engineer For The Week program showed my students they are leaders – and just how far their skills can take them

By Afterschool Ambassador Andrea Bridges, executive director, The CARE Center, New Hope, Alabama. I think afterschool programs have special powers when they partner with businesses and organizations to broaden students’ horizons. So when I was recently invited by the Afterschool Alliance...

BY: Guest Blogger      08/20/19

Federal support for STEM and making in afterschool

Picture a center filled with computers, paired with a wood and metal shop, combined with a sewing studio, mixed with an arts and crafts room, filled with people of all ages building and making things to solve problems – this is the foundation of a maker space. Maker spaces were born out of...

BY: Leah Silverberg      08/12/19

An exciting, rewarding experience for our youth

By Afterschool Ambassador Gwynette Williams, director of Collective for Youth, Omaha. When teens are struggling with issues they find difficult to talk about, how can they ask for help? Recently, my middle school students identified that question as a social issue they wanted to...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/16/19

Views from VISTAs: Updates from June 2019

AmeriCorps’ Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) work to alleviate poverty by providing indirect service to their communities. Our afterschool VISTAs and the work they do are essential to the expansion of afterschool access for the children who need it most, especially in the fields...

BY: Marisa Paipongna      07/15/19

The key to incredible STEM learning in libraries? Strong community connections.

For this post, Dan Gilbert, project manager at the Afterschool Alliance, spoke with Megan Burton, STEM and learning supervisor at the Kitsap Regional Library, about their efforts to provide family engagement, STEM learning, and afterschool and out-of-school time learning...

BY: Guest Blogger      03/28/19

Promoting access to computer science for girls

Earlier this month, CBS’s 60 Minutes highlighted the work of Code.org in expanding access to computer science opportunities for girls. The 60 Minutes piece drew public attention to the growing number of tech-related jobs across the country and the lack of women currently filling these...

BY: Leah Silverberg      03/26/19

STEM learning in the president’s FY2020 budget proposal

It’s often said that a budget is a statement of priorities and last week a majority of President Trump’s priorities were laid out through his FY2020 budget proposal. Due to the partial government shutdown earlier this year, it was a full week before all of the details, specifically...

BY: Chris Neitzey      03/25/19

Free STEM resources for afterschool programs from Science Buddies

By Amy Cowen, online community manager at Science Buddies. Science Buddies, a non-profit organization providing free K-12 STEM education resources, strives to build STEM literacy by delivering fun and engaging STEM activities to all students, whether it is in school, out of school, or at home....

BY: Guest Blogger      03/08/19

Los Angeles libraries spark STEM learning and family engagement in OST

For this post, Dan Gilbert, project manager at the Afterschool Alliance, spoke with Eva Mitnick, director of the Engagement and Learning Division of the Los Angeles Public Library, about the library’s efforts to provide family engagement, STEM learning, and afterschool and...

BY: Dan Gilbert      02/28/19

New issue brief: Afterschool fostering protective factors

In Colorado, the Montrose Recreation District’s Summer Enrichment Program creates a welcoming environment to help students feel safe to share their feelings. At Jóvenes de Puerto Rico en Riesgo, Inc. (JPRR), also known as Puerto Rico Youth at Risk (PRYR), one-on-one...

BY: Nikki Yamashiro      09/24/19

Bipartisan, bicameral Summer Meals Act would improve access to nutritious meals when school is out

Update, July 24, 2019: Reach out to Congress and urge their support of the Summer Meals Act via Rally Congress. Summer 2019 is here and members of Congress marked the occasion by introducing legislation that would greatly improve access to healthy meals during the summer months by making it...

BY: Erik Peterson      07/08/19

Recap: Annual Out-of-School Time Advisory Coalition meeting

This year’s Afterschool for All Challenge not only gathered passionate afterschool advocates together, but also included a meeting of advocates who support healthy eating and physical activity in the afterschool space. Through funding from Voices for Healthy Kids, a joint...

BY: Marisa Paipongna      06/28/19

For effective SEL, staff need to learn new skills, too.

By Heather E. Daly, Ph.D., director of Courageous Hearts, an organization committed to educating afterschool staff with drug education and prevention content; and Normandie Nigh, chief executive officer of A World Fit for Kids, whose mission is to prepare young people for fit and...

BY: Guest Blogger      05/31/19

Connecting the dots: Mental health and SEL in afterschool

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re highlighting the ways afterschool programs support children and young people as they face challenges including trauma, ACEs, substance use, and beyond. Read the full series here. As Mental Health Awareness Month draws to a close, we here...

BY: Dan Gilbert      05/30/19

Congress set to reauthorize afterschool and summer meal programs

Update, July 24, 2019: Reach out to Congress and urge their support of the Summer Meals Act via Rally Congress. As afterschool program educators and advocates, we know that a hungry child struggles to learn. According to data from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), more than 13...

BY: Erik Peterson      05/20/19

Strengthening our youth to face the teen vaping crisis

By Heather E. Daly, Ph.D., director of Courageous Hearts, an organization committed to educating after school staff with drug education and prevention content; and Normandie Nigh, chief executive officer of A World Fit for Kids, whose mission is to prepare young people for fit and fulfilling...

BY: Guest Blogger      05/16/19

It's SAMHSA Prevention Week

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re highlighting the ways afterschool programs support children and young people as they face challenges including trauma, ACEs, substance use, and beyond. Read the full series here Every year in the third week of May, the Substance Abuse...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      05/13/19

There’s no health without mental health. Physical activity can help.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re highlighting the ways afterschool programs support children and young people as they face challenges including trauma, ACEs, substance use, and beyond. Read the full series here. Per the World Health Organization’s summary report,...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      05/09/19

Guest blog: Self-care ideas: Give 1/Get 8

By Daniel W. Hatcher, MPH, director of Community Partnerships at Alliance for a Healthier Generation. This blog post was originally published on March 21, 2019 on the BOOST Breakfast Club blog. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re highlighting the ways afterschool...

BY: Guest Blogger      05/07/19

Afterschool programs and a trauma-informed approach

“A trauma-informed, culturally responsive lens must be a part of everything we do.” This statement by Laura Norton-Cruz, Director of the Alaska Resilience Initiative, sums up the key message of last week’s Senate Afterschool Caucus briefing for Congressional staff which focused on...

BY: Chandler Hall      09/23/19

Appropriations update: Senate freezes FY20 education funding

By a vote of 301-123, on Sept. 19 the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4378, the continuing resolution (CR) that will fund the government through Nov. 21. In total, 225 House Democrats and 76 House Republicans voted for the CR; three House Democrats, 119 House Republicans, and one Independent...

BY: Erik Peterson      09/20/19

FY2020 afterschool appropriations update: Spending deal reached

Last week the White House, Senate leadership, and House leadership announced that they had come to an agreement to increase spending caps for FY2020 and FY2021. The deal, which passed the House last Thursday and is expected to pass the Senate and be signed into law by the president this week, would...

BY: Erik Peterson      07/29/19

Congress hears 2,000 voices unite: Keep the Lights On Afterschool!

June 12 marked the 18th Afterschool for All Challenge, and we made our voices heard! Supporters from all across the nation told Congress not to eliminate the quality afterschool and summer learning programs that we rely on to keep children safe, inspire them to learn, and give working parents peace...

BY: Ursula Helminski      06/13/19

Join the Afterschool For All Challenge from home

We’re just two days away from the 2019 Afterschool for All Challenge! Brave kids from across the nation, including our inaugural class of Youth Afterschool Ambassadors, are heading to D.C. to take the case for afterschool direct to their members of Congress. While they’re on Capitol...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      06/10/19

Supporting student success afterschool and during the summer with 21st CCLC

On April 30, the Senate Afterschool Caucus, along with the Afterschool Alliance convened a briefing for Congressional staff highlighting recent research and program level experiences concerning the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative. Education staffers from the House and...

BY: Erik Peterson      05/02/19

Hearings and letters: Support broadens on Capitol Hill for 21st Century Community Learning Centers

For friends of afterschool, the last week of March has been a busy one in Washington, D.C., with both the House and the Senate holding education appropriations hearings and letters of support for 21st Century Community Learning Center afterschool and summer learning programs submitted to...

BY: Erik Peterson      03/29/19

A 7-point plan to stop elimination of afterschool funding

On Monday, March 11, the administration called for eliminating all funding for afterschool and summer programs in the 2020 budget. The afterschool field didn’t miss a beat, springing into action to save the programs that 1.7 million kids and their families rely on. Thousands of afterschool...

BY: Ursula Helminski      03/14/19

Trump administration proposes eliminating afterschool

Today the Trump administration released its fiscal year 2020 full budget proposal. The full budget represents the president’s vision for how Congress should spend federal funds for the fiscal year that begins October 1, 2019 (FY20) and, for the third year in a row, proposes to eliminate...

BY: Erik Peterson      03/11/19

The 116th Congress is here: What afterschool advocates need to know (Part II)

As January winds down and the partial government shutdown on hold at least until February 15, it is a good time to look at the new 116th Congress: what are the priorities; what might get accomplished, and what are the challenges and opportunities ahead from the afterschool advocate’s...

BY: Erik Peterson      02/04/19

Afterschool programs and a trauma-informed approach

“A trauma-informed, culturally responsive lens must be a part of everything we do.” This statement by Laura Norton-Cruz, Director of the Alaska Resilience Initiative, sums up the key message of last week’s Senate Afterschool Caucus briefing for Congressional staff which focused on...

BY: Chandler Hall      09/23/19

Youth Afterschool Ambassador: "My parents were able to have peace of mind while I excelled in my education."

By Viridiana Gonzalez, Youth Afterschool Ambassador and junior at Texas Christian University. Although I grew up as a child in a low-income area with two working parents, I never knew the struggles that parents faced to keep their kids safe while trying to be financially stable. All I...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/30/19

Highlights from Utah's Capitol Hill Day and first-ever State of Afterschool report

By Kelly Riding, executive director of the Utah Afterschool Network. This past January, afterschool programs staff and students joined the Utah Afterschool Network for our second Annual Afterschool Day on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City to speak with legislators and advocate for afterschool. Many...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/12/19

A history of afterschool

Established fields have documented their history, and now thanks to Sam Piha, Temescal Associates, and the How Kids Learn Foundation, afterschool has its own historical documentary. I have been familiar with afterschool for more than 30 years and I still learned a LOT watching the one-hour...

BY: Jodi Grant      07/02/19

Sowing the seeds of afterschool programming in “afterschool deserts” in Illinois

By Susan Stanton, network lead, Afterschool for Children and Teens Now (ACT Now). Afterschool programs across our nation are doing incredible work and cover a wide array of services and outcomes. Yet the diversity in programming offerings can also make it difficult for program providers to...

BY: Guest Blogger      06/24/19

Afterschool advocates talk 21st CCLC, Higher Education Act, and child nutrition on Capitol Hill

It has been one week since my favorite days of the year: hundreds of students, parents, providers and other advocates took to Capitol Hill for the Afterschool for All Challenge. The 18th Afterschool for All Challenge featured almost 200 individuals from 41 states in more than 175 meetings with...

BY: Erik Peterson      06/20/19

Guest blog: Self-care ideas: Give 1/Get 8

By Daniel W. Hatcher, MPH, director of Community Partnerships at Alliance for a Healthier Generation. This blog post was originally published on March 21, 2019 on the BOOST Breakfast Club blog. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re highlighting the ways afterschool...

BY: Guest Blogger      05/07/19

This Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week, let’s celebrate helping students find their voice

Justin (center) and students at Loyola University in New Orleans By Justin Pinn, director, Strategic Initiatives, Teach for America Miami-Dade. In honor of Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week, the Afterschool Snack will feature stories from our Afterschool Ambassadors and other...

BY: Guest Blogger      04/25/19

Beacon House, Comcast help students thrive in Northeast D.C.

By Kareem Harris, student at Friendship Collegiate Academy and Beacon House. Comcast recently hosted a celebration of Internet Essentials at Beacon House in Northeast D.C. Internet Essentials is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive high-speed Internet adoption program, offering...

BY: Guest Blogger      11/30/18

Youth voice: The power of STEM learning opportunities

By Archika Dogra. Archika, 16, is a high school junior at the Interlake High School in Bellevue, Washington who co-founded the EduSTEM Initiative, along with Evelyn Chen and Maya Srikanth, two juniors at Newport High School. Archika is also president of her school’s Technology Student...

BY: Guest Blogger      11/12/18

New issue brief: Afterschool fostering protective factors

In Colorado, the Montrose Recreation District’s Summer Enrichment Program creates a welcoming environment to help students feel safe to share their feelings. At Jóvenes de Puerto Rico en Riesgo, Inc. (JPRR), also known as Puerto Rico Youth at Risk (PRYR), one-on-one...

BY: Nikki Yamashiro      09/24/19

Youth Afterschool Ambassador: "My parents were able to have peace of mind while I excelled in my education."

By Viridiana Gonzalez, Youth Afterschool Ambassador and junior at Texas Christian University. Although I grew up as a child in a low-income area with two working parents, I never knew the struggles that parents faced to keep their kids safe while trying to be financially stable. All I...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/30/19

Building a trauma informed care approach for afterschool programs & community-based organizations

By Jennifer Smith, afterschool program manager at the Center for Community Health Advancement, Marshfield Clinic Health System. Recently, schools, afterschool programs, and community-based organizations have shared the increasing numbers of disruptive and challenging youth in their programs....

BY: Guest Blogger      03/22/19

Afterschool takes a deeper dive into civic education

With the past few years have been full of inspiring displays of civic education and action from our nation’s youth, a brighter spotlight has been shone on the role that afterschool programs can play in supporting the youth who are inspired to take action in their own...

BY: Faith Savaiano      03/05/19

Guest blog: Fresh Air Fund offers city kids new experiences, connections every summer

By Alexis De La Rosa, an alum of The Fresh Air Fund in New York City. Alexis is a senior at Middlebury College in Vermont, and in Fall 2018, he studied abroad at Oxford. Alexis spent his summers with a Fresh Air Fund volunteer host family in Connecticut from the age of 7. Diversity, challenges,...

BY: Guest Blogger      01/29/19

Afterschool Heals Tennessee: A Q&A on the opioid crisis

To help shatter the myths during National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, we bring you a story of how an afterschool state network is leveraging afterschool programs to support children, youth, families, and communities facing the opioid and substance use epidemic. In this Q&A with the...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      01/25/19

Grant opp.: Up to $500 for creative community projects

The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation is offering funding of up to $500 to design and implement a creative program for your school or library! Public schools, public libraries, and public preschool programs are encouraged to apply. Previous successful projects have included a ceramic totem...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      01/18/19

The Body Project: Q&A on a body positivity afterschool program

The Body Project is a group-based intervention program facilitated through NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) that provides young girls the forum to push back against the body ideal and engage in the development of healthy body images. This body acceptance education curriculum has proven...

BY: Erin Hegarty      11/20/18

Public charge: What is it and what does it mean for afterschool?

One in four children in America lives in a household with at least one immigrant parent. Recently-proposed changes to the process of gaining citizenship could have major repercussions for communities and programs engaging with these families. Most importantly, these proposed changes could directly...

BY: Erik Peterson      10/30/18

Using visual learning & history to strengthen reading skills

Identity in Montgomery County, Maryland, is no stranger to afterschool and summer learning. The organization acts as a safe and enriching community for Latino children and their families to receive all the tools they need to be successful in school and in life. This summer, Identity programs are...

BY: Dayna Hood      08/21/18

P.S. ARTS celebrates Lights On Afterschool with SpongeBob

By Oscar Navarrete, program coordinator, Community, at P.S. Arts. P.S. ARTS is excited to collaborate with the Afterschool Alliance and Nickelodeon in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Lights on Afterschool and SpongeBob Squarepants’ 20th year on-air. Together, we are working to shine...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/19/19

Explore a Lights On Afterschool Wonder with Wonderopolis

By John MacLeod, community manager for Wonderopolis. Created by the National Center for Families Learning, Wonderopolis is a website that encourages learners of all ages to use their natural curiosity and imagination to explore and discover new things about the world around them. Every day...

BY: Guest Blogger      09/12/19

3 quick ideas for a healthy, happy Lights On Afterschool

Afterschool programs play many important roles in their communities, but one of the most powerful is the positive impact out-of-school time programs can have on the health of their students. From providing healthy meals and safe places to play outside, to supporting students’ mental and...

BY: Charlotte Steinecke      09/05/19

Host a sizzling Lights On event: A pitch contest

By Liz Nusken,Young Entrepreneur Pitch program lead at the Ohio Afterschool Network. Lights On Afterschool presents afterschool programs with an opportunity to showcase their fun, hands-on learning experiences to partners and members of the larger community. A Lights On live pitch...

BY: Guest Blogger      08/29/19

Tips from the Pros: Getting the most from your Lights On Event

This October 24 marks our 20th Lights On Afterschool, and we’re so excited to welcome new programs to our celebration as well as those who have been celebrating from the very beginning. Register today and don’t miss out – every program that signs up gets 150 KIND snacks for your...

BY: Ursula Helminski      08/01/19

KIND to celebrate Lights On Afterschool

By Daniel Lubetzky, CEO of Kind LLC. KIND is helping programs celebrate the 20th Lights On Afterschool this October 24. KIND will be on hand at about a dozen Lights On Afterschool events AND they’re donating 150 KIND products to Lights On Afterschool sites nationwide,...

BY: Guest Blogger      07/25/19

Join the Light Up A Landmark Challenge: Light up the night sky across all 50 states!

This October 24 marks our 20th Lights On Afterschool, and one of our brightest partners is back: for the 13th year in a row, the iconic Empire State Building will light up the New York City skyline in support of Lights On Afterschool! The national landmark will light the sky in blue and...

BY: Ursula Helminski      07/18/19

Join the Lights On Afterschool congressional art drive

Lights On Afterschool is celebrating its 20th year! That’s 20 years of calling nationwide attention to the importance of afterschool programs for America's children, families and communities. Every year we receive hundreds of wonderful artwork from programs across the nation. This...

BY: Shaun Gray      06/27/19

Lights On Afterschool 2019 registration is open!

This October marks our 20th Lights On Afterschool celebration! Sign up today to be part of the 20th Lights On Afterschool celebration!  All who register will receive event planning tip emails and 10 free posters to promote your event. This year, in response your feedback, we’ve...

BY: Ursula Helminski      06/21/19

Congress hears 2,000 voices unite: Keep the Lights On Afterschool!

June 12 marked the 18th Afterschool for All Challenge, and we made our voices heard! Supporters from all across the nation told Congress not to eliminate the quality afterschool and summer learning programs that we rely on to keep children safe, inspire them to learn, and give working parents peace...

BY: Ursula Helminski      06/13/19