Bring out student creativity during Lights On Afterschool

This Lights On Afterschool, host an art day! Lights On Afterschool is the perfect time to let students express their thoughts on afterschool through art. Events can be as big as a mural painting around a unique theme that resonates with your students and as simple as decorating a lightbulb with all the reasons they love their program. And there are so many ways to display their creations proudly. Hang up artwork in the hallways of your school, host a gallery walk for parents and community members to admire, or mail them to your policymakers to remind them of the importance of afterschool in your community.

Ready to showcase your youth artists? See how other afterschool programs have centered their Lights On Afterschool events around art:

• California: The Oxnard Scholars Afterschool program hosted a Lights On Afterschool event around the theme “We Belong,” where students displayed artwork from India, China, Japan, and Egypt, including carp kites, Chinese dragons, death masks, and elephant drawings.
   
• New Jersey: Students at the Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA at 24 before- and after-school sites across three counties in eight school districts designed large puzzle pieces unique to their schools. All the pieces came together to create a giant lightbulb.
   
• Hawai’i: Students at Kama’aina Kids celebrated Lights On Afterschool by decorating lightbulbs and waving their signs about the importance of afterschool on the sidewalk!

Need more inspiration for your Lights On Afterschool art day? Visit the searchable events database for more examples sorted by theme, planning time, difficulty, and more!

With only four weeks left until Lights On Afterschool, now is the time to register your celebration and receive 10 free posters before the October 13 deadline. Once you sign up, we’ll be in your inbox each week with top planning tips to help you make the most of the time between now and Lights On Afterschool Day.