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The Afterschool Alliance thanks YMCAs everywhere for their energy and creativity in celebrating Lights On Afterschool! We thank you for being one of our largest participants every year.
We're thrilled to be working with you, and your national office, for this year's celebration on October 18, 2007. Be sure to Be sure to register soon to receive your Lights On Afterschool posters, and so your event gets counted in the national total and posted on our website.
Looking for ideas for your event? Check out some of amazing celebrations YMCAs have done in the past… To see plans for this year, search for YMCA events on the Find An Event page. Or, locate an event in your area to partner with.
The YMCA of Greater Miami organized YMCA-affiliated
Lights On Afterschool events at 59 schools and
featured Olympics-themed events, with some 4,500 students
participating. The Mayor of Miami and other policymakers
were invited to attend.
As part of a series of statewide Lights On events,
the YMCA of Central Maryland and the YMCA BOOST
program hosted an event at Dunbar Middle School featuring
interactive displays of afterschool program activities
such as chess, debate and jump rope, as well as a photo-essay
depicting the work of professional clay artists, sponsored
by a community art grant from MetLife. Students unveiled
six clay panels they created and also displayed essays
chronicling the process of creating the artwork.
MetroWest YMCA in Framingham, Massachusetts,
highlighted a collaborative effort between Framingham
Public Schools and the Y to improve math achievement.
Event attendees tried their hands at Mixing with Math
and After-School KidzMath activities, and students in
the YMCA's Citizen Schools program displayed their math
skills for the guests. The event also featured a spaghetti
dinner prepared by the students. Invited guests included
George King, Town Manager; Chris Ross, Chair Selectman;
State Representatives Karen Spilka and Deborah Blumer;
State Senators David Magnani and Scott Brown; and U.S.
Congressman Ed Markey.
The Missouri Valley Family YMCA in Bismarck,
North Dakota, held two events highlighting community
involvement in afterschool. Riverside Elementary held
an open house featuring a "stone soup supper." Families
brought ingredients to make a communal soup. A news
conference and tour of the afterschool program were
held at Jeanette Myhre Elementary, showing off math,
reading and science programs. Speakers included Bismarck
School Superintendent Dr. Johnson; Andy Dahl, the Executive
Director of the local YMCA; Steve Neu, Director of Bismarck
Parks and Recreation; a student; and parent. Guests
included businesses and other organizations that have
made donations to the program, or whose employees have
volunteered with the program. YMCA board members also
participated, and were encouraged to each bring a friend
who might volunteer with the afterschool program.
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