The Douglas County School System recently participated in the 26th Annual Lights on Afterschool Rally, a nationwide event celebrating the invaluable contributions made by After School Programs nationwide. These programs play a significant role in supporting children's well-being, assisting working families and inspiring learning. In honor of the influential program, students showcased their diverse skills and talents through art displays, walks and runs, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills-building and demonstrations.
Statistics show 7.6 million children are left alone and unsupervised after school. To address this issue, Lights On Afterschool was created as a project of the Afterschool Alliance. This nonprofit organization is committed to ensuring that all children have access to quality, affordable after school programs. Through the support of these programs, young scholars have access to a variety of services to help them foster growth and success.
Mitzi Teal, Executive Director of Communities in Schools, is proud of the initiative’s positive impact on students.
“After School Programs are a service that supports our families and helps our students during out of school time, she said. "Programs provide a vast array of activities to help extend learning, provide enrichment, and homework assistance.”
After launching in 2000, the Lights On Afterschool initiative garnered widespread support, with celebrations in 1,200 communities across the nation. The program expanded to 3,600 celebrations the following year. Today, more than 8,000 Lights On Afterschool rallies are held annually, attracting 1 million Americans and media coverage worldwide.
The Afterschool Alliance salutes the many Lights On Afterschool partners and programs who make the event a success, including the After-School All-Stars, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 4-H Afterschool, Junior Achievement, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Young Rembrandts and the YMCA of the USA.
If you’re interested in enrolling your student in their designated afterschool program, please contact the school principal for more details and assistance with the enrollment process.