Lights On Afterschool goes virtual: Join us for a week of virtual events

For the past 20 years, afterschool programs around the nation have opened their doors to the community every October for Lights On Afterschool, the nation’s celebration of afterschool programs. Parents, community leaders, teachers and principals, mayors, members of Congress, and the media had the opportunity to see afterschool youth in action first-hand, from making robots and launching rockets to dance and drama performances to color runs and art shows. In a typical year, 8,000 events across the nation would attract more than 1 million Americans.

As we all know, this is no typical year. Programs cannot open their doors to celebrate and showcase their work as usual. In fact, many afterschool programs, and the communities they serve, are in crisis. Afterschool programs have stepped up to serve during the pandemic, providing virtual educational activities, helping families and students with remote learning, checking in with children to ensure their social and emotional needs are being met, providing meals and connections to social services, caring for the children of essential workers and first responders, and much more.  This year, Lights On Afterschool celebrates those efforts with the theme “Afterschool, Rising to the Moment.”

Programs are finding many creative ways to celebrate, from sidewalk chalk art shows and lightbulb art displays to special activities for students in person and virtually.  See how your community is celebrating using our Find an Event page.

The Afterschool Alliance is bringing Lights On Afterschool to you with virtual events throughout the week of Oct. 19-23. The exciting activities – from STEM to mindfulness to our youth town hall – were designed with our amazing partners for all to enjoy. There’s something for everyone, whether you are a supporter, a community leader, a parent, a youth, or an afterschool educator seeking a special activity for your students or strategies to inform your own work.  Just sign up for the events you want, and log in on event day.

• Engineer for the Week coding activity with Facebook engineer, Monday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. ET
• Social-emotional learning and development activity with WINGS for KIDS, Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 5:30 p.m. ET
• Young entrepreneur live panel with Youth Entrepreneur Institute and VentureLab, Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 5 p.m. ET
• Draw with Young Rembrandts family art activity, Wednesday, Oct. 21at 6 p.m. ET
• Afterschool Alliance Youth Town Hall, Thursday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. ET
• Mindfulness session with Committee for Children, Friday, Oct. 23, TBD

We hope you'll join us for our virtual events. And please feel free to spread the word and invite others to join us for a virtual Lights On Afterschool!