{"id":2080,"date":"2013-10-01T01:00:49","date_gmt":"2013-10-01T08:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nwp.org\/educatorinnovator\/?p=2080"},"modified":"2022-05-09T13:04:42","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T20:04:42","slug":"why-educators-schools-and-communities-are-celebrating-lights-on-afterschool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/educatorinnovator.org\/why-educators-schools-and-communities-are-celebrating-lights-on-afterschool\/","title":{"rendered":"Why educators, schools and communities are celebrating Lights On Afterschool"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Afterschool Alliance is inviting you to help celebrate the 14th annual Lights On Afterschool<\/em><\/a>! On October 17<\/strong>, more than 1 million kids, educators, families, and communities will come together at thousands of events<\/a> around the country to raise awareness about the wide range of creative and innovative learning experiences taking place outside of school, and the integral partnerships that help to make them happen.<\/p>\n

We know that when the school bell rings, kids take off in a number of different directions\u2014some to an afterschool program, some home or to a friend or relative\u2019s house where they\u2019ll have adult supervision\u2014but more than 15 million kids leave and are alone and unsupervised (PDF)<\/a> in the hours after school. This means that more than 15 million kids don\u2019t have the opportunity to take part in activities that build on what they learn during the school day, dive deeper into their interests, explore their community, and benefit from the additional support of caring mentors.<\/p>\n

This year, the Afterschool Alliance is thrilled to partner with Educator Innovator<\/em> to highlight the meaningful, engaging, and fun learning that is happening in schools, libraries, museums, and community-based organizations after the school day ends. By registering for Lights On Afterschool<\/em><\/a>, you can help show your support for the in-school and out-of-school partnerships that re-imagine what learning looks like and where it takes place.<\/p>\n

Lights On Afterschool<\/em> can be an easy and effective way to raise money<\/a> for a local program, educate policy makers<\/a> about the importance of afterschool, get local media<\/a> to cover your event, and connect with other like-minded educators. But, most importantly, it\u2019s an opportunity to rally your community around the programs and partners that keeps kids safe, inspire them to learn, and help working families. Events come in all shapes and sizes and don’t have to be elaborate. There are plenty of simple, creative ways<\/a> to help bring attention to the important opportunities available to kids every day after school.<\/p>\n

Check out the video below to see some of the photos from last year\u2019s events across the country.<\/p>\n