Organizations Illuminate the Need for Critical Afterschool Learning Opportunities By Lighting Up Billboards Nationwide

New nationwide digital billboard campaign from city leaders, education advocates lights up a discussion on after school learning
New nationwide digital billboard campaign from city leaders, education advocates lights up a discussion on after school learning

Organizations Illuminate the Need for Critical Afterschool Learning Opportunities By Lighting Up Billboards Nationwide

The Afterschool Alliance, the National League of Cities and the National Summer Learning Association, a coalition of afterschool supporters, recently joined with Clear Channel Outdoor to launch a campaign across more than 1,000 digital billboards nationwide encouraging city leaders and other stakeholders to turn the Lights On Afterschool.

In its 20th year, Lights On Afterschool is the only national rally for afterschool programs. Throughout October, and leading up to Oct. 24, the official anniversary of Lights On Afterschool, the coalition expects to involve more than one million people at more than 8,000 events across the country and at U.S. military bases worldwide. The groups are sending the message on this anniversary that demand for afterschool programs remains high and millions of students are without the programs they need.

In fact, the America After 3PM household survey of more than 30,000 families, commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance, found that participation in afterschool programs has increased to 10.2 million students nationwide – but the unmet demand is great. For every child in an afterschool program today, two more are waiting to get in.

Unmet demand is especially high in rural communities and communities of concentrated poverty. One in five students in the United States is unsupervised after the school day ends.

The 20th anniversary of Lights On Afterschool serves as a reminder that a powerful body of evidence demonstrates improvements in attendance, behavior, academic achievement and more among children who participate in afterschool programs. Researchers have also found afterschool programs encourage increased parental involvement – an important building block for student success.

Organized by the Afterschool Alliance, Lights On Afterschool includes open houses, science fairs, fun runs, student showcases, academic contests, community service activities, sports competitions, and other events at schools, 4-Hs, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, parks, museums, community centers, state capitols and other places.

Events showcase the skills students gain and the talents they develop in their afterschool programs. Afterschool programs provide homework help; mentors; healthy snacks and meals; computer programming; opportunities to think critically, collaborate and communicate with peers and adults; job and college readiness; sports and fitness activities; robotics; art, dance and music; and continuous opportunities for hands-on, team-based learning.

Clear Channel Outdoor is supporting the 20th anniversary campaign by donating some of its most prominent billboard space to illuminate Lights On Afterschool.

“Quality afterschool programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, and help give working parents peace of mind that their children are safe and learning during the sometimes-perilous hours after the school day ends and before parents get home from work – and Clear Channel Outdoor’s support helps us illustrate the need for more resources so that, sometime soon, every child will have access to an afterschool program” said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant.

For more information, visit www.afterschoolalliance.org

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