by Bela P. Shah

On Oct. 12, cities across America joined the seventh annual Lights On Afterschool celebration, the only nationwide rally for afterschool programs. More than one million people attended rallies across the country, and hundreds of mayors and council members declared it ?Lights On Afterschool Day.?

?With one voice we are sending the message that we support afterschool programs and we want more of them, so that all kids are safe and have opportunities to learn and explore new interests after the school day ends,? said Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, which sponsored the event.

Local Events
In Columbus, Ga., more than 800 people participated in an outdoor community carnival sponsored by the A.J. McClung YMCA Prime Time Afterschool Program. Congressman Sanford Bishop Jr. and Mayor Robert Poydasheff delivered remarks and presented a proclamation.

In Lander, Wyo., 400 people attended a celebration at North Elementary School. Mayor Mick Wolfe read the city?s proclamation and the police chief presented statistics demonstrating that since the launch of the local afterschool program, juvenile citations and arrests in Lander between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. have fallen by at least 32 percent.

New York?s Department of Youth and Community Development celebrated the one-year anniversary of the city?s redesigned Out-of-School Time initiative. An event in East Harlem featured remarks by Dennis M. Walcott, deputy mayor for education and community development, and Commissioner Jeanne B. Mullgrav.

In Grand Rapids, Mich., more than 50 parents, federal and state legislators, past city commission members, the police chief, the board of education president, and other community leaders participated in a Lights On Afterschool Day event at Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Academy, a newly built elementary school. Mayor George Heartwell spoke about the importance of afterschool programs, and participants later toured various programs, such as a cooking class, science lab, computer lab and dance class.

Young people in Salt Lake City from YouthCity programs hosted a community education campaign about energy-efficient light bulbs. YouthCity kids were challenged to talk to at least five people about energy conservation.

Each youth collected signatures from the people they educated, and for every signature they will earn a light bulb that will be put into a string of holiday lights. Mayor Rocky Anderson spoke about the impact of afterschool programs in the community at a local Lights On event.

In Hialeah, Fla., Mayor Julio Robaina proclaimed Oct. 12 as Lights on Afteschool Day. Children in the city?s Creative Learning and Play afterschool program decorated a cardboard light bulb that was displayed at City Hall.

Finally, the Bridgeport, Conn., Lighthouse Program held a celebration and open house to inform more parents about the availability and benefits of afterschool. The Connecticut Post, the city?s business partner, sponsored the event and provided media coverage.

High Demand for Afterschool Programs
As communities gathered to show support for afterschool programs, new data show that programs are struggling.

According to the Afterschool Alliance?s national survey of afterschool programs, many programs are fully subscribed but still unable to meet the demand in their communities. Program providers report that future funding is insecure, and many have already been forced to make painful cuts to their programs. The survey also finds that afterschool programs are serving a high-need population and serving more children than expected.

?Eighty-seven percent of respondents say there are children in their communities who need afterschool programs and don?t have access to them,? said Grant. ?Afterschool programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families, but we don?t have nearly enough quality afterschool programs in the United States today. Changing that should be a high priority for lawmakers, corporations, foundations and the public.?

Details: For more information on expanding afterschool opportunities, visit www.nlc.org/iyef, click the ?Program Areas? link, and then follow the link for ?Afterschool Programs,? or contact Bela Shah at (202) 626-3057 or shah@nlc.org.