Afterschool Alliance news

National Afterschool Association news

Lights On Afterschool is celebrated nationwide to call attention to the importance of afterschool programs for America's children, families and communities.

In America today, 1 in 4 youth -- 14.3 million children – are alone and unsupervised after school. Afterschool programs keep kids safe, help working families and inspire learning. They provide opportunities to help young people develop into successful adults.

Lights On Afterschool was launched in October 2000 with celebrations in more than 1,200 communities nationwide. The event grew in 2001 to more than 3,600 events, and more than 7,500 in 2006. This October, 1 million Americans will celebrate Lights On Afterschool!

Lights On Afterschool is a project of the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to quality, affordable afterschool programs. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has served as Chair of Lights On Afterschool since 2001.

The Afterschool Alliance salutes the many Lights On Afterschool partners and programs who make this event a success, in particular 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.

National AfterSchool Conference
March 12-14, 2008 Fort Lauderdale, FL

The NAA conference will kick off on March 12, 2008 and will continue for 3 fun-filled, action-packed days in the sun! In honor of 20 years of success, we have designed a conference for you that celebrates your commitment to the after-school field. This year we are proud to announce new events, specialized forums, informative workshops, group meetings, networking, and celebration.  Click here for more information.

Afterschool for All: Project 2010

Afterschool for All: Project 2010 totals close to 16,000 partners. Recruitment is gaining momentum across the country.

The Richland County School District One's Office of Extended Day Programs in South Carolina reports that it recently included a partner sign-on drive for Afterschool for All: Project 2010 during an orientation for its afterschool program site coordinators. According to Traci Young Cooper, Director of the Office of Extended Day Programs: "Participants were challenged to turn their passion for afterschool into power by officially signing on."   During this back to school season, do you have an event coming up where you can invite members of the community to join Afterschool for All: Project 2010? If so, simply click here to download a response form to distribute at the function.