Staff report
Learning Grove and Partners for Change highlighted the importance of afterschool programs during the month of October, taking part in the national Afterschool Alliance celebration, Lights On Afterschool.
Learning Grove at New Haven Elementary
Learning Grove celebrated afterschool programs at New Haven Elementary as part of the nationwide series of rallies for afterschool organized by the Afterschool Alliance. The celebrations were designed to call attention to the importance — and the need — for afterschool programs.
“For every one child in an afterschool program in the United States, four more are waiting to get in,” said Learning Grove CEO Shannon Starkey-Taylor.
“Learning Grove will be there, lights on, for Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati students as long as we are needed, and we’ll be more than a safe and welcoming environment – we’ll continue delivering the top-tier educational and enrichment opportunities that these students deserve to continue building their skills.”
More than a million people participated in over 8,000 Lights On Afterschool events around the country this month.
Events amplified the voices of youth and showcased the many ways afterschool programs support student success and well-being.
The Afterschool Alliance organizes Lights On Afterschool to underscore the need to invest in afterschool programs, which help students succeed in school and in life. This year’s events came as federal pandemic relief funds that helped afterschool programs meet rising costs wind down. The unmet need for programs is enormous.
At the New Haven event students created luminaries depicting favorite moments from afterschool programs; demonstration stations showcased afterschool activities including art, STEM, robotics and spirograph art created with a student-made machine.
Learning Grove offers afterschool programming within 12 schools in Northern Kentucky and Ohio serving over 600 children. Programming includes homework help, access to healthy foods, enrichment opportunities, time for physical activity, and parent engagement activities. Learning Grove’s afterschool programs deliver quality programming with highly trained staff.
Learning Grove School Age Services Director Beth Wiseman is one of just 14 afterschool leaders across the country named this year to serve as an Afterschool Ambassador. She was selected by the Afterschool Alliance – a national nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs.
Partners for Change celebrated afterschool programs
From pumpkin patch tractor rides, colorful face painting, farm animals, and firetrucks to salsa dancing, delicious cultural dishes, and Day of the Dead artwork, events throughout the month of October celebrating Lights On Afterschool in Covington did not disappoint.
In collaboration with community partners (like Kenton County Public Library, Covington Fire Department, and Benton Family Farm), each school and Community Learning Center (CLC) in Covington Independent Public Schools is keeping the lights on before school, after school, and during the summer. This also includes family engagement events like the John G. Carlisle Elementary Family Fall Festival and Sixth District Elementary Hispanic Heritage Night.
John G. Carlisle Elementary School held its third annual Family Fall Festival last week, complete with fire truck, farm petting zoo, story walk, and hayrides around the school. Several community partners, school staff, the Family Resource Center, and Community Learning Center collaborated to provide a special family event with record turnout.
Michael Wesson, CLC coordinator at John G. Carlisle, said, “The goal was to create a healthy, interactive social environment where our community could connect with one another. The event enhances familiarity and engagement that fosters and strengthens the learning provided in school and during out-of-school time programming.”
Sixth District Elementary School held a vibrant celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and Lights On Afterschool earlier in October. The community came alive with the sounds of music, the rhythm of salsa dancing, traditional cuisines, and colorful art projects. Families, students, and staff joined together for an afternoon filled with creativity and many smiles. The event strengthened community bonds and showcased a blend of cultures and backgrounds.
All seven Covington CLC sites collaborated on a large mosaic art piece, which will travel from school to school for several weeks. Students in grades K-12 played an active role in the creation of the traveling art piece, made from fabric and nearly 400 pieces of paper colored by CLC students. Each individual piece of the mosaic reflects the unique talents and perspectives of the various students. Some students chose to draw designs within their spaces and decorated the piece with an imaginative multitude of colors, while other students were meticulous and thoughtful with coloring inside the lines of their design.
Showcasing the artwork in each of the schools will allow students to see how their contribution to the project — no matter how small — is part of something much bigger.
“Being displayed at each school, the students will see a reminder of how different approaches can come together to make a beautiful finished product.” Julie Muehlenkamp, districtwide coordinator of CLC programming in Covington, said it is important for the students to see the finished product and understand the importance of their role in the creation.
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Lights On Afterschool highlights the need for more investment in afterschool programs, which keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, and give parents peace of mind that their children are safe, supervised, and learning after the school day ends.
It was launched in October 2000 with celebrations in 1,200 communities nationwide. According to the Afterschool Alliance, a national nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to quality, affordable afterschool programs, today, more than 8,000 Lights On Afterschool rallies are held annually.