This October marks the 26th year of the nationwide Lights On Afterschool celebration. Each year thousands of programs and tens of thousands of children take part in events, recognitions, and community engagement. In 2022, along with partners, we started an annual event to kick-off the month, to give programs time to plan and prepare for the official day. This year our event is on October 3rd at Camp Ingersoll in Portland, CT. It is a day of exploration, networking, celebration and sharing with colleagues doing the same thing across Connecticut. If you haven’t registered, do it now, here. Registration closes Friday, September 26th.
Lights On Afterschool is about bringing attention to the importance and impact of afterschool. Activities and interactions unseen except at drop-off or pick-up at the end of the day, if ever. Bridging Lights On Afterschool and family engagement is the start of raising awareness. This year, we were lucky enough to connect with S & S Worldwide to make celebrating LOA easier and more enticing for families to come experience the program through their children’s eyes.
Located in Colchester, Co-CEO Hy Schwartz and his team have been supporting afterschool and summer programs with everything from paint to sports equipment to hands-on activities and literacy support. Many seasoned professionals in the field remember the pallet sales at the old S & S Store, filling minivans and buses to the roof. S&S has grown and diversified through the years. Like an experienced toymaker, during our conversations he would think of what could go into the kit. As a result, through a partnership with the Afterschool Alliance, S&S was able to market the kit nationally. The Lights on Afterschool Easy Pack is a ready to go celebration for $99, offered to programs across the country from right in our own backyard. See more of my interview with Hy here.
