Save the Date – Friday, October 2, 2026 – Five Years of Celebration!

About the LOA Celebration

Our mission is to celebrate the out-of-school time field in Connecticut. We recognize individuals and encourage them to participate in a day of self-care. We engage participants with workshops which include, active play, STEM, SEL and more! Our pampering sessions include massages, reading nook, mediation, henna, arts & crafts, food, giveaways and other activities to remove the day-to-day stress. On the National level, we encourage providers to participate through local events including lighting up city landscapes, inviting state officials or celebrate the accomplishments of their program to broaden the awareness of the field and the critical role it plays in overall youth development and success. To sign up your LOA event, click here.

Our Lights On Afterschool Celebration is FREE to attend. A day full of activities and all about YOU the Out of School Time Professional. Pre-registration is required. Participants will receive continental breakfast, lunch, t-shirt and more. This annual event helps illuminate the importance of and impact afterschool programming has on children and youth. Often being an afterthought, afterschool programs provide a safe and nurturing place for thousands of children across Connecticut. Each day nationally, 7.6 million children go home alone afterschool. 

Schedule of Events (subject to change)

• 9:30 – 10:00 AM Check-in/Networking/Coffee
• 10:00 – 10:45 AM Opening Remarks/Keynote
• 11:00 – 12:15 PM Activity Stations
• 12:15 – 12:45 PM Lunch/Activity Stations
• 12:45 – 1:15 PM Best of CT Recognition Awards
• 1:15 – 2:00 PM Activity Stations

Keynote – Jodi Grant, Afterschool Alliance

Jodi Grant has spent the past two decades making afterschool a national priority. As Executive Director of the Afterschool Alliance since 2005, she has secured billions in federal and state investments, built a network of nearly 30,000 partners, and positioned afterschool and summer learning programs as essential supports for children, families, and communities. She has testified before Congress, influenced bipartisan legislation, and elevated afterschool in major outlets from The New York Times to PBS NewsHour.

Activity Stations (subject to change)

• CT Science Center 
• CT Forest & Park Association 
• Yard Games
• Chair Massages
• Yoga/Mediation
• Music
• DIY’s

  • Reading Nook
  • Decorate your own T-shirt
  • Decorate your own program recognition poster
  • Charms, friendship bracelets
  • Henna
  • Face painting

Best of CT – Recognition Awards (closed)

The Connecticut Network for Children and Youth is seeking nominations for their Annual Recognition Awards, recognizing exemplary individuals or programs. These awards recognize their work and/or support provided to the out-of-school time field.

Individuals eligible for this award:

• serve youth in grades K-12
• work in childcare centers, nonprofit, public, private, faith-based, or any other program that supports youth during non-school hours in Connecticut.

Recognition Awards Categories

• Afterschool Program of the Year
• Afterschool Teacher of the Year
• Afterschool Rockstar
• STEM Program of the Year
• STEM Teacher of the Year

Finalists will be recognized, and winners will be announced during the Lights On Afterschool Celebration on October 2, 2026, at Camp Ingersoll in Portland.

Submission deadline: September 4, 2026. Submit your nomination here.

TERMS OF REGISTRATION

Submission of your registration authorizes the Connecticut Network for Children and Youth to publish in any format and use for promotional and educational purposes your name and any photos, videos, and audio recordings taken of you at this event.  It also authorizes the Connecticut Network for Children and Youth to contact you by mail, phone or email.  Please note the following Media Release.

This event is made possible to the generous support of our sponsors and partners.

If you would like to sponsor this or any other event, please click here.
To access our 2026 Prospectus, click here.

Consent to Photograph, Film or Videotape Participants for Non-Profit use (e.g. educational, public service, or health awareness purposes)

As a conference participant, I acknowledge and grant permission to the Connecticut Network for Children and Youth to use my image (photographs and/or video) for use in Connecticut Network for Children and Youth publications including videos, email blasts, recruiting brochures, newsletters, and magazines and to use my image in electronic versions of the same publications or on the Connecticut Network for Children and Youth website or other electronic forms of media.

I hereby waive any right to inspect or approve the finished photographs or electronic matter that may be used in conjunction with them now or in the future, whether that use is known to me or unknown, and I waive any right to royalties or other compensation arising from or related to the use of the image.