The SLO County YMCA afterschool programs will sponsor a Lights On Afterschool rally on October 20. The rally will be one of more than 8,000 such events across America as part of Lights On Afterschool, the annual nationwide celebration of afterschool programs organized by the Afterschool Alliance. This year, Lights On Afterschool will highlight youth voices in the upcoming national election, encouraging kids to share their thoughts with the next president and teaching them about our electoral process.
Speakers in SLO, Five Cities, Paso Robles, Shandon and Cambria will call for expanding afterschool opportunities so that every child who needs a program has access to one, and will discuss the benefits of afterschool programs, including inspiring children to learn, keeping them safe in the hours when juvenile crime peaks, and providing relief to working families. At the event, parents and supporters will sign a petition that urges lawmakers not to deny or divert funding for afterschool programs.
Participants in the Lights On Afterschool rally include families, school staff, city mayors and councilmembers, and all members of the community. The event will spotlight the range of programming available at the SLO YMCA Afterschool Programs including its Healthy Eating and Physical Activity program, clubs and activities that teaches youth about STEM, and much more. Hundreds of parents, supporters and community members are expected to attend.
- Sites that will participate include: Fairgrove Elementary, Harloe Elementary, Grover Beach Elementary, Shell Beach Elementary, Los Ranchos Elementary, Baywood Elementary, Monarch Grove Elementary, Centennial Park Y, Cambria Grammar, Santa Lucia Middle School, and Shandon
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is Founding Chair of Lights On Afterschool, a position he has held since 2001.
The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children have access to quality afterschool programs. More information on Lights On Afterschool is available at www.afterschoolalliance.org.