It's 💡Lights on Afterschool Day!💡

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Subject: It's 💡Lights on Afterschool Day!💡

Happy Lights on Afterschool! This national day of awareness and celebration, whether it's your first or 31st year in the field, is always invigorating. Rallying for afterschool programs today to highlight the achievements of afterschool students draws attention to the need for more afterschool programs to serve the millions of children nationwide who are unsupervised each weekday afternoon.

Governor Youngkin's proclamation of October 23, 2025 as Lights on Afterschool day in Virginia demonstrates the importance of afterschool. Similar proclamations from other municipal leaders like Mayor of Harrisonburg and VPOST Board member Deanna Reed, also underscore how decisionmakers view afterschool as a bedrock to their respective communities.

The number of LOA events occurring across the Commonwealth is staggering: More than 200 of you are providing opportunities for community members to see youth in action. For those of you not working in an afterschool program, this is your chance to experience an "afternoon in the life" of a young person by attending and enjoying one of these events. From open houses to poetry/spoken word to STEM activities to pumpkin carving, make sure to RSVP to have fun and see the power of afterschool.

This year, VPOST has continued to give mini-grants in the amount(s) of $5,833 to four afterschool programs to support LOA event planning.

Aspire Afterschool Learning
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Blue Ridge
Communities in Schools of the Appalachian Highlands
On the Road Collaborative

Our goal through these mini-grant opportunities is to support and fund Community-Based Organization (CBO) General Assembly Funded (GAF) 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) in leading a Lights on Afterschool event that will bring attention to your afterschool and summer programs, and send a powerful message across Virginia that we need to continue to expand out-of-school time opportunities until every child has access to them.

The fifth edition of the America After 3PM report, released last week, still reminds us that parents of 29.6 million children, more than half the school-age kids in the United States, want afterschool programs for their children - but nearly 7 million are currently enrolled. Another 22.6 million children would attend afterschool programs - and in Virginia, it's even higher: 80% (or 4 out of 5). Read the national and Virginia-specific reports on the VPOST website to understand how availability, affordability, and accessibility impact this most recent data.

This said, we must always share success stories. Afterschool champion and social entrepreneur USHER is helping shine a light on the need for more afterschool resources as Honorary Chair of this year’s Lights On Afterschool. He credits his childhood experience at an afterschool program with helping him find the spark that ignited his wildly successful career, and inspired him to start USHER’s New Look, an afterschool program that has been empowering youth for 25 years. “Every child should have a place that sparks their interests and helps them find their passions and purpose,” says USHER.

There are many more USHERs in our communities. They just need the chance to experience an afterschool program with caring adults; fun, varied and challenging programming; and the chance to explore different career pathways.

VPOST thanks you for your commitment in doing the daily work with youth. Their growth is incremental, and may even blossom well after they leave your program. Just know that your presence, heart, and innovation have made a difference - all the more reason to celebrate yourselves and our field during this beautiful day called Lights on Afterschool!

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Subject: It's 💡Lights on Afterschool Day!💡