Shawnee Public Schools’ SPS Kids Club afterschool programs will join more than 10,000 schools across the country in hosting the 24th Annual National Lights-On Afterschool Event this month.
Horace Mann SPS Kids Club will host “Falling into Storyland” on Monday, Oct. 23, from 3:30-5 p.m., and Jefferson SPS Kids Club will host “Lights On for Storybook Time” on Thursday, Oct. 26, from 3:30-5 p.m.
Families will engage in themed literacy activities and enjoy homemade nachos. Community partners will be in attendance with information regarding the many community resources available to our families.
SPS Kids Club is funded by Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Community Federal Grant. The grant is a highly competitive grant in which schools and/or non-profit organizations must apply. The grant’s purpose is to provide funding for at-risk students to have a safe place afterschool, snacks, and STEM activities and enrichment as well as community and family engagement opportunities.
Launched in October 2000, Lights On Afterschool is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. The effort has become a hallmark of the afterschool movement and generates media coverage across the country each year.
The Afterschool Alliance organizes Lights On Afterschool to draw attention to the many ways afterschool programs support students by offering them opportunities to learn new things—such as science, community service, robotics, Tae Kwon Do and poetry—and discover new skills. The events send a powerful message that millions more kids need quality afterschool programs.
For more information, contact Vickie Penson, SPS 21st CCLC director, at vpenson@shawnee.k12.ok.us.