A Million People Expected to Rally This Week to Keep the Lights On Afterschool

13^th Annual Rally for Afterschool to Feature Screenings of Award-Winning Documentary on Brooklyn Afterschool Program, Much More

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In Chandler, Arizona on Thursday, parents will join their children and community members at a "Family Science Explorers Night." In Carmichael, California, afterschool students will hold an expo featuring exhibits about world culture, including that of Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. Students and parents in Albion, Indiana will interact with storybook characters while they explore the program's service learning project on Charger Trail. The Boys & Girls Club of Eden, North Carolina will hold a "Lights On Afterschool Spelling Bee" for community leaders, families and elected officials.  

These are just a few of the more than 8,000  Lights On Afterschool events that will take place in nearly every community in the country, and at U.S. military bases worldwide, this week.  A million people are expected to join these events, which will feature everything from children's performances to youth art exhibits to science experiments and robotics demonstrations.  This year marks the 13^th annual Lights On Afterschool, organized by the Afterschool Alliance. 

For the sixth year in a row, the Empire State Building will be lit up in yellow to commemorate Lights On Afterschool.  Special preview screenings of the award-winning documentary film "Brooklyn Castle" will be held in Austin, Dallas, New York City, Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon. The film chronicles the story of a Brooklyn afterschool chess program, home to the nation's most winning chess team, as the afterschool program credited for the school's "culture of success" struggles for survival after budget cuts decimate city programs. 

Across the country, parents, kids, educators and others will also take the opportunity to urge lawmakers not to deny or divert crucial federal funds from the afterschool programs that families rely on.

Several hundred event descriptions are at http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/loaEvents2012.pdf.

A complete list of 7,500 events is at http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/loaFindEvent.cfm.

The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs.  More information is available at www.afterschoolalliance.org.

SOURCE Afterschool Alliance

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