Think Together Celebrates Lights On Afterschool With Esteemed Lineup of State and Federal Lawmakers to Advocate for Afterschool and Expanded Learning Programs

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Oct 21, 2022, 18:57 ET

The virtual event boasted appearances by United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona among top state legislators, education leaders, Think Together alumni, parents, students and staff.

SANTA ANA, Calif., Oct. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Think Together, California's leading nonprofit provider of afterschool, expanded learning and school improvement programs, held its annual Lights on Afterschool event themed Shining a Light for 25 Years on Thursday, October 20 on Think Together's YouTube.

The live virtual event drew nearly 200 viewers and has received over 500 views since the broadcast aired. The event featured testimonials from educators, Think Together alumni, parents, students and Think Together staff alongside legislative appearances from:

Think Together, California’s leading nonprofit provider of afterschool, expanded learning and school improvement programs, held its annual Lights on Afterschool event themed Shining a Light for 25 Years on Thursday, October 20 virtually on Think Together’s YouTube, as well as in-person across nearly 400 school sites.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona
Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis (D-Sacramento)
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood)
State Senator Connie Leyva (D-San Bernardino)
State Senator John Laird (D-Monterey)
Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento)
Assemblymember Chis Holden (D-Pasadena)

In addition to the live virtual broadcast, Think Together hosted 392 school site events during the week of Lights On Afterschool to celebrate the positive impact afterschool and expanded learning programs make in the lives of students every day. From Compton to San Jose, Temecula to Orange, students took part in Lights On Afterschool through educational enrichment including engineering, agriculture, healthy living, arts, and painting activities.

"We're proud to have such incredible support from our state and federal lawmakers who have shown time and time again that afterschool and expanded learning programs can change the trajectory of a student's life," said Think Together Founder and CEO Randy Barth. "Our mission at Think Together is to work with schools to change the odds for kids, and their support, along with the support of our school partners and our donors, helps us carry out our mission every day."

Lights On Afterschool is a national campaign organized by the Afterschool Alliance to underscore the need for sustainable federal, state and private investment for afterschool programs, which provide hands-on enrichment opportunities designed to help youth forge successful futures.

In addition to Think Together program showcases, national landmarks from Alaska to Alabama were illuminated to commemorate Lights On Afterschool. In total, nearly 5,000 afterschool and expanded learning program providers held celebrations in support of their programs and the impact they make on our communities, including Think Together.

Research commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance shows that some 24.7 million U.S. children not in an afterschool program would be enrolled if a program were available to them. These numbers gathered from a survey of 1,500 parents between May and June of 2022, are the highest ever recorded. In response, legislators on the state and national levels are responding with a renewed resolve to ensure the increased demand for afterschool programs is met.

In the past year, advocates in California legislature like those in attendance at Think Together's live Lights On Afterschool event drove the passing of the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program grant and Universal Pre-Kindergarten. These two programs, along with the Engage Every Student initiative at the national level, lay a foundation for the tremendous growth of expanded learning and afterschool programs like Think Together.

"We stand at a real transformational moment in education. One in which students who have been traditionally underserved will be given the resources needed to narrow the opportunity gap once and for all," added Barth. "As we continue to face the pandemic's enduring impacts, we stand ready to serve these students who need high quality support systems to succeed in school, college and career."

About Think Together

Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Think Together's program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.

SOURCE Think Together