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Lights On Afterschool is just seven weeks away, and everyone seems busy and bristling with questions! Are you looking for event ideas? Not sure how to invite your elected officials to your celebration? Need a few tips on what to do after October 26?
Well, we’re here to help! Whether this is your first Lights On Afterschool or you’ve been coordinating celebrations since 2000, we’ve got resources to make this year’s celebration your biggest and best yet.
Need to make the case for a Lights On Afterschool event?
Especially for new programs or programs that haven’t participated in Lights On Afterschool before, it can be difficult to explain to parents, media, and community members just what Lights On Afterschool is. If you need top-level points about why Lights on Afterschool is important and the value that hosting an event brings to your community and program, head over to the “Event Planning” overview.
This year, Lights On Afterschool will be an important tool for afterschool advocates when fighting to maintain funding. To learn about the policy and funding challenge afterschool is facing this year and the crucial role your event will play, check out our webinar, “Fight Budget Cuts using Lights On Afterschool.”
Looking for event ideas?
In “Top Event Ideas & Themes,” you’ll find our four official themes for this year’s Lights On Afterschool celebration: youth and parent voices, health and wellness, afterschool STEM, and our new library partnerships theme. Lights On events can be anything you imagine, but planning your event with one of our official themes in mind can help to give your event focus, as well as some brainstorming material.
If you need specific ideas, check out “Event Ideas & Activities,” our new and improved event idea search page. From here you search through tons of previous Lights On events according to the criteria that are most useful to you, including difficulty level, audience, theme, partners, planning time, and much more.
Ready to get organized?
Our Planning Timeline page is one of our most comprehensive resources to ensure that your Lights On event run as smoothly as possible. Here, you’ll find suggestions for every step of the Lights On process, from registration and first steps to the day of Lights On Afterschool and beyond. Use this tool to schedule your event planning and check off items on your Lights On to-do list!
At seven weeks out, we’re in the “Getting Started” section, with suggestions for the first logistical and planning steps you can take to get ready for your event. This period is chock-full of sample media outreach materials, invitations for policymakers, tips on creating a program fact sheet, and more, along with suggested deadlines for each step. (Looking for more? Check out the resources button that is the bottom left of each point on the timeline, with all the materials in one spot.)
The last seven weeks before Lights On Afterschool are going to fly by, but our resources can help you stay organized and on top of your planning schedule. There are more resources located around the site, so take some time to explore the Lights On website as you make your plans!
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