Lights On Afterschool Day Celebration At Lester Park Elementary

DULUTH, Minn. — Thursday is National Lights On Afterschool Day. Schools throughout the region are taking advantage of MEA weekend to connect outside of the classroom.

Since schools weren’t in session Thursday, K.E.Y. Zone staff held a fall fest for its students at Lester Park Elementary celebrating fall and a reason to get together even when school is out of session.

Lights On Afterschool is a project of the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit organization focused on kids having access to quality, affordable afterschool programs. The programs provide kids with structure outside the classroom, while giving parents the peace of mind that comes with knowing your child is being taken care of.

One specific organization that keeps kids busy after school hours is the YMCA’s K.E.Y. Zone Program.

“Today is a day off from school, there’s no school today so we provide all day programing. We’re not only celebrating after school today, we’re celebrating all day long for this Lights Out Afterschool event,” said Out of School Time Director, Kate Corbett.

The YMCA says they hope to continue providing their out of school time programming in spite of staffing shortages. To continue offering their services to kids and families, the K.E.Y. Zone Program is in great need of more volunteers and staff with a passion for kids.

Corbett said, “We have waitlists that we have been able to cut down but we’re still looking for people to volunteer, work, and be role models for the youth in our community.”

Lights On Afterschool was launched in 2000 and today over 8,000 rallies are held every year. Some of their partners include the Boys and Girls Club, 4-H Afterschool, and Junior Achievement.