The celebration is hosted by the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) State Advisory Committee in collaboration with the Kentucky Department of Education's Division of Leadership and Instruction Support. More than 1,000 students and adults from all over the state will attend to recognize children's achievements in Kentucky afterschool programs. Governor Ernie Fletcher has issued a proclamation in support of the event and the work of afterschool programs.
Afterschool programs may register for the event by contacting Susan Cornelius at Susan.Cornelius@EKU.EDU. Registration is still open, but space is somewhat limited.
This is one of more than 6,000 similar events being held around the country in October as part of the fourth annual Lights On Afterschool celebrations, organized by the Afterschool Alliance and supported by the JC Penny Afterschool Fund. California Governor and children's advocate Arnold Schwarzenegger is the national chair of Lights On Afterschool.
The celebration will include demonstrations and exhibitions of students’ work and accomplishments in afterschool programs and will feature a presentation given by the Wulfe Bros., a Louisville-based troupe that performs musical history lessons for all ages.
Children’s work will be displayed through Core Content Galleries, and members of the Future Teachers of America will be assisting the Literacy Galleries by reading aloud and helping students with literacy-themed activities.
In Kentucky, there are currently 104 21st Century Community Learning Centers, serving more than 31,000 students in nearly 200 schools. The aim of these programs is to provide academic, artistic and cultural enrichment opportunities for students who attend high-poverty, low-performing schools to help them meet national, state and local standards in core academic subjects in a safe and healthy environment. Students are offered a broad array of activities that compliment and build on their regular school-day academic programs. Educational opportunities also are offered to families of participating children. Other organizations such as the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Clubs also provide afterschool programs.
The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and child advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that all children and youth have access afterschool programs by 2010.
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers, authorized under Title IV, Part B of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, are designed to:
- provide opportunities for academic enrichment
- offer students a broad array of additional services, programs and activities
- offer families of students served by community learning centers opportunities for literacy and related educational development
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