Garden City Public Schools will celebrate Lights On Afterschool Day on Thursday, October 23, recognizing the vital role that out-of-school time programs play for youth and families across the district. Organized by the Afterschool Alliance, Lights On Afterschool has been held each year since 2000.
Lights On Afterschool, which celebrates the achievements of afterschool students and draws attention to the need for more afterschool programs to serve the millions of children nationwide each weekday afternoon. Lights On Afterschool emphasizes the importance of keeping the lights on and the doors open after school. Afterschool programs are helping students succeed in school and in life.
Each year, for Lights On Afterschool, the country celebrates the afterschool programs that support students, families, schools, communities, the workforce and the economy.
Afterschool programs provide critical support for children and youth, offering them new experiences and opportunities, along with hands-on learning that helps them with their academic success and grow.
According to a 2025 household survey, the parents of 29.6 million children, more than half the school-age kids in the United States, want afterschool programs for their children – but nearly 7 million are currently enrolled. Another 22.6 million children would attend an afterschool program if it were available. That means three in four kids whose parents want afterschool programs for them (77%) are being left behind, and that includes kids in middle- and well as low-income families. Cost, accessibility, and availability are the barriers many families cannot overcome. It’s no wonder that 89% of parents favor public funding for these programs. 95% of parents with children in afterschool programs are satisfied with the program their child attends.
Alta Brown Elementary School, Florence Wilson Elementary School, Gertrude Walker Elementary School, Jennie Wilson Elementary School, and Victor Ornelas Elementary School are a part of the afterschool program in the district. Afterschool time helps students build skills, grow confidence, and have future academic success.