Out-of-school Time Programs Shine Bright for #LightsOnAfterschool in Covington
Posted on October 30, 2024 in
From pumpkin patch tractor rides, colorful face painting, farm animals, and firetrucks to salsa dancing, delicious cultural dishes, and Day of the Dead artwork, events throughout the month of October celebrating Lights On Afterschool in Covington did not disappoint.
In collaboration with community partners (like Kenton County Public Library, Covington Fire Department, and Benton Family Farm), each school and Community Learning Center (CLC) in Covington Independent Public Schools is keeping the lights on before school, after school, and during the summer. This also includes family engagement events like the John G. Carlisle Elementary Family Fall Festival and Sixth District Elementary Hispanic Heritage Night.
John G. Carlisle Elementary School held its third annual Family Fall Festival last week, complete with fire truck, farm petting zoo, story walk, and hayrides around the school. Several community partners, school staff, the Family Resource Center, and Community Learning Center collaborated to provide a special family event with record turnout.
Michael Wesson, CLC coordinator at John G. Carlisle, said, “The goal was to create a healthy, interactive social environment where our community could connect with one another. The event enhances familiarity and engagement that fosters and strengthens the learning provided in school and during out-of-school time programming.”
Sixth District Elementary School held a vibrant celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and Lights On Afterschool earlier in October. The community came alive with the sounds of music, the rhythm of salsa dancing, traditional cuisines, and colorful art projects. Families, students, and staff joined together for an afternoon filled with creativity and many smiles. The event strengthened community bonds and showcased a blend of cultures and backgrounds.
All seven Covington CLC sites collaborated on a large mosaic art piece, which will travel from school to school for several weeks. Students in grades K-12 played an active role in the creation of the traveling art piece, made from fabric and nearly 400 pieces of paper colored by CLC students. Each individual piece of the mosaic reflects the unique talents and perspectives of the various students. Some students chose to draw designs within their spaces and decorated the piece with an imaginative multitude of colors, while other students were meticulous and thoughtful with coloring inside the lines of their design.
Showcasing the artwork in each of the schools will allow students to see how their contribution to the project—no matter how small—is part of something much bigger.
“Being displayed at each school, the students will see a reminder of how different approaches can come together to make a beautiful finished product.” Julie Muehlenkamp, districtwide coordinator of CLC programming in Covington, said it is important for the students to see the finished product and understand the importance of their role in the creation.
The first stop of the mosaic was John G. Carlisle Elementary School, where the CLC students expressed a sense of accomplishment and a newfound appreciation for the power of collaboration. When seeing the mosaic together for the first time, students said how proud they felt that they made a piece of the artwork that would be displayed at their school.
Lights On Afterschool highlights the need for more investment in afterschool programs, which keep kids safe, inspire them to learn, and give parents peace of mind that their children are safe, supervised, and learning after the school day ends. It was launched in October 2000 with celebrations in 1,200 communities nationwide. According to the Afterschool Alliance, a national nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to quality, affordable afterschool programs, today, more than 8,000 Lights On Afterschool rallies are held annually.