Fordham’s RETC—Center for Professional Development will participate in “Lights on After School,” the official celebration of after-school programs, on Thursday, Oct. 21, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“We will be celebrating along with communities nationwide in order to raise awareness about the importance of after school programs for students,” said Theresa R. Lupo, a professional developer with the RETC. “We are excited to share the success of our students with the community!”
The open house event, which is for parents, community partners and the Fordham community, will include a presentation about the RETC’s Community Learning Center (CLC). Attendees will also participate in raffles, enjoy refreshments and even see CLC students at work.
In Manhattan, the Empire State Building will light up in honor of this event and after school programs across the city will sponsor exciting events that allow students and families to express what these programs have meant to them.
Across the country, some 7,500 events are scheduled to take place. This nationwide rally for afterschool programs is organized by the Afterschool Alliance.
According to the Afterschool Alliance:
• More than 15 million school-age children (26 percent) are on their own after school.
• Among them are more than 1 million are in grades K to 5. Only 8.4 million K-12 children (15 percent) participate in afterschool programs.
• An additional 18.5 million would participate if a quality program were available in their community.
• The hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. are the peak hours for juvenile crime and experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex.
For more information about the RETCs 21st Century Community Learning Center, visit their website.
—Gina Vergel
