October 2024 Newsletter Blog Posts
Celebrating Holidays and Building Connections
Holidays are more than just days off from work or school. They’re also more than special costumes, food, and decorations. Holiday celebrations provide valuable insight into the values, history, and traditions of a group or culture. For example:
- Diwali, the Festival of Lights, highlights the triumph of good over evil in Hindu culture.
- Thanksgiving in the U.S. reflects themes of gratitude and community.
- The Lunar New Year, celebrated in many Asian cultures, emphasizes family unity and the hope for prosperity in the coming year.
Showing genuine interest in various holiday traditions and their significance can help you connect with students and families, spark thoughtful conversations, and learn from one another. Your interest makes them feel seen. It shows that your out-of-school time (OST) program values everyone, and it may even encourage students and families to share their traditions and celebrations. Here are some ideas:
- Holiday traditions show and tell: Students and families bring clothing, a decoration, or a song, and explain its significance.
- Family traditions collage: Each student or family uses photos, magazine cutouts, craft materials, or other items to create a collage that represents the family’s holiday traditions.
- Holiday cookbook: Invite each family to share a written recipe for a favorite holiday dish. Compile the recipes to create a cookbook everyone can take home.
Your OST program should definitely be a place of celebration! Recognizing and honoring what matters to each student in your program helps them connect with one another on a meaningful, personal level. It fosters understanding that can be drawn upon when misunderstandings or conflict occur. By creating a space where students can explore various cultures, holidays, and traditions, your program becomes a place where students feel welcome, included, and valued for who they are. Now that’s something to celebrate!
October 2024 Newsletter Blog Posts
Light Up Your OST Program With Lights On Afterschool
A country-wide celebration to highlight the difference afterschool programs make in the lives of young people? Sign us up! Lights On Afterschool is like the Oscars of out of-school time (OST). Whether you’re new to “the Academy” or a seasoned star, let this extra-special 25th anniversary celebration inspire you to shine a spotlight on your OST program — and keep it there! Here are three simple things you can do to make it happen:
Invite Your Supporting Cast and Crew to the Stage
A powerful way to engage youth during Lights On Afterschool is to give them the stage and let their voices be heard. Invite the mayor, school board members, city council representatives, and other local officials to your program or event, and let young people share their insights on the value of your program directly with people who can influence policies and decisions. Or, students can think of creative ways to share their perspectives, such as decorating paper light bulbs and delivering them to policymakers with stories of what afterschool programs mean to them. Activities like this empower youth while helping policymakers and leaders understand the real-life impact of their decisions.
Roll Out the Red Carpet for Health and Wellness
OST programs play a crucial role in supporting the health and wellness of young people. Lights On Afterschool is an opportunity to highlight how your 21st CCLC program activities, resources, and relationships support students’ academic and non-academic needs. Providing safety and support is more important than ever, given rising concerns about youth anxiety, depression, and substance use. No doubt, your 21st CCLC program also promotes physical health through games, nutrition education, and exercise. You’re fostering healthy habits that can last a lifetime, so shine a light on the tremendous benefits to students and families.
Tip: Looking to roll out the red carpet for even more health and wellness activities this year? Organizations such as the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and Mizzen Education offer toolkits and resources to create engaging, health-focused activities in afterschool settings, ensuring that youth thrive both physically and mentally.
Keep the Spotlight on Your Program
Don’t let this year’s Lights On Afterschool event be a one-off feature! Use this event to scout potential partners. Already have some great partners? Ask them to spread the word on their social media accounts, or provide them with tools to share with their contacts. While you have a captive audience, keep that excitement and point to your next event — in other words, end with a call to action! Then, when the 25th Lights On Afterschool celebration winds down, commit to keeping the spotlight shining bright on the value of OST programs year-round. Ready to keep the momentum going? Let’s make this celebration the start of something even bigger!
