The virtual event boasted appearances by California Governor Gavin Newsom among top state legislators, education leaders, parents, students and staff.
Think Together, California’s leading nonprofit provider of afterschool, expanded learning and school improvement programs, held its annual Lights on Afterschool event themed Light the Way on Thursday, October 28 on Think Together’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
The virtual event drew more than 300 live viewers and featured testimonials from educators, parents, students and Think Together staff alongside state legislative appearances from:
- State Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego)
- Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood)
- Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Reyes (D-San Bernardino)
- State Senator Sydney K. Kamlager (D-Los Angeles)
- State Senator Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who committed a record investment of $5 billion by 2025 for afterschool programs, concluded the virtual broadcast with a special address for Think Together staff and families. This infusion of funds into the afterschool and expanded learning space is in addition to unprecedented increases in the K-12 budget to support educators, students and their families amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“California is grateful to Think Together for helping our students succeed despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic,” said Gov. Newsom. “With historic overall $123 billion investments in our K-12 systems, we’re reimagining our schools so every child can thrive, regardless of their zip code. We want every student in California to have access to potentially lifechanging afterschool and learning programs, like Think Together’s.”
In addition to the live virtual broadcast, Think Together hosted 372 school site events to celebrate the positive impact that afterschool and expanded learning programs make in the lives of students every day. From Compton to San Jose, Temecula to Orange, students took part in Lights on Afterschool through educational enrichment including STEM, ELA, healthy living, yoga, art, painting, and music activities.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Think Together supported their school partners and students with distance learning support, in-person instruction, meal distribution, wellness checks, school improvement support and more. Think Together staffed learning hubs and expanded learning programs in 41 school districts and 25 charter management organizations across the state, reaching nearly 53,000 students last year. Year over year, total impact of all programs reaches nearly 200,000 students.
“We stand at a real transformational moment in education. One in which students who have been traditionally underserved will be given the resources needed to narrow the opportunity gap once and for all,” said Think Together Founder and CEO Randy Barth. “As we continue to face the pandemic’s enduring impacts, we stand ready to serve these students who need high quality support systems to succeed in school, college and career.”
Research shows that for every student in afterschool programs across the U.S., there are three students on a waiting list. With achievement gaps widening and state tax revenues rising, Gov. Newsom and the legislature made a down payment on an “afterschool for all” initiative through the creation of the Expanded Learning Opportunity Program.
The children and families who rely on publicly funded afterschool programs are those already disproportionately affected by the issues exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic. Nine out of 10 children served by California’s afterschool programs are children of color, and 84% are socioeconomically disadvantaged. A third of students in After School Education and Safety (ASES) and 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs are English Language Learners and 25% of California’s students experiencing homelessness are served proudly by afterschool programs.
“Through each and every hardship experienced by our students during the pandemic, Think Together staff was there supporting them,” added Barth. “We’re honored to stand with the Afterschool Alliance and our state and federal allies in our efforts to advocate for the expansion of educational support.”
Lights On Afterschool is a national campaign organized by the Afterschool Alliance to underscore the need for increased federal, state and private investment for afterschool programs in support of students. Across the United States, nearly 5,000 afterschool and expanded learning programs, including Think Together, held celebrations in support of their programs and the impact they make on our communities.
About Think Together
Think Together partners with schools and communities to pursue educational equity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students. Think Together’s program areas include early learning, afterschool, school support services and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org.
About Orenda Education
A Think Together affiliate since 2014, Orenda Education is in the business of change. This group of highly experienced educational consultants’ partners with school districts to identify research-based equity-grounded solutions for closing the Achievement Gap. Orenda’s proven approach dramatically improves student outcomes and creates paths for college and career opportunities. For more information please go to orendaed.org
