Philadelphia Youth Network presented its first annual Lights on Afterschool Celebration at Thomas K. Finletter School on Thursday, Oct. 24. Lights On Afterschool is a nationwide project that promotes children having access to quality and affordable afterschool programs.
“Programs like these are integral to the future of our youth,” CEO and president of PYN Wendy-Anne Roberts-Johnson said. “Afterschool programming inspires learning while also providing exposure and opportunities to help young people develop their interests and skills. It is never too early to show young people what is possible for them to pursue in their futures.”
This local event is one of the 8,000 events across the county as part of the 25th annual Lights on Afterschool, organized by Afterschool Alliance. A million people throughout the country are showing their support for afterschool programs that keep students safe, inspire them to learn, and give working families the comfort of knowing that their kids are supervised and getting additional education.
The celebration featured special guests, youth exhibitions, awards, music, and refreshments. The fun-filled night included a step showcase, a scavenger hunt, and multiple raffles presented by PYN’s Vice President of Programs Christian Holland. Toward the end of the night, the students of A.L FitzPatrick School performed a dance for the lively crowd of educators, students, and nonprofit leaders.
Philadelphia City Councilmember Anthony Phillips was honored with a Community Leadership Award. Back in September, Phillips spearheaded the move for Philadelphia to recognize PYN’s 25th anniversary through a resolution. For a quarter of a century, PYN has provided meaningful youth workforce development and career-connected learning that has achieved national acclaim. While speaking during Thursday’s event, he read the resolution aloud to the audience.
PYN’s storied history and dedication to its mission of developing the city’s youth is why the organization is proud to partner with Lights on Afterschool, an event that shares PYN’s goal of providing young people with quality afterschool programming.
Additional honorees of the Community Leadership Award Included Principal of Thomas K. Finletter School April Brown, and Executive Director of the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of Special Needs Dr. Laurena Zeller. In addition, Kelly Earl from the Office of Procurement at the School District of Philadelphia, as well as Abbey Dunn and Randi Klein-
Davila who are from the Office of Student Life as the School District of Philadelphia.
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