State of Colorado Proclamation – Lights on Afterschool Day
Sep 25
State of Colorado Proclamation - Lights on Afterschool Day

State of Colorado Proclamation – Lights on Afterschool Day

WHEREAS, the citizens of Colorado stand firmly committed to quality afterschool programs and opportunities because they: provide safe, challenging, and engaging learning experiences that help children develop social, emotional, physical and academic skills; support working families by ensuring their children are safe and productive after the regular school day ends; build stronger communities by involving students, parents, business leaders and adult volunteers in the lives of young people, thereby promoting positive relationships among youth, families and adults; and engage families, schools and community partners in advancing the welfare of our children; and 

WHEREAS, Colorado Afterschool Partnership and Denver Afterschool Alliance have provided significant leadership in the area of community involvement in the education and well-being of our youth, grounded in the principle that quality afterschool programs are key to helping our children become successful adults; and 

WHEREAS, Lights On Afterschool, the national celebration of afterschool programs held this year on October 22, 2020 promotes the importance of quality afterschool programs in the lives of children, families and communities; and 

WHEREAS, more than 28 million children in the U.S. have parents who work outside the home, and 19.4 million children have no place to go after school. In Colorado, 1 in 6 kids are alone and unsupervised when the school day ends; and 

WHEREAS, many afterschool programs across the country are facing funding shortfalls so severe that they are being forced to close their doors and turn off their lights; and 

WHEREAS, our state is committed to investing in the health and safety of all young people by providing expanded learning opportunities that will help close the achievement gap and prepare young people to compete in the global economy; 

THEREFORE, I, Jared Polis, Governor of the State of Colorado, do hereby proclaim October 22, 2020, as 

LIGHTS ON AFTERSCHOOL DAY 

in the State of Colorado. 

 GIVEN under my hand and the Executive Seal of the State of Colorado, this twenty-second day of October, 2020 

Jared Polis 

Governor 

State of Colorado Proclamation - Lights on Afterschool Day