Lights On Afterschool

The Afterschool Alliance has teamed up with Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE: CCO) on a national digital billboard campaign that celebrates afterschool programs and amplifies the voices of the young people who benefit from them. At the center of the effort is a "Powered by Afterschool" design created by Evelyn Daniel, a 15-year-old 10th-grader at Cass Technical High School in Detroit. Her artwork will appear on nearly 2,000 digital billboards across the United States throughout October, as the Afterschool Alliance and its partners mark the 27th annual Lights On Afterschool celebration on October 22.

A Student's Artwork Takes the National Stage

Evelyn developed her design through Usher's New Look, a youth development program, at the Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club Spark Lab — an initiative that gives young people high-production, real-world work experience alongside industry professionals. Communications and design mentors guided her through the process, and Clear Channel Outdoor provided feedback on the technical demands of the billboard format.

"My favorite thing about my afterschool program is being able to help people with a skill I acquired and learned to love from a young age," Evelyn said. "I'm an artist at heart, and in making the design for the billboard, I learned how to plan ahead and how to stick to a plan to make a project come together."

Clear Channel Outdoor is donating some of its most visible digital inventory to carry afterschool messages in 25 markets around the country during October. On October 22, the company will feature Evelyn's artwork on two jumbo billboards in New York City's Times Square and will illuminate Boston's South Station.

Dan Levi, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Clear Channel Outdoor, said the campaign shifts the spotlight onto the students themselves. "Seeing their ideas displayed across the country is a meaningful way to celebrate what young people are creating through afterschool programs and remind communities why these opportunities matter," he said.

Thousands of Events and a Persistent Enrollment Gap

The Afterschool Alliance says roughly 8,000 Lights On Afterschool events will take place on or around October 22, hosted by schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, 4-H clubs, city agencies, parks, museums, and community centers. Mayors and governors are declaring October 22 as Lights On Afterschool Day, and communities are staging lightings of buildings, bridges, and parks. Recording artist USHER, a longtime afterschool advocate, serves as Honorary Chair of the campaign.

The latest America After 3PM research, compiled by the Afterschool Alliance, shows parents of 29.6 million U.S. children want afterschool programs, yet only 7 million are enrolled. Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant said the partnership with Clear Channel and Usher's New Look demonstrates the real-world learning and mentorship that afterschool programs provide.