[October 14, 2008] Pennsylvania Youth Organization to Mark Lights On Afterschool October 16, 2008 Tweet CAMP HILL, Pa., Oct 14, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- National Event Promotes Importance of Safe, Afterschool Programs The Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network (PSAYDN) today announced that Oct. 16 will be designated as Lights On Afterschool to call attention to the importance of afterschool programs for Pennsylvania's children, families and communities. More than 250 communities across the Commonwealth will mark the day through various youth-focused events. In America today, 1 in 4 youth -- 14.3 million children -- are alone and unsupervised after school; in Pennsylvania, 26 percent of youth are "latchkey kids" who go unsupervised after school. Pennsylvania ranks 31st in the nation in terms of percent of youth who are unsupervised after school. "Lights On Afterschool is a powerful reminder that afterschool programs keep children safe, inspire them to learn, and relieve working parents of worries about how their children spend their afternoons. Unfortunately, we don't have enough afterschool programs, and too many kids are home alone in the afternoons or out on the streets where they can be exposed to crime or engage in unhealthy behaviors," said Kisha Bird, PSADYN Project Director. Lights On Afterschool was launched in October 2000 with celebrations in more than 1,200 communities nationwide. The event grew in 2001 to more than 3,600 events and more than 7,500 in 2007. Lights On Afterschool is a project of the Afterschool Alliance, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to quality, affordable afterschool programs. "Afterschool programs provide opportunities to help young people develop into successful adults and are key to children's success," Bird added. Lights On Afterschool events are scheduled October 16 across Pennsylvania. To find out about Lights On Afterschool events in your community, visit: http://www.psaydn.org/. About Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network (PSAYDN) Formed in 2004, Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network (PSAYDN) operates out of the Center for Schools and Communities in Camp Hill. The organization promotes sustainable, high-quality out-of-school time youth development programs through advocacy and capacity building to enhance the welfare of Pennsylvania's children, youth and families. PSAYDN's mission is that all children and youth deserve access to high quality out-of-school time programs that promote positive youth development and support the successful transition to adulthood. SOURCE Pennsylvania Afterschool Youth Development Network http://www.psaydn.org [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]