If you are a rugged individualist who wants your program and its students to do their own thing on LOA Day (Thursday, October 22), then here are 15 ideas for virtual/distanced/social media advocacy “events” you can do instead of “in-person” activities. If you choose to do one of these, please tell Mary Graham at mary.graham@uwtn.org so we can share it on social media, with Afterschool Alliance, and in a future newsletter. Also, remember to register for LOA Day at http://loa.afterschoolalliance.org/accounts/signup/.
- Engage students in your program to produce a short video using the hashtag, “#NowMoreThan Ever.” For example, “‘#NowMoreThanEver’ my Afterschool means I …….” Prompts for students could include their favorite thing about their program (STEM, homework assistance, improved grades, fitness activities, healthy snack, etc.). Place the video on your program’s social media platforms.
- Engage parents and caregivers associated with your program to produce a short video using the hashtag, “#NowMoreThan Ever.” For example, “‘#NowMoreThanEver’ my student’s Afterschool program means…….” Prompts for parents could include the most beneficial aspect of the program (my child is safe, my child’s homework is complete, my child’s grades have improved, I am able to work without worrying about my child, etc.). Place the video on your program’s social media platforms.
- Engage a local business or community leader in producing a short video utilizing the hashtags, “#NowMoreThanEver.” For example, “‘#NowMoreThanEver’ Afterschool programs in my community are……….” Prompts can include aspects of how afterschool benefits their community (allowed essential workers to continue their work, allowed the community’s economy to remain strong, is a benefit to employers, allows children to explore their future career, allows parents to keep their jobs, helps to build workforce skills, etc.).
- Use a lightbulb template (http://www.tnafterschool.org/loa-coloring-pages-a-pumpkin-pattern/) and ask students to write their top 3 aspects of afterschool that benefits them. Display the artwork or use it for social media posts and advocacy efforts. Local media can be invited to photograph the art and produce a story on why afterschool is beneficial in your community.
- Summarize the benefits of your program and then reach out to local media to assist in writing a story for LOA. Tell your program’s story of how many students you serve, how grades improve, how you are essential to allowing parents to work and feel safe, etc. Highlight STEM activities and special skills learned through your program.
- A LOA youth service activity can include engaging students to identify a new (as a result of COVID-19) or existing need from their community; food insecurity, mental health, substance abuse, or anti-racism. Lead them in exploring the issue, identifying barriers, solutions and resources before turning it into a LOA activity that can be used in the community. When students identify how they can be a resource for the need (volunteer at a food pantry, do a food drive, identify mental health services, develop an anti-racism campaign) highlight their efforts to show the benefit of afterschool programs.
- Highlight local benefits of your program as it relates to COVID-19 and turn it into an LOA message. For example, “‘#NowMoreThanEver’ Afterschool Program XYZ served the community by ……. (Providing out of school services to essential workers, delivering meals to food insecure families, providing a space for tele-health/tele-mental health, enhancing academic achievement, etc.).” These messages could be print or video and used on social media, for advocacy or otherwise.
- Make your LOA event be about serving students and families by focusing on building social and emotional skills that can help out during COVID-19. Join a virtual event from Afterschool Alliance (visit http://www.tnafterschool.org/make-these-your-own/), make a virtual event that shares resources for the development of these skills (visit https://empatico.org/at-home/skills or https://empatico.org/at-home/connect), use your Mizzen app (download at https://www.mizzen.org/meet-mizzen-by-mott/tennessee) and find activities that meet the needs of your students and parents/caregivers, OR teach some simple breathing exercises and demonstrate some chair yoga exercises.
- Promote a socially distanced LOA by releasing biodegradable paper lanterns (amazon.com, walmart.com ). This can be coordinated with other aspects of a more typical LOA event that ends with the release of the lanterns. Consider video-taping the event so it can serve double duty on your social media channels.
- Have students decorate paper bags with messages related to the #NowMoreThanEver hashtag. The bags can have cut out designs or simply decorated and then illuminated with a battery operated candle. Take photos or produce short videos that engage the student in describing the messaging on their bag.
- Highlight STEM activities or products students produce in your afterschool program. Highlight the skills learned and how they relate to career exploration. Highlight Tennessee children’s museums and other sites that families can utilize to continue their child’s STEM exploration.
- Use Wonderopolis (https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-many-lights-does-it-take-to-light-up-the-empire-state-building ) to lead students in exploring everything Empire State Building. The lesson naturally leads to information about lighting the structure and how it can be used to celebrate Lights on Afterschool.
- Engage your students in developing a Chain Reaction project (https://www.exploratorium.edu/tinkering/projects/chain-reaction ) or Marble Machine (https://www.exploratorium.edu/tinkering/projects/marble-machines) that shows your students in active learning. Use the video on social media platforms to highlight the importance of afterschool.
- If you can’t find a landmark to light up, you could make your own. Engage your students in developing a lightbulb design; cut the shape in the grass using a mower, have your students line up in the shape of a lightbulb, do a peanut butter drive with your students and line up the jars in a lightbulb shape, etc. If you want to go the extra mile on this idea, use a drone to photograph your design!
- Use the lightbulb! Post signs in yards, at businesses, on the outside of your facility, etc. Provide sidewalk chalk to your students and challenge them to make their best LOA message.