Lights on Afterschool Day
| Montgomery County Proclaims Lights on Afterschool Day in Montgomery County |
| County Executive Isiah Leggett, the County Council, Montgomery County Recreation, the Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families and the Montgomery County Board of Education will proclaim October 18 as Lights On Afterschool Day in Montgomery County. Events are planned to bring attention to the importance of safe, quality afterschool programs for students.As part of the national Lights On Afterschool Day celebration, the Montgomery County Recreation Excel Beyond the Bell program will host two events on Thursday, October 18. The morning event is the Excel Beyond the Bell Symposium, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Johns Hopkins Campus, 9601 Medical Center Dr., Rockville. An open house will be held from 3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. at Roberto Clemente Middle School, 18808 Waring Station Rd., Germantown, showcasing one of five middle schools participating in the Excel Beyond the Bell Middle School Pilot.
“We are very proud of our partnership with the Collaboration Council and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) that helps to keep kids safe and inspires learning,” said Recreation Director Gabe Albornoz. “This collaboration ensures that students have the extra enrichment they need in a safe, nurturing environment after the academic school day ends.” The keynote speaker for the Excel Beyond the Bell Symposium will be MCPS Superintendent Dr. Joshua P. Starr, who will address the importance of “engaging the out-of-school time (OST) community for in-school success.” Attendees will also learn about Excel Beyond the Bell’s progress in achieving its goals through the middle school pilot, have the opportunity to join a think tank to discuss the future of the Excel Beyond the Bell program, and attend one of four breakout sessions: Building Partnerships in OST programs; Funding and Resources: Taking Programs to Scale; Quality Standard for Positive Outcomes; and Building a Model of Youth Worker Professional Development. “We are pleased to be working in partnership wit the Collaboration Council and the Department of Recreation to provide additional services and resources our students and families need to thrive and succeed,” said Starr. “This type of collaboration not only benefits our students, but benefits the community as a whole.” The open house event at Roberto Clemente Middle School will feature light refreshments, displays and tours. Excel Beyond the Bell programs offered at Clemente include Young Chefs; Science Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Academy; theater and drama, and The Total Girl. The program will close with a special presentation announcing two IBM Grant Awards totaling $6,000. These funds will provide students with an educational field trip and a family night with activities for students and their families. In a partnership with the Montgomery County Police Department and the State’s Attorney’s Office, family night will focus on bullying and internet safety. Currently, Excel Beyond the Bell’s Middle School Pilot programs are offered at Clemente, Argyle, Loiederman, Forest Oak, and Neelsville middle schools. For more information about programs being offered, visit www.excelbeyondthebell.org/MiddleSchoolPilot.html. |
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