Lights on Afterschool

The 2025 Lights on Afterschool Poster Contest is Open!

The Lights On Afterschool poster contest is officially open, and this year, the Afterschool Alliance is looking for any artwork that represents the spirit of afterschool programs - either new or previously created. If your program has pre-made artwork celebrating afterschool, send it in! This includes murals, paintings, graphics on social media, and anything else that celebrates afterschool. The artwork does not have to be created specifically for the Lights On Afterschool Poster Contest, but it must represent afterschool.

Read more about the Poster Contest and how to make your submissions here.


Launched in October 2000, Lights On Afterschool is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. The effort has become a hallmark of the afterschool movement and generates media coverage across the country each year.

The Afterschool Alliance organizes Lights On Afterschool to draw attention to the many ways afterschool programs support students by offering them opportunities to learn new things—such as science, community service, robotics, Tae Kwon Do and poetry—and discover new skills. The events send a powerful message that millions more kids need quality afterschool programs.