Lights on Afterschool Celebration
Mayor Brandon Johnson, Department of Family and Support Services to Honor Afterschool Program Providers and Participants as Part of Nationwide Lights on Afterschool Graduation
The national celebration, held annually each October, exists to shine a light on the importance of afterschool programs and the providers who make them happen.
October 22, 2026
Mayor's Press Office: 312.744.3334
CHICAGO — Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) Youth Services Division will host Chicago’s first-ever Lights On Afterschool celebration, one of more than 8,000 events occurring across the country on National Lights On Afterschool Day to send the message that afterschool programming is key to youth’s success, and that support to continue providing and expanding these programs is critical to youth, families and communities. The event, taking place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Rauner Family YMCA, 2700 S Western Ave., will honor the Youth Services Division’s delegate agencies who provide enrichment programming to thousands of youth in Chicago, as well as the agencies’ youth participants.
“Afterschool programs offer thousands of Chicago youth a safe environment to form friendships, expand their education, and anchor their daily routines,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “Today’s Lights On celebration pays tribute to the hard-working childcare and education professionals who enrich the lives of our kids, and to whom we express our gratitude for their service to our communities.”
Nationwide, 22.6 million children are left alone without supervision when the school day ends, according to Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide project launched in 2000 by the Afterschool Alliance, a nonpartisan, Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that works to support quality afterschool programs.
“For many young Chicagoans, afterschool programming plays a pivotal role in their well-being, self-esteem, opportunities and outcomes,” said DFSS Commissioner Angela Green. “These programs are more than just a place to go. They expand young people’s creativity, skill sets and social circles; connect them with quality learning experiences, new hobbies and new friends; and they help them find mentors whose encouragement helps them to recognize their own great potential. DFSS deeply appreciates our afterschool partners who make this essential support possible.”
Approximately 200 guests are expected to attend DFSS’s Lights on Afterschool celebration, which will include games and activities; a Youth Awards ceremony; remarks from DFSS, Mayor’s Office, and YMCA leadership; and pizza courtesy of Home Run Inn. Attendees will include youth participants, agency staff, partners, elected officials, and leadership and staff of both DFSS and the Mayor’s Office.
To learn more about National Lights On Afterschool Day, visit lightsonalliance.org.
To learn more about DFSS’s supervised afterschool and year-round Youth Enrichment programs for youth and young adults, visit the DFSS website or email [email protected].