On Thursday, October 16th, hundreds of programs across the country celebrated "Lights on Afterschool" day, a nationally recognized holiday to promote awareness of after-school programs. On this day, we opened up our Heart House North center to community members, collaborators, funders, and families to show off the amazing things we've being doing with our kids and to provide others with an opportunity to learn more about the Heart House program and approach.



Staff and kids from both of our Heart House Austin locations gathered at the North site to prepare for their guests, and as over 53 people walked in throughout the night, they were greeted by the enthusiastic faces of our children! Our event featured an exhibit hall full of stories, photos, and samples of our programs and curriculum, a hands-on room where visitors could experience a day in the life of a Heart House kid through participating in a sample activity, and an interactive quiz show which allowed guests to learn more about Heart House!




There were many special moments which left an endearing mark on many of us that evening, such as having Heart House children give guests a tour of our learning center, listening to them read their published poems, and hearing their candid comments about their experiences and opinions.



We are thrilled that so many people stopped by! We look forward to planning future events to help promote awareness and engage visitors. Afterschool programs truly make a difference in the lives of children across the nation, and we are so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with our kids in our centers.