National Program HIghlights the Importance of Extended
Learning Opportunities After Regular School Hours

Wheaton Woods Elementary School and the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Division of Academic Support, Federal and State Programs will host an open house to celebrate Lights On Afterschool! from 3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., on Thursday, October 20, at Wheaton Woods.

Lights On Afterschool! is celebrated nationwide to call attention to the outstanding programs before and after school and during the summer that extend classroom learning, focusing on the importance of these extended learning opportunities for student success.

The open house at Wheaton Woods will feature the 21st Century Community Learning Center after-school program that provides special arts-oriented opportunities, recreation, and family literacy activities. Parents, school staff, and community members will be able to observe students participating in the program, which features professional artists selected in collaboration with the Montgomery County Arts and Humanities Council.

The Community Learning Center at Wheaton Woods is one of three centers in Montgomery County funded by a three-year 21st Century Community Learning Centers federal grant through the Maryland State Department of Education. The schools benefiting from the $1.8 million grant are among those with the highest poverty levels in the county.

More information is available on the Afterschool Alliance Web site or by contacting Janet L. Dunn, coordinator, MCPS Extended Learning Opportunities, at 301-230-0660.