The Children’s Trust of Alachua County (CTAC) partnered with Deeper Purpose Kids Academy for its third annual Lights on Afterschool event on Thursday. The event, held at Camp Kulaqua in High Springs, was part of a nationwide rally to highlight afterschool programs. 

Children from Deeper Purpose, the Girls Place and the Boys and Girls Club, as well as some who came individually, arrived at Camp Kulaqua for hot dogs, cake, free T-shirts and books. Before they were dismissed for hayrides and a tour of the animal sanctuary, the children and their accompanying adults first heard a presentation about the importance of afterschool programs. 

“The programs and our [CTAC’s] partners are just top notch,” Marsha Kiner, CTAC’s executive director, said in her speech. “And when we think about our afterschool partners, afterschool is really, I think, the bread and butter of what we do as an organization.” 

The Children’s Trust helps fund seven afterschool programs in Alachua County, providing resources that Adam Joy, chief administrator of Deeper Purpose Kids Academy, said has helped raise his program’s capacity. Deeper Purpose currently has 32 slots, 28 of which are filled. 

Deeper Purpose works with children in grades K-8, teaching goal setting, civic engagement, literacy and math in a Christian environment. 

Students from the program took turns reading a presentation about the benefits of afterschool programs, including increased concentration, discipline and social growth. 

Kiner said eight in 10 parents claim afterschool programs give them peace of mind and help them keep their jobs, and three out of four believe the programs reduce the likelihood of their child engaging in risky behavior. Kiner said half of students in afterschool programs improve their math and reading skills. 

Thursday’s event included a proclamation from High Springs Mayor Gloria James announcing the city’s support for afterschool programs and the Children’s Trust. Alachua County also sent a proclamation to declare Oct. 26, 2023, as Lights on Afterschool Day. 

Community engagement manager Liz Cayson said many children do not get the opportunity to visit a place like Camp Kulaqua. She said while CTAC funds one field trip per year for afterschool programs, the programs must first know about the venue and what it has to offer. 

When High Springs-based Deeper Purpose volunteered to host the Lights on Afterschool event this year, Cayson said CTAC started looking for venues in High Springs, landing on Camp Kulaqua. In past years, CTAC has hosted the event at the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention and the Harn Museum of Art. Always, Cayson said, part of the goal is to showcase activities and field trip opportunities to the afterschool programs. 

“We all want to go to Disney World. We all want to go to Universal, but we are a rich county,” Kiner said. “We have a lot of wonderful resources right here at home and we should take advantage of all of them.”