州长麦克马斯特宣布10月22日为南卡"课后之光日"：每1个在读孩子对应4个排队名额，联盟吁扩大课后项目供给
南卡罗来纳州州长亨利·麦克马斯特周四发布公告，将2026年10月22日定为该州"课后之光日"（Lights On Afterschool Day），表彰课后项目在支持学生、工薪家庭和社区中的关键作用。该活动与全国性的"课后之光"庆祝同步举行，由 Afterschool Alliance 在全国组织，旨在呼吁扩大优质课后项目的覆盖面。
公告指出，课后项目在提升学业成绩、提供动手学习体验、培养青少年职场与生活技能方面作用显著，但供给严重不足——全州每有1名孩子参加课后项目，就有4个孩子在排队等待名额。南卡课后联盟（SCAA）总裁兼首席执行官泽尔达·韦默表示，课后项目"不只是放学后的安全去处，更是让学生发现潜能、建立关系、为未来做准备的机会"。
本月初，SCAA 在哥伦比亚的 Segra Park 举办了年度 STEM 盛会，14个县的学生参加，设56个互动 STEM 展台、150多名志愿者参与，事后调查显示98% 以上的学生和成人受访者表示明年还愿意参加。韦默认为，这类机会不应局限于一场活动或一个社区，联盟将继续推动课后与暑期学习项目在全州扩面。
Governor McMaster Proclaims October 22 South Carolina's 'Lights On Afterschool Day': 4 Children Wait for Every 1 Enrolled; Alliance Calls for Expanded Afterschool Access
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster issued a proclamation Thursday designating October 22, 2026, as 'Lights On Afterschool Day' in the state, honoring the critical role of afterschool programs in supporting students, working families and communities. The observance coincides with the national Lights On Afterschool celebration, organized nationwide by the Afterschool Alliance to call for expanded access to quality afterschool programs.
The proclamation notes that afterschool programs significantly improve academic achievement, provide hands-on learning experiences and build young people's workplace and life skills, but supply falls far short: statewide, for every 1 child enrolled in an afterschool program, 4 children are waiting for a spot. Zelda Waymer, president and CEO of the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance (SCAA), said afterschool programs are 'not just a safe place to go after school, but an opportunity for students to discover their potential, build relationships and prepare for the future.'
Earlier this month, SCAA held its annual STEM Extravaganza at Segra Park in Columbia, with students from 14 counties, 56 interactive STEM booths and more than 150 volunteers; a post-event survey found more than 98% of student and adult respondents would like to participate again next year. Waymer said such opportunities should not be limited to a single event or community, and the alliance will continue pushing to expand afterschool and summer learning programs statewide.
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：哥伦比亚市天际线（南卡罗来纳州） / Columbia, South Carolina skyline — Thomas Kirchel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
