Celebrating our collective impact on closing the educational opportunity gap in our community & the learning and growth of our students!

Aspire’s annual Achieving Afterschool Celebration shines a light on the academic achievements of our students and the life-changing work of Aspire in Arlington. Aspire's mission and work have always centered the needs of our students and families. Aspire is needed more than ever as pandemic-related learning loss continues to disproportionately impact historically underserved students. As a result, Aspire students are entering our program much further behind previous cohorts.

Last fall, 92% of Aspire students entered our programs testing one or more grade levels behind in math, and 85% of our students were testing two or more grade levels behind in reading. In pre-pandemic 2018-2019, only 49% of students tested below grade level in reading. These numbers are stark, but Aspire works! Our students are resilient learners and are already succeeding!

Aspire is serving more students than ever (the largest cohort in our organization's 25+ year history!), providing enhanced STEM programming, expanding our daily literacy support, and increasing mental health and social-emotional support. This work has paid off!

The text "67% of students last year improved their reading level & 75% improved their math level" against a blue and purple watercolor background. Two pictures on the left: one of a smiling girl, one of a girl reading with an adult.

While metrics on student achievement are important, the value of having a safe, joyful place for our students to learn and grow into all they aspire to be cannot be underestimated. The goal of this year's Achieving Afterschool Celebration is to raise $165,000. With your support, Aspire will:

Pilot two NEW school-based afterschool program sites at Randolph and Drew Elementary Schools, both Title 1 schools within the Arlington Public Schools (APS) system. These new sites further strengthen our connection to the local community and ensure our students have access to support close to home.
Maintain small class sizes and individualized support.
Continue our commitment to access by ensuring our programs remain no-cost to families.

How You Can Help

1) Join Us on October 25th - Tickets are Now SOLD OUT

Join over 150 fellow community members committed to closing the opportunity gap and celebrating the learning, growth, and achievement of our students. Tickets are now SOLD OUT, but you can still donate to support Aspire! If you can't make it, consider paying it forward with a community ticket to ensure that our important community partners can join in this evening of celebration.

Event Details

5 pm - 6 pm: Welcome reception, appetizers, and an exciting chance to enter our raffle featuring local businesses

6 pm - 8 pm: Plated dinner and event programming

One highlight of the evening will be our raffle! Aspire already has almost 50 raffle partners who have generously donated amazing prizes. This year, the theme of our raffle is “The Stories that Connect Us.” This means that each raffle basket, in addition to their usual prizes, also has at least one book (many of them signed!) that’s related to the basket theme. But these prizes are only available to people who attend in person. So if you're interested in a chance at winning one of these baskets, buy your ticket today! If you just can't wait to find out what prizes will be available, click here for a sneak peek.

2) Make a Donation

Donations of any size will ensure we can deliver critical afterschool services for 120+ historically underserved students this fall.

Here's how much your support matters to an Aspire student:

$50.00 - Sponsors one-day of afterschool support + a literacy kit for a student.
$100.00 - Sponsors one year of STEM supplies for a student.
$250.00 - Sponsors one year of books for a student.
$400.00 - Sponsors one week of full-day summer learning camp for a student.
$600.00 - Sponsors one month of daily afterschool support for a student.
$1,000.00 - Sponsors one year of supplies for a classroom.
$2,400.00 - Sponsors six weeks of full-day summer learning camp for a student.

Click donate at the top of the page!

3) Fundraise

Help us reach our goal even faster by setting up your own fundraising page to help support Aspire by clicking "fundraise" under the video and goal bar. All you have to do is set a goal, write a short personalized message, and then share your page with your family and friends. You’ll even be able to see yourself and your supporters on our Givebutter page so that you and others can see your impact.

4) Become a Sponsor or Small Business Supporter

Sponsorships

Aspire’s annual Achieving Afterschool Celebration is quickly approaching, and we’re looking for sponsors to help make the event a success! Your sponsorship provides meaningful ways to engage the community we serve and reach an enthusiastic local audience of 150+ guests (and hundreds more who give online) while creating lasting change with tangible results. Sponsorship opportunities start at only $1,000; detailed information can be found here.

Small Business Program

Purchase an ad in our event program, which will reach 150+ people in person and 3,000+ through the post-event email to all of Aspire’s subscribers. Promote your business with Aspire and invest in the thriving future of Arlington students! Learn more about Aspire's small business partnership program here.

Donate a raffle prize

Your support through a raffle prize donation is a meaningful way to engage the Arlington community while making a meaningful difference! Last year, we had raffle donations from 29 local businesses and sold over 550 raffle tickets! Combine a raffle donation with a program ad for even more visibility. Learn more here.

A girl smiling at the camera and then the text "Aspire means everybody comes together, it’s kind of like a big family." - former Aspire student

Aspire's Background and Programs

Aspire Afterschool Learning is deeply rooted in the South Arlington community we have served since 1994, providing critical out-of-school time programs to historically underserved students. Aspire remains committed to serving the students most impacted by the educational opportunity gap – a gap made even wider by the pandemic.

For 15 hours/week during the school year (39 weeks), Aspire provides our evidence-based and award-winning Learning ROCKS program to third-fifth grade students. Aspire also serves 120+ students during a six-week (7.5 hours per day) summer camp to reduce the impacts of summer learning loss, which year-over-year can make it more difficult for students to catch up to their peers who are able to afford summer programs.

A key function of Learning ROCKS is to improve students' academic and functional English literacy skills through 30 minutes of dedicated reading activities each day at each site. Research shows that when students are reading at grade level, they are more likely to graduate from high school. Learning ROCKS utilizes evidence-based methods and project-based experiential learning opportunities to reinforce key academic content.

Two photos of students on the left, and then the text "Aspire makes me feel happy inside. I can play with my friends, I can do all these other things, and my favorite teachers are there too." - Aspire student

Additionally, students receive targeted tutoring and support with homework, foundational skills, phonics, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math), and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), in alignment with best practices from the U.S. Department of Education’s definition of evidence-based summer enrichment and comprehensive afterschool opportunities.

To learn more about Aspire’s work, you can join our mailing list and see the work that Aspire is doing on our website at https://www.aspireafterschool.org/. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. To learn more about our volunteer opportunities, go to https://www.aspireafterschool.org/volunteer.

FAQs

Do I need to know the contact information for each guest at the time of table or half-table purchase?

We are so grateful you plan to bring guests to our Achieving Afterschool Celebration. You can use your own contact information in place of any unknown guest information at the time of table purchase. Our team will reach out a few weeks prior to the event to confirm guest names at your table or half table.

Is this donation tax deductible?

Yes. We are an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code: EIN 54-1705642.

What other ways can I support Aspire?

To learn more about making a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA, donating appreciated stocks or mutual funds, supporting Aspire through your Donor Advised Fund, or planning to submit a corporate match, please reach out to devin@aspireafterschool.org.

We are always looking for volunteers to support our students with reading and math afterschool. Please email volunteer@aspireafterschool.org to share your time availability and to learn more.

Will I be able to submit an in-person donation at the event?

Yes, we will have a live appeal during the event.

Will there be a recording available?

The event will not be streamed or recorded this year.

Aspire 2023 Achieving Afterschool Celebration

Your support provides and expands high-quality afterschool and summer learning opportunities to historically underserved students. Join us in building thriving futures!

Team Members