Aurora City Council members, City of Aurora staff and representatives from Aurora Public Schools, Cherry Creek Schools and community organizations celebrated Lights On Afterschool on Oct. 13 with a reception at the Aurora Municipal Center.

The reception took place prior to an Aurora City Council meeting, where Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer proclaimed the week of Oct. 13 as Lights On Afterschool Week.

Three people were honored during the reception as "after-school heroes" for their involvement with Aurora's after-school programs.

West Middle School sixth grader Lucille Dunlap was named the Student After-school Hero for her involvement with Girls with Voice, an after-school theater/acting program for middle-school students.

Dunlap, whose love for theater comes through in her performance and excitement for learning new things, earned the award for her creative spirit, positive attitude, confidence, compassion and helpful nature.

Steve Kessler, a technology teacher, was awarded the Staff After-school Hero award for his involvement with KidsTek, an after-school program that increases the technology literacy of Colorado's most underserved children.

Kessler, who has taught young teens for three years, works with students in KidsTek to create PowerPoint presentations of children's stories and develop skills in Web page design, Internet research, creative writing and videogame design. His classes allow youth to explore their creativity through technology and learn skills that are important for success in their future education and careers.

Kessler also serves as an excellent role model for students and demands respect among everyone in the classroom.

Narcie Crosby, a retired Aurora Public Schools teacher, earned the Champion After-school Hero award for her involvement as a board member with the Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA) since 2003.

Crosby's unwavering devotion to children serves as an inspiration. She also was recognized for her ability to increase DAVA's donor population, assist staff with work, meet deadlines for DAVA functions, and solicit assistance from outside entities to enable DAVA to take participants on field trips.

The City of Aurora, in partnership with Aurora Public Schools and other outside organizations, provides after-school programs through COMPASS (Community of Many Providing After School Success).

After-school programs keep young people safe, help working families, and inspire learning during the after-school hours when many parents remain at work and juvenile crime rates triple.

For more information, contact the City of Aurora's Office of Youth Development at 303-326-8607 or e-mail lgroettu@auroragov.org.