Weekly Media Roundup – April 11, 2018

Volunteers Keep Kids Fed (Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Oklahoma)

Afterschool programs and nonprofits in Bartlesville are stepping up to make sure students are cared for during the Oklahoma teacher walkout. The Salvation Army extended its Red Shield Club afterschool program hours to cover the entire day until the strike ends, and volunteers have been serving lunch and breakfast to dozens of students since the schools closed. “The Salvation Army is here for the community, so we like to be a partner and help in any way we can,” volunteer coordinator Veronica Ramirez told the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise.

DC Public Schools Afterschool Supper Program Fills Hunger Gap (WJLA, District of Columbia)

A recent report from the Food Research and Action Center illustrated that afterschool programs are responsible for feeding nearly 1.1 million children afterschool meals. “We know that the hours between 3 and 6 are when kids are at most risk for committing juvenile crime, being victimized by juvenile crime or doing unsafe activities and so putting kids in safe supervised enrichment programs is actually a huge benefit for kids,” FRAC director of school and out-of-school time programs Crystal Fitzsimmons told WJLA. “So the students are not only getting meals, they’re getting afterschool instruction and engagement and it’s a great way for the students to continue the learning throughout the day for them.”

Local Leaders Using Kickboxing to Help Improve Confidence in Teens (Valley News Live, North Dakota)

A group of Fargo teens are building physical and mental strength through an afterschool kickboxing program. The Boys & Girls Club of the Red River Valley, run by Afterschool Ambassador Robin Nelson, and the Fargo police teamed up with local gyms to put on the “It’s Time” program, which teaches boxing techniques and encourages students to adopt a healthy lifestyle. “I’m feeling good because I achieved something I wanted to do and it’s actually the first time I’m trying boxing,” thirteen-year-old Nevaeh Stevens told Valley News Live.

Dorchester STEAM Students Spend a Day in Annapolis (Dorchester Star, Maryland)

Fifteen students from the Dorchester County Public Schools STEAM afterschool program had a chance to visit the Maryland General Assembly, tour the State House and sit in on a session in the Gallery last month. The students were winners of an essay contest in which they wrote about what they would do as a Maryland delegate to advocate for afterschool programs. “It was a pleasure and delight to be able to provide this unique opportunity for our students,” 21st Century Community Learning Center Program Manager and Afterschool Ambassador Terrell Sample told the Dorchester Star. “It has been, and continues to be, my mission to ‘aspire to inspire.’ Certainly, this came to fruition as each STEAMer participated with self-governance, passion, strong communication, and confidence.”