Weekly Media Roundup: April 9, 2025

P.S. 125 Community Continues to Petition for Funding, Months After Losing Free After-School Program, Columbia Spectator (New York)

After losing funding for its afterschool program, Ralph Bunche Elementary School in New York City implemented a sliding scale program that is dependent on state funded child care vouchers to provide afterschool programming at the Title I school. Unfortunately, the voucher program is also in jeopardy of being cut due to state budget shortfalls. “If you don’t have a family population that is diverse socioeconomically enough to have full pay, partial pay, no pay, then even a fee-for-service model doesn’t work because you don’t have those resources,” Tamara Tucker, a parent of two children attending Ralph Bunche School, told the Columbia Spector. Parents and school officials continue to petition the school board and other elected officials for support of the afterschool program.

Student United Way Awards $25,000 to Support Local Youths, Bellefontaine Examiner (Ohio)

Student United Way, a high school club in Bellefontaine, Ohio, recently awarded $25,000 in grants to programs supporting students’ mental and physical well-being, including a meals program at Bellefontaine High School’s afterschool program and two summer learning programs. The club is part of the United Way of Logan County and empowers high school students to assess their community’s needs, review grant applications and award funding to local programs. “It was amazing to be in the background and make a difference — to see the individuals in our community who put in the work every day to improve the lives of so many,” Calvary Christian High School senior Nora Thornton told the Bellefontaine Examiner.

'Afterschool Deserts': Addressing the Shortage of Programs in Northern Michigan, WPBN-TV (MI)

A recent Michigan State University study named Traverse City, along with many other communities in Northern Michigan, as an “afterschool desert,” meaning demand for afterschool far outstrips the supply of available programs. Local education leaders note that lack of access to afterschool is undermining student success, and that more community support is needed to create more programs, including funding, staffing and transportation. “I've recently talked to a few programs in Traverse City to get to understand the lay of the land in the area and then figure out how we can better support them and possibly grow more programs there,” Meg Blinkiewicz, the director of network engagement for the Michigan Afterschool Partnership (MASP), told WPBN-TV. “MASP is working diligently with the state legislators and the governor to increase public funding for afterschool and summer programs.”

Rep. Castro in Attendance as Leaven Kids Unveils New Learning Center, The San Antonio Observer (Texas)

Children living at the Westway Apartment Complex in San Antonio now have access to a comprehensive afterschool program facilitated by Leaven Kids, featuring robotics, a hydroponics garden, 3-D printing, and more. U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro joined the ribbon cutting for the new facility last week. “This facility will serve as a hub for students to access transformative after-school programming, laying the groundwork for future academic success. We believe strongly that every child, regardless of where they live, deserves access to a quality education, and this new center will serve as the cornerstone for this mission,” General Maryanne Miller, Leaven Kids Board of Directors Vice President, told the San Antonio Observer.