Weekly Media Roundup: August 28, 2024

Anonymous Donor Saves Troy After-School Program, News 10 (New York)

For 45 years, the Ark has provided a safe, enriching afterschool program for students in Troy, New York. But when the program lost a grant that covered 90 percent of its budget, Executive Director Penny Holmes worried it would need to close its doors – until an anonymous donor stepped up to fund the program for the 2024-2025 school year. “I got a call, I would say just a little over two weeks ago, and I thought it was a scam,” Holmes who attended the program herself as a child, told News 10. They said “our family can help and we wanna do this, and the rest is history.” Holmes is exploring long-term funding options to ensure the program can continue to serve students and their families.

The Effort to Address After-School Fights and Provide Support to Students in Buffalo, WKBW (New York)

In response to recent violence after school, multiple organizations in Buffalo, New York are offering afterschool programs specifically for teenagers that focus on teamwork, respect, and anger management. “I learned how to control my anger way better than I used to. I learned how to take accountability for the things that I do,” Deonne Wedlington, a student participating in the Neal Dobbins Restorative Inner City Basketball League, told WKBW. The Buffalo Police Athletic League also incorporates sports, as well as mentorship opportunities, in its teen afterschool program.

Wade Center Begins After-School Programs, WVNS (West Virginia)

At the Wade Center’s afterschool program in Bluefield, West Virginia, students ages six through 12 participate in a variety of educational activities and work with tutors to help further their education. “Usually, what we do is we start off with a clean slate. Then, when they first get their evaluations and their report cards, we monitor those and then we go through and see what each child needs as far as extra work,” Betty Brainerd, executive director of the Wade Center, told WVNS. Last year, 92 percent of participants received honor roll recognition at their schools.

At Youth Sports Day, a 'Secret Sauce' Hopes to Connect Families to After-School Nonprofits, WUSA 9 (District of Columbia)

On Saturday, 37 nonprofits came together for the second annual “Youth Sports Day” held by Fight for Children in Washington, DC. The event included free backpacks, health exams, haircuts and school supplies, as well as opportunities for students to connect with afterschool programs for the upcoming school year. “Connecting kids to a sense of belonging that they might not otherwise have either in school or in the community, but they get it in these organizations," James Kallusky, president of Fight for Children, told WUSA 9. “We know that kids [who] are involved in these types of nonprofit organizations are twice as likely to graduate than their peers.”