An out-of-school time program in New Jersey is showing underprivileged students that college can be part of their future. Aspire High arranges college visits for middle schoolers, pairing them with mentors at each university who talk to them about college life and how to build the important social and academic skills that will put them on the path to higher education. Many of the students would be the first in their families to attend college and may not see it as a realistic option. “What people don’t realize is that this one Saturday can change the lives of so many kids,” Aspire High president and co-founder Lillian Perez told The Signal..
Teens Beat Goal for Book Drive (Daily Item, Pennsylvania)
A group of teenagers far surpassed their goal of collecting 150 books during a book drive meant to fill a new multigenerational community center that will open later this year. The Regional Engagement Center’s Teen Leadership Club has been meeting for months to plan programs and activities for the new recreation center, which will include study spaces, an afterschool café and exercise classes for people of all ages. “I hope it’s a place where kids who have difficulties can come and break some bad habits,” 17-year-old Brandy Inch, a member of the club, told the Daily Item.
The Boys & Girls Club of Yellowstone County has expanded its outreach to homeless students, providing more struggling youth with academic assistance, a free dinner and a safe place to spend time after school. The club’s Power Hour homework help program gives students a chance to build academic self-confidence and complete their work, something they may not be able to do if they don’t have a structured home life. “They can be the example in class instead of feeling bad that they don’t have their homework done,” McKinley Elementary School principal Nikki Trahan told the Billings Gazette.
IWU Prof Starts The Brain Kitchen (Chronicle-Tribune, Indiana)
Students are developing healthy habits and academic discipline at The Brain Kitchen, a new afterschool program developed by Indiana Wesleyan University professor Amanda Drury, the Chronicle Tribune reports. Throughout the week, students receive homework help and cooking lessons and participate in guided exercise activities, with the aim of stimulating their brain development and learning important life skills in a fun, engaging environment.
Campers build confidence at Bricks 4 Kidz (The Bakersfield Californian, California) At a day camp in Bakersfield, children spend their days building all kinds of structures with LEGO® bricks, learning STEM concepts along the way. With a different theme to inspire them each week, campers at...
BY: Emily Hecker 06/20/18
Morristown’s New After-School Program Praised by Assemblywoman Jenne (North Country This Week, New York) The Green Rockets Rising afterschool program was recently visited by Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, who praised the impact the program has on students at Morristown Central School....
BY: Emily Hecker 06/13/18
Gwinnett Mom’s Programming Venture Gives Kids A Code for Fun (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia) After noticing the lack of STEM-related education programs in her children’s school, Nidhi Jain, a skilled programmer, decided to take matters into her own hands. Using a free...
BY: Emily Hecker 06/06/18
Forestview After-School STEM Clubs Highlight Need, Booming Popularity (Pine and Lakes Echo Journal, Minnesota) The afterschool programs at Forestview Middle School are overwhelmingly geared toward STEM. Many students are currently participating in the robotics club; others are learning to...
BY: Emily Hecker 05/09/18
How an After-School Program Helps Girls of Color See Themselves as Beautiful (Lansing State Journal, Michigan) After moving to Detroit, Sheri Crawley, a mother of two girls of color, noticed a glaring lack of role models for her daughters. She decided to take matters into her own hands by...
BY: Emily Hecker 05/02/18
Environmental Science Center Creates Future Conservationists (Westside Seattle, Washington) The nonprofit Environmental Science Center connects youth and other community members with nature. The center hopes that by introducing students to the environment through hands-on scientific...
BY: Luci Manning 03/21/18
Mobile Community Center Heads to Troubled Neighborhood; High Hopes for After-School Care (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas) The Las Vegas Trail Revitalization Project and Catholic Charities of Fort Worth will hopefully be opening a brick-and-mortar community center later this year; until then, an...
BY: Luci Manning 03/14/18
Community Schools a Way to Improve Education (Commercial Appeal, Tennessee) Knoxville businessman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd vouches for community schools – like the one he helped launch at Pond Gap Elementary School – as a way to help low-income students...
BY: Luci Manning 01/31/18
Contest Pitting Students Against JPL Engineers Draws a Vast Pool of Contenders (La Cañada Valley Sun, California) Students from around the world, including those in Los Angeles afterschool programs, faced off against teams of engineers from La Cañada’s Jet Propulsion...
BY: Luci Manning 12/13/17
These Girls Now Have Big Dreams — Thanks to these Mentoring Programs (The Miami Herald, Florida) Three unique afterschool programs in South Florida are inspiring girls to build their confidence and professional ambition. Honey Shine motivates girls to pursue higher education while...
BY: Luci Manning 11/15/17
Chicano Border Activists Pass the Torch to Dallas Students (Dallas Observer, Texas) “Everyone needs a hero, someone who looks like them,” said Shellie Ross, executive director of the Wesley-Rankin Community Center, after bringing a bus full of students from her afterschool program...
BY: Emily Hecker 06/27/18
Campers build confidence at Bricks 4 Kidz (The Bakersfield Californian, California) At a day camp in Bakersfield, children spend their days building all kinds of structures with LEGO® bricks, learning STEM concepts along the way. With a different theme to inspire them each week, campers at...
BY: Emily Hecker 06/20/18
Morristown’s New After-School Program Praised by Assemblywoman Jenne (North Country This Week, New York) The Green Rockets Rising afterschool program was recently visited by Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, who praised the impact the program has on students at Morristown Central School....
BY: Emily Hecker 06/13/18
Gwinnett Mom’s Programming Venture Gives Kids A Code for Fun (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia) After noticing the lack of STEM-related education programs in her children’s school, Nidhi Jain, a skilled programmer, decided to take matters into her own hands. Using a free...
BY: Emily Hecker 06/06/18
Event Connects After-School Programs with Colleges (Youth Today) Students from the Brooklyn afterschool program Stoked and other local programs attended a college fair to network with recruiters, meet with college admissions counselors and receive plenty of help in planning their academic...
BY: Emily Hecker 05/30/18
Express Yourself Milwaukee 'Moves It!' and Makes Magic (WUWM, Wisconsin) During the afterschool program Express Yourself Milwaukee, artist and coordinator Holly Haebig teaches students how to perform, dance and express themselves. Students in the program are currently preparing for their...
BY: Emily Hecker 05/23/18
After School Club Teaches Students Patience and Discipline (Tapinto.net, New Jersey) The Korean martial art of Kumdo has made its way to a Camden afterschool program. Kipp Lanning Square Middle School students learn a lot more than simple fighting tactics from their sparring sessions –...
BY: Emily Hecker 05/16/18
After-School Programs Empower Kids, but Need Exceeds Funding (Yakima Herald, Washington) Students in Washington State’s various out-of-school time programs have the chance to explore possible careers, develop positive relationships with adults and mentors and avoid getting into trouble in...
BY: Luci Manning 04/18/18
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...
BY: Luci Manning 04/12/18
Environmental Science Center Creates Future Conservationists (Westside Seattle, Washington) The nonprofit Environmental Science Center connects youth and other community members with nature. The center hopes that by introducing students to the environment through hands-on scientific...
BY: Luci Manning 03/21/18
Morristown’s New After-School Program Praised by Assemblywoman Jenne (North Country This Week, New York) The Green Rockets Rising afterschool program was recently visited by Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne, who praised the impact the program has on students at Morristown Central School....
BY: Emily Hecker 06/13/18
Express Yourself Milwaukee 'Moves It!' and Makes Magic (WUWM, Wisconsin) During the afterschool program Express Yourself Milwaukee, artist and coordinator Holly Haebig teaches students how to perform, dance and express themselves. Students in the program are currently preparing for their...
BY: Emily Hecker 05/23/18
After School Club Teaches Students Patience and Discipline (Tapinto.net, New Jersey) The Korean martial art of Kumdo has made its way to a Camden afterschool program. Kipp Lanning Square Middle School students learn a lot more than simple fighting tactics from their sparring sessions –...
BY: Emily Hecker 05/16/18
Forestview After-School STEM Clubs Highlight Need, Booming Popularity (Pine and Lakes Echo Journal, Minnesota) The afterschool programs at Forestview Middle School are overwhelmingly geared toward STEM. Many students are currently participating in the robotics club; others are learning to...
BY: Emily Hecker 05/09/18
As State’s First Lady Visits, After-School Programs Worry About Funding (KTVF, Alaska) Alaska First Lady Donna Walker, as part of her role as Honorary Chair of the Alaska Children’s Trust Board of Directors, toured Joy Elementary School in Fairbanks last week to learn more about the...
BY: Luci Manning 04/04/18
Mobile Community Center Heads to Troubled Neighborhood; High Hopes for After-School Care (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas) The Las Vegas Trail Revitalization Project and Catholic Charities of Fort Worth will hopefully be opening a brick-and-mortar community center later this year; until then, an...
BY: Luci Manning 03/14/18
For Camden Teens, ‘Black Panther’ Lives Up to the Hype (Courier Post, New Jersey) Some 100 students from Camden area schools and afterschool programs were treated to an advance screening of the new ‘Black Panther’ film thanks to Campbell Soup Company’s Black...
BY: Luci Manning 02/21/18
Henley Student Honored for After-School Program (Herald and News, Oregon) High school sophomore Nicole Cleland was recently honored with a $1,000 donation from U.S. Cellular to put towards the innovative afterschool program she developed for elementary school students. Cleland’s program...
BY: Luci Manning 02/14/18
New Team Sport Opens for Creston Youth (Creston News Advertiser, Iowa) Nearly 70 Creston students in fourth through 12th grade are learning focus, self-control, patience and discipline through archery after school. The Creston Archery team opened last year as part of the National Archery in...
BY: Luci Manning 01/24/18
Students Learn How to Create Meals with Sparse Resources (Tahlequah Daily Press, Oklahoma) A Hulbert High School senior is helping her peers learn to cook delicious, creative meals through Kayla’s Teen Cooking Club. Kayla Rooster runs the club through the Hulbert Community Library, working...
BY: Luci Manning 01/17/18
Campers build confidence at Bricks 4 Kidz (The Bakersfield Californian, California) At a day camp in Bakersfield, children spend their days building all kinds of structures with LEGO® bricks, learning STEM concepts along the way. With a different theme to inspire them each week, campers at...
BY: Emily Hecker 06/20/18
Gwinnett Mom’s Programming Venture Gives Kids A Code for Fun (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia) After noticing the lack of STEM-related education programs in her children’s school, Nidhi Jain, a skilled programmer, decided to take matters into her own hands. Using a free...
BY: Emily Hecker 06/06/18
How an After-School Program Helps Girls of Color See Themselves as Beautiful (Lansing State Journal, Michigan) After moving to Detroit, Sheri Crawley, a mother of two girls of color, noticed a glaring lack of role models for her daughters. She decided to take matters into her own hands by...
BY: Emily Hecker 05/02/18
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...
BY: Luci Manning 04/12/18
For Camden Teens, ‘Black Panther’ Lives Up to the Hype (Courier Post, New Jersey) Some 100 students from Camden area schools and afterschool programs were treated to an advance screening of the new ‘Black Panther’ film thanks to Campbell Soup Company’s Black...
BY: Luci Manning 02/21/18
Henley Student Honored for After-School Program (Herald and News, Oregon) High school sophomore Nicole Cleland was recently honored with a $1,000 donation from U.S. Cellular to put towards the innovative afterschool program she developed for elementary school students. Cleland’s program...
BY: Luci Manning 02/14/18
Students Learn How to Create Meals with Sparse Resources (Tahlequah Daily Press, Oklahoma) A Hulbert High School senior is helping her peers learn to cook delicious, creative meals through Kayla’s Teen Cooking Club. Kayla Rooster runs the club through the Hulbert Community Library, working...
BY: Luci Manning 01/17/18
Neighborhood Center Is a Hit with Residents (Chico Enterprise-Record, California) Anaheim’s new community center at Ponderosa Park is attracting locals of all ages to its afterschool programs, nutrition classes and educational workshops. The newly refurbished center opened last month and...
BY: Luci Manning 01/03/18
Tennis Program Helps Students to AIM High (Gainesville Sun, Florida) “Katie Munroe credits her involvement with the Aces in Motion education program with motivating her to realize her dreams of going to college,” according to the Gainesville Sun. The AIM afterschool program...
BY: Luci Manning 08/16/17
With Help of a BMX Pro, at-Risk Youth Pedal Their Way to a Better Future (Fresno Bee, California) A biking afterschool program at Sequoia Middle School is steering students away from dangerous decisions and toward a fun, positive learning environment. BMX Jam, started by former BMX racing...
BY: Luci Manning 08/09/17
If You Think This Camp’s Unusual, You’re Dead Right (Riverdale Press, New York) A cemetery may not seem like an obvious location to host a summer camp, but for some 20 students from the Bronx, it has been the perfect place to spend time outside while learning about the history of...
BY: Luci Manning 08/02/17
After-School Unicycle Program Gains Traction across Texas Schools (Daily Texan, Texas) Austin schoolteacher Jimmy Agnew is teaching students self-confidence and team-building skills through a unique activity – unicycling. Agnew’s nonprofit, One Wheel Many Children, grew out the...
BY: Luci Manning 07/26/17
After-School Funding Is a Smart Public Investment (Springfield News-Leader, Missouri) Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams argues for 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding in a Springfield News-Leader op-ed: “Over the long run, these programs can improve social-emotional skill...
BY: Luci Manning 05/24/17
Teenage Girls Who Code Get Encouragement from U.S. Bank (Marketplace) U.S. Bank offered its support to six teams of girls participating in a coding challenge called Technovation, encouraging them to develop apps that would help people manage their finances. The teams, several of which were made...
BY: Luci Manning 05/10/17
Sew Bain Club Sends Handmade Clothing to Nicaragua (Cranston Herald, Rhode Island) Nearly a dozen girls have been spending their afterschool time learning to design clothes and use a sewing machine for a good cause. The girls in the Sew Bain afterschool club, part of Afterschool Ambassador Ayana...
BY: Luci Manning 04/19/17
Chefs of the Future Contest Has Kids Cookin’ Good (Daily News, New York) Thirteen youths competed this weekend to see who could come up with the healthiest, most interesting recipe in the Recipe Rescue competition, part of an afterschool program run by the Department of Youth and Community...
BY: Luci Manning 03/08/17
Aspire High Teaches Eager Middle Schoolers about College Life (The Signal: College of New Jersey, New Jersey) An out-of-school time program in New Jersey is showing underprivileged students that college can be part of their future. Aspire High arranges college visits for middle schoolers,...
BY: Luci Manning 02/15/17
After School Program in Roanoke Gives Students Interest in Manufacturing (WDBJ, Virginia) Breckenridge middle schoolers are learning skills that could one day lead to well-paying manufacturing jobs at Roanoke’s Maker Mart afterschool program. Students in the program work with drills and...
BY: Luci Manning 02/08/17
Students Empower Children’s Futures (Reflector: Mississippi State University, Mississippi) Mississippi State University students are acting as homework helpers and positive role models to low-income students in Starkville through the Brickfire Mentoring Program. The Brickfire Project helps...
BY: Luci Manning 02/01/17
Congressional Delays Leave Programs Hanging (News & Observer, North Carolina) Writing in the News & Observer, Afterschool Ambassador Betsey McFarland explains the uncertainty that comes with congressional budget delays: “The delay in adopting a full-year federal budget means that...
BY: Luci Manning 01/11/17
Contest Pitting Students Against JPL Engineers Draws a Vast Pool of Contenders (La Cañada Valley Sun, California) Students from around the world, including those in Los Angeles afterschool programs, faced off against teams of engineers from La Cañada’s Jet Propulsion...
BY: Luci Manning 12/13/17
Council Bluffs Schools to Expand Grant-Funded Before-, After-School Clubs After Seeing Benefits (Daily Nonpareil, Iowa) A study by the Iowa Department of Education showed that participation in afterschool programs leads to increased attendance, better behavior and improved academic performance...
BY: Luci Manning 05/03/17
After School Program in Roanoke Gives Students Interest in Manufacturing (WDBJ, Virginia) Breckenridge middle schoolers are learning skills that could one day lead to well-paying manufacturing jobs at Roanoke’s Maker Mart afterschool program. Students in the program work with drills and...
BY: Luci Manning 02/08/17
Students Empower Children’s Futures (Reflector: Mississippi State University, Mississippi) Mississippi State University students are acting as homework helpers and positive role models to low-income students in Starkville through the Brickfire Mentoring Program. The Brickfire Project helps...
BY: Luci Manning 02/01/17
‘Hidden Figures’ Stars Encourage Girls to Pursue STEM Careers During LA Screening (EdSource) Approximately 10,000 middle and high school girls from the Los Angeles area had a chance to attend a special screening of the new film ‘Hidden Figures’ and hear from some of the...
BY: Luci Manning 01/18/17
Students Build Toys for Kids in Need (Chicago Daily Herald, Illinois) Some 20 students in Lake Zurich Middle School South’s afterschool woodworking program used their new skills to brighten the holidays for children who have been victims of domestic violence. Over the course of four...
BY: Luci Manning 12/21/16
Bellringer Aids Safe Passage (Ventura County Star, California) The Thousand Oaks police department and other Conejo Valley agencies are giving 124 youngsters an alternative to joining a gang and getting into trouble after school through Project Safe Passage. The afterschool program operates near...
BY: Luci Manning 12/14/16
Establishing a Culture of Peace (Indianapolis Star, Indiana) Students in the Martin Luther King Center afterschool program now have a safe space to relax, take a few deep breaths and escape the drama of their daily lives. The community center decided to create the new Peace Room to give students a...
BY: Luci Manning 12/07/16
Nutrition Fair Provides Dose of Education for All Kinds of Students (Centre Daily Times, Pennsylvania) A partnership between Penn State University and the State College Area School District recently gave university students an opportunity to teach “nutrition at a community level” to...
BY: Luci Manning 12/01/16
Students Partner with Elementary School, Teach Science (Stanford Daily, California) Twice a week, elementary schoolers at East Palo Alto Charter School receive special science lessons from Stanford University students as part of the Science Bus afterschool program. The lesson plan is entirely...
BY: Luci Manning 11/23/16
Campers build confidence at Bricks 4 Kidz (The Bakersfield Californian, California) At a day camp in Bakersfield, children spend their days building all kinds of structures with LEGO® bricks, learning STEM concepts along the way. With a different theme to inspire them each week, campers at...
BY: Emily Hecker 06/20/18
Making Good Choices: Teen Center Fosters ‘Healthy Lifestyle Skills’ (Lake County Suburban Life, Illinois) The Warren Township Teen Center offers teens a safe space to explore different activities, work on homework, receive guidance from adult staff members and socialize with their...
BY: Luci Manning 08/30/17
With Help of a BMX Pro, at-Risk Youth Pedal Their Way to a Better Future (Fresno Bee, California) A biking afterschool program at Sequoia Middle School is steering students away from dangerous decisions and toward a fun, positive learning environment. BMX Jam, started by former BMX racing...
BY: Luci Manning 08/09/17
If You Think This Camp’s Unusual, You’re Dead Right (Riverdale Press, New York) A cemetery may not seem like an obvious location to host a summer camp, but for some 20 students from the Bronx, it has been the perfect place to spend time outside while learning about the history of...
BY: Luci Manning 08/02/17
After-School Unicycle Program Gains Traction across Texas Schools (Daily Texan, Texas) Austin schoolteacher Jimmy Agnew is teaching students self-confidence and team-building skills through a unique activity – unicycling. Agnew’s nonprofit, One Wheel Many Children, grew out the...
BY: Luci Manning 07/26/17
Don’t Miss Out on Many Portland Learning Programs That Combat ‘Summer Slide’ (Press Herald, Maine) “Summer is an opportunity for students to enjoy long, lazy days of fun, relaxation and new experiences. But if learning isn’t a part of those experiences, students are...
BY: Luci Manning 07/19/17
A Life-Changing Summer for Every Boston Kid (Boston Globe, Massachusetts) The Boston Globe editorial board praised Boston’s investments in citywide summer learning programs last week: “The program is a valuable investment in Boston kids that deserves a broader base of support so that...
BY: Luci Manning 07/12/17
Young Inventors: Students Learn STEM Skills in Summer School Class (Logansport Pharos-Tribune, Indiana) Sixty-five students from Lewis Cass and other area high schools are dismantling VCRs, building catapults and learning about how to grow vegetation on other planets as part of a STEM-focused...
BY: Luci Manning 07/06/17
Schools Let Students Take Laptops Home to Stop the 'Summer Slide' (NPR) Topeka Public Schools has joined many other school districts in the country by allowing children to take home school-issued computers over summer break, with the hope that access to the devices will reduce...
BY: Luci Manning 06/28/17
Science Camp Has All the Elements for Fun, Learning (Bonner County Daily Bee, Idaho) Thirteen students spent a week this summer learning about nature’s scientific processes through the All About Elements Outdoor Science Camp. The camp is run by Pullman Parks and Recreation research...
BY: Luci Manning 08/31/16