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Weekly Media Roundup: February 15, 2023

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Weekly Media Roundup: February 15, 2023

US Education Chief Visits Jackson Touting ARPA-Funded Out-of-School Programs, WAPT-TV (Mississippi)

This week, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited the afterschool program at Casey Elementary School in Jackson, Mississippi to highlight how federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act have supported out-of-school time programs as they help students recover both academically and emotionally from the pandemic. “We want to highlight the fact that when these dollars were made, (they were intended) to rescue what students lost during the pandemic,” Cardona told WAPT-TV. “There are some examples that really shine brighter than others, and this is one of them.”  Secretary Cardona also met with out-of-school time leaders from Bean Path, the Children’s Museum and the Mississippi Afterschool Network.

Atlanta Awards $1M in Youth Development Grants, 11 Alive (Georgia)

In January, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens introduced the “Year of the Youth” initiative, a project to expand resources and programs for Atlanta’s youth and to reduce gun violence. In February, the initiative awarded $1 million in grants to 19 youth development and afterschool programs. “Just weeks into our Year of the Youth, we are making direct investments into the local non-profit organizations who know their communities personally,” Mayor Dickens told 11 Alive. “Atlanta is a group project, and these community partners will help us ensure all of Atlanta’s youth have the cradle-to-career support they deserve.”

12 Black Leaders to Know: Ray Funnye, The Post and Courier (South Carolina)

When civil engineer and Georgetown, South Carolina County Director of Public Services Ray Funnye noticed youth in his community didn’t have many recreation options after school, he and his wife began hosting baseball games outside their home. That effort led them to form the Village Group nonprofit to provide comprehensive afterschool and summer learning opportunities, including science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), sports, academics, career exploration and more. “It’s about career readiness,” Funnye, an Afterschool Alliance Afterschool Ambassador, told the Post and Courier. “That’s the whole idea.” Funnye was named one of “12 Black Leaders to Know” by the Post and Courier in recognition of his work with the county and with Georgetown’s youth.

Art Tatum Zone Seeing Major Success With Afterschool Program, Has Even Bigger Plans, WTOL (Ohio)

At the Art Tatum Zone afterschool program in Toledo, Ohio, students receive academic support and participate in activities focused on social and emotional learning. The program, named after Toledo’s legendary jazz musician Art Tatum, also includes art, theater and music enrichment. "We understand that education opens so many doors and provides so many choices. What we also understood is that it's more than just reading, writing and mathematics, we wanted to create a love for learning in all of our students," Executive Director Christine Sweeney told WTOL. In addition to afterschool programming, Art Tatum Zone provides educational opportunities for adults and organizes neighborhood revitalization projects.

Weekly Media Roundup: February 26, 2025

Discover How the Leaps After School Program is Transforming Lives at Harrison Elementary, News Channel 9 (Tennessee) At Harrison Elementary’s Leaps After School Program in Chattanooga, Tennessee, students are publishing a newspaper focusing on Black historical figures to be displayed...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/26/25

Weekly Media Roundup: February 19, 2025

Durham Teens Fight for After-School Program Funding Amid Youth Gun Violence: 'My Safe Space,' ABC 11 (North Carolina) In Durham, North Carolina, teenagers rallied together to urge Durham City Council members to increase funding for afterschool programs, sharing how critical these...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/19/25

Weekly Media Roundup: February 12, 2025

'He Invests His Own Money': After School Program Started by Pasco School Employee Still Going Strong, WFTS-TV (Florida) In the 1980s, Eugene Scott founded an afterschool program called This Is How We Do It to provide food, music, dance, mentorship and more to students in his Pasco County...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/12/25

Weekly Media Roundup: February 5, 2025

Claysburg-Kimmel Touts New Programs for Students, Altoona Mirror (Pennsylvania) Students at the Bulldog After-School Club in Claysburg, Pennsylvania are participating in new educational activities with a Beam mobile projector that transforms the center into an interactive visual playground. The...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/05/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 29, 2025

Afterschool Program Introduces West Columbia Students to Technology, The Facts (Texas) Students at West Columbia Elementary in Texas are taking part in hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities in the new Robocatters afterschool program, which already has a long...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/29/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 22, 2025

Another Year, Another Long Waitlist for BUSD After-School Program, Berkeleyside (California) Due to ongoing staffing shortages, more than 200 students are currently waitlisted for afterschool programs at Berkeley Unified School District. Parents in the district’s PTA Collaborative on...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/22/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 15, 2025

New 4-H Program Will Bring STEAM to Area Students, KNEB (Nebraska) Students in rural Expanding Learning Opportunity programs in Nebraska are exploring aerospace, electronics, engineering, robotics and more thanks to a partnership with 4-H. The Think Make Create Lab is a six-by-12 mobile trailer...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/15/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 8, 2025

Parks and Recreation Secures Grant to Bring Physical Activity Education to Youth in Afterschool Program, WBIW (Indiana) More than 50 students in the Banneker Afterschool program in Bloomington, Indiana are taking part in fun physical activities this year led by Indiana University School of...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/08/25

Weekly Media Roundup: December 18, 2024

Mason City YMCA Teaching Social and Emotional Skills to Kids, News-Press Now (Iowa) Students in the Mason City YMCA afterschool program in Iowa practice communication, emotional regulation, empathy and more in twice-weekly social and emotional learning sessions, learning, for instance, to take...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      12/18/24

Weekly Media Roundup: December 11, 2024

Usher Helps Cut Ribbon On New Content Studio at Metro Boys and Girls, WSB-TV (Georgia) This week, superstar Usher visited the Whitehead Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta, Georgia, to unveil a new content studio he donated featuring soundboards, mics, computers and other audio equipment. The...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      12/11/24