Weekly Media Roundup: January 22, 2020

“A Day On, Not a Day Off” for Boys and Girls Club of Harrisburg, Fox 43 (Pennsylvania)

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, sixth- through 11th-grade students in the Boys and Girls Club of Harrisburg afterschool program in Pennsylvania spent their day off from school participating in service projects. Students helped cook and serve about 100 hot meals to people in need of food assistance at the Harrisburg City Government Center. The day of service included a visit from Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “It's better to help than just lie around and do nothing,” ninth-grader Nyara Jones-Lowden told Fox 43.

It’s 3 P.M.—Do You Know Where Your Teen Is? West Jordan Middle Offers 23 After-School Activities To Keep Kids Out Of Trouble, West Jordan Journal (Utah)

Each day after the final bell rings at West Jordan Middle School in Utah, students can discover new interests through hands-on activities such as robotics, yoga, sign language, stop motion film, soccer, music production, coding and more – all for free. The school’s afterschool program is staffed entirely by teachers, who work to build relationships with students while keeping them safe and engaged during the after-school hours. “It makes me feel pretty good that I could trust these teachers,” ninth-grader Nefthaly Loya told the West Jordan Journal. Program coordinator Ryan Frandsen was recently named Utah Afterschool Network’s Site Coordinator of the Year.

Santa Rosa ISD Event to Feature NASA Scientists, Valley Morning Star (Texas)

Last week, the Santa Rosa High School afterschool program in Texas hosted a NASA Space Day event to inspire students to explore careers paths in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The event featured a NASA scientist and a Rice University professor who presented about their work and judged a science competition. Students and their families also participated in hands-on activities including rocket-building and comet-crafting. “We are very excited about having NASA scientists and other science professionals visit our school and work with our students and families at SRISD,” Afterschool Centers on Education Project Director Alberto Trevino told the Valley Morning Star.

KCK After-School Program Pairs Kids and Seniors Together to Improve Math, Reading Skills Fox 4 KC (Kansas)

Children in the KC Urban C afterschool program in Kansas City, Kansas benefit from the wisdom, experience, kindness and mentorship of volunteer tutors who are senior citizens. The free program pairs kindergarten through fifth-grade students with senior citizens to work on math, reading, and other homework. The students also participate in pottery, theater and art classes. “Partnering with the senior citizens works because when [the kids] come here, they know they are loved,” Executive Director Maria Sanchez-Chastain told Fox 4 KC.  “They know they can be themselves. They know there is always a helping hand out there.”