Weekly Media Roundup: July 22, 2026

A Wisconsin School District Made Summer School Fun. Now 2,600 Kids Show Up, Wisconsin Watch (Wisconsin)

More than 2,600 children, about two-thirds of the Pulaski Community School District's student population, are participating in the district’s free summer school program in Pulaski, Wisconsin. Students are learning to knit, swim, cook, fish, conduct science experiments, and much more. The free program also provides families with affordable childcare, transportation, and meals while helping students build positive connections with each other and the teachers. “You just get to know [the students] in such a different way because there’s not this academic pressure like at school, so you can just build these relationships,” Tessa Badtke, a special education teacher working at the summer program, told Wisconsin Watch.

Federal Cuts Threaten a Houston Soccer Club for At-Risk Youth. One State Leader Hopes to Save It, Texas Tribune (Texas)

ReVision FC, a free soccer-based afterschool program in Houston, Texas, provides immigrant and refugee youth with free sports, mentorship and a safe community. Despite its proven success in building confidence and preventing juvenile crime over the past 20 years, reVision FC faces major funding cuts, including reductions in federal grants, that have decreased the nonprofit’s funding by 50%. “Kids can get really isolated, especially kids who are a little different from their peers in school and other things. They can lack community and really feel like they’re by themselves,” Charles Rotramel, soccer coach and CEO of Houston reVision, told the Texas Tribune. “This is where they can fall prey to gangs that offer them a sense of belonging.”

One Year After Federal Funds Withheld, Nebraska After-School Providers Share Importance of Programs, Nebraska Public Media (Nebraska)

Last summer, when the Trump administration withheld 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC) grants, afterschool programs across Nebraska and across the country worried they wouldn’t be able to keep their doors open. “We knew that [without 21CCLC funds] there were thousands of kids that wouldn't be able to attend an after-school program come August when school started,” Nicole Everingham, development director at Omaha afterschool provider Collective for Youth and an Afterschool Ambassador with the Afterschool Alliance, told Nebraska Public Media. “We were really worried about the safety of those kids and what working families would do in order to provide a safe place for kids to go when the school bell ended.” While the administration eventually released the funds, the initiative’s future remains uncertain. Everingham and other afterschool leaders stress the need to increase funding to reach more students who are currently missing out.

Kingman Boys & Girls Club Helps Group of Students Get Ready for School Year, The Kingman Daily Miner (Arizona)

Last weekend, the Kingman Boys & Girls Club in Kingman, Arizona hosted its annual back-to-school shopping event with support from Walmart, Dutch Bros, T-Mobile Foundation, and UniSource Energy Services. Fifteen students from the Club’s afterschool and summer programs received $250 each to shop alongside community volunteers for essentials such as school supplies, clothing, and shoes. “This shopping trip ensures that our members start the school year with new apparel they feel confident in and eases the back-to-school cost for our families,” Liz Byrne, Vice President of Regional Impact for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley, told the Kingman Daily Miner.