Weekly Media Roundup: July 30, 2025

Millions in State Funding Created Year-Round Access, Opportunities for Fresno Students, EdSource (California)

Since the passage of California’s Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) in 2021, thousands of additional students in the Fresno Unified school district have participated in before school programs, afterschool programs and full-day summer and winter camps. Students are exploring aviation, scuba diving, computer gaming and many other enriching activities while their parents are at work. “We have really focused all of our time, energy and financial resources to ensure that we provide access to programming all year round,” Connie Cha, Fresno Unified’s expanded learning program director, told EdSource. “The more time students are given to be on (their) campus, the more they connect with the school and the more that they’re able to build stronger and healthier relationships.”

Fort Smith Boys & Girls Club Opening Teen Center With Free Meals and Transportation, 5 News (Arkansas)

This fall, the Fort Smith Boys & Girls Club Teen Center will serve more than 100 teens in Fort Smith, Arkansas, providing healthy meals, mentorship, support with college applications, career exploration, and more.  Funded by a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, the new center will provide free transportation from the community’s middle and high schools. “It helps because we're not just sitting at home, just staring out the window, or just getting into any mischief,” Christian Dooley, a 16-year-old in the Club’s summer learning program, told 5 News. “Here, where we can get structure, get discipline.”

40 NYC Schools Will Get 5,000 New After-School Seats This Fall. Here’s the List., Chalkbeat

With a new $331 million investment, New York City plans to expand afterschool access by 15,000 spots over the next two years. That plan starts with 5,000 new afterschool seats at 40 schools across the city this school year, which will be free to families and offer activities including robotics, arts and sports. Mayor Eric Adams has pledged to continue this expansion amidst threats to federal funding for afterschool programs. “It’s critical, not only for the children, but also parents,” Adams told Chalkbeat. “Whatever plays out on the landscape of the federal government, we’re going to be fiscally smart and look at these important programs. They will move forward.”

How Federal Funding Uncertainty Is Impacting One After School Program in Arlington, WAMU (Virginia)

When students from Aspire Afterschool Learning program in Arlington, Virginia, heard their afterschool funding was in jeopardy, they jumped in to help, holding a lemonade stand at a popular farmer’s market, selling lemonade, cake pops, crafts and vegetables grown in the program’s garden. “We also really try to teach our students to have strong and good character, to care about themselves, to care about each other and their communities. And so this idea was really born from their idea. It’s a way to empower them,” Paula Fynboh, CEO of Aspire Afterschool Learning, told WAMU. Aspire is the only free afterschool and full-day summer program serving families in Arlington County and was affected by the recent withholding of approved AmeriCorps and 21^st Century Community Learning Center funding.