Weekly Media Roundup: July 31, 2019

A Summer of Career Exploration in the Gate City, New Hampshire Union Leader (New Hampshire) 

Woodworking, cosmetology and culinary arts are among the career paths middle school students are exploring this summer at the Power Scholars Academy in Nashua, New Hampshire. The program is a collaboration between the YMCA of Greater Nashua and Building Educated Leaders for Life, and it aims to prevent summer learning loss and destigmatize technical occupations. More than 400 students participated in projects such as building wooden toolboxes, dyeing mannequins’ hair and making ice cream. “Many of these students have not had an opportunity to shine in this way in a typical classroom,” guidance counselor Joe Miller told the New Hampshire Union Leader. “This camp gives them a chance to showcase what they can do outside of the classroom. At the end of the day, they are so proud of themselves.”  

How this Durham Summer Camp is Helping Refugee Children, One Talking Stick at a Time, The Herald Sun (North Carolina) 

The World Relief Durham summer learning program in North Carolina serves nearly 150 students, all of whom are refugees, with tutoring in English and math, halal meals, games and more. The five-week, tuition-free program uses structured discussions featuring a ‘talking stick’ to help children develop their English skills, process traumatic experiences and build relationships with each other and staff, some of whom are refugees themselves. “It’s not just like school, but we do want to re-frame (and reduce) summer learning loss,” Coordinator Rob Callus told the Herald Sun. “You do see them shaping into leaders.”  

Thrive360 Summer Program Uses Fitness, Character Development to Help Youths, Longview News-Journal (Texas) 

Each day at the Thrive360 summer learning program in Longview, Texas, approximately 50 middle school students play sports, learn about fitness fundamentals, and engage in a discussion about life skills. The faith-based program provides breakfast and lunch and will continue as an afterschool program in the fall. A key focus is helping students develop a positive self-concept through relationships with volunteers.  “We’re trying to impress upon the kids that every decision matters in some way,” Jonathan Jehorek, founding director, told the Longview News-Journal. “It matters for good or for not good; it either takes you toward your aim or not toward your aim. Everything has a consequence, no matter how small it is.” 

How Daily Meditation Helps Kids from Some of the Toughest Fort Myers Neighborhoods, Fort Myers News-Press (Florida) 

At the beginning of each session in the Quality Life Center afterschool and summer program in Fort Myers, Florida, students spend around five minutes sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed, breathing deeply and slowly, and repeating positive affirmations. The program, which serves more than 300 children, has incorporated daily meditation for the past 15 years to help students cope with trauma and build resilience. “It helps me when I have a bad day. Sometimes like people hit me and I’m tempted to hit them back, like my brother or my cousin... If people make fun of me, I get angry or I get sad sometimes,” nine-year-old Reanna Ducasse told the Fort Myers News-Press. During meditation “the feelings, they kind of fade away, like I don’t really feel them anymore. I feel calm, and a little bit happy.”