Weekly Media Roundup, July 8, 2026

Omaha Students Get Moment to Shine at World Cup Game in Kansas City, Omaha World Herald (Nebraska)

Six elementary students from the Completely KIDS Jackson afterschool program in Omaha, Nebraska, recently traveled to Kansas City to escort players onto the field ahead of the Netherlands vs. Tunisia World Cup game. The students were selected for the Quaker Oats Player Escort Program thanks to their involvement with Football for the World, a nonprofit partnering with Completely KIDS Jackson to offer a soccer league for at-risk students. “Seeing [our students] do something as big as being at the World Cup, being a player escort for something as big as FIFA, that was insane,” Cristina Salazar, program coordinator for Completely KIDS Jackson, told the Omaha World Herald. "It was a way to showcase our students here at Jackson [Elementary], but also the students for Completely KIDS and for Football for the World. I think our kiddos are so talented, and they're going to be doing amazing things."

Indiana Afterschool Network Awards $3m to Expand Youth Literacy Programs, InkFreeNews (Indiana)

One hundred sixty out-of-school time programs across Indiana will boost their literacy offerings thanks to more than $3 million in grants from the Indiana Afterschool Network (IAN), funded with support from Lilly Endowment, Inc. The new IAN Literacy Playbook initiative will support afterschool programs with coaching in the latest evidence-based literacy strategies, no-cost literacy credentialing for program staff, and funding to help programs incorporate reading instruction across activities, including athletics. “I’ve been in this field since I was a teenager, and I know firsthand the difference out-of-school time providers make in the lives of kids,” IAN Associate Director of Quality Development Clifton Snorten told InkFreeNews. “I help make their impact even greater through incorporating proven literacy practices into their programs.’”

South Florida Foundation Empowering Thousands of Young Girls Through Education, Mentorship, Community Support, CBS News Miami (Florida)

The Embrace Girls Foundation has spent 25 years supporting more than 10,000 girls across South Florida through year-round academic support, mentorship and leadership programs. Founder and CEO Velma Lawrence created the organization to give young girls opportunities she did not have growing up, emphasizing the importance of education, cultural experiences, and community support. Through afterschool and summer enrichment programs and pop-up camps, the foundation also focuses on building confidence and self-esteem. “If [students] don’t have self-confidence, they’re not going to raise their hand in class, they’re not going to stand up for themselves, they’re not going to advocate for a friend,” Lawrence told CBS News Miami.

Sloane Stephens Brings Youth Tennis and Education Program Back to Her Fresno Roots, The Business Journal (California)

Last month, Grand Slam tennis champion Sloane Stephens hosted her foundation’s 2026 Summer School Program in her childhood hometown of Fresno, California, providing students with tennis fundamentals and important life skills. “Tennis has given me so much more than a career,” Stephens told the Business Journal. “It has taught me resilience, discipline, confidence, and how to navigate challenges both on and off the court.” In addition to tennis instruction, the four-week summer program offered reading labs, financial literacy courses and wellness programs.