Weekly Media Roundup: June 29, 2022

Young Readers Recognized for Their Achievements at Vicksburg City Hall, Vicksburg Post (Mississippi)

To celebrate a successful first year, students from the Post-COVID Educational Enhancement Program in Vicksburg, Mississippi took a trolley ride to city hall to meet with Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. and to discuss their academic accomplishments. The afterschool program, supported by the United Way of West Central Mississippi (UWWCM), focuses on improving literacy proficiency among students in kindergarten through third grade. “The Post-COVID Educational Enhancement Program is a testament both to the power of collaboration and innovation as well as our community’s dedication to our children,” UWWCM Executive Director Michelle Connelly told the Vicksburg Post. “By partnering with the City of Vicksburg and the Vicksburg-Warren School District, we’ve been able to create a program that’s as unique as our community, and we’re excited to see Post-COVID Educational Enhancement Program’s impact take root as it continues to grow.” Next fall, the program is expanding to include both fourth and fifth graders.

Freedom Schools Begin Culturally Relevant Summer Programming in Winston-Salem, WFDD (North Carolina)

At the Kimberly Park Freedom School summer learning program in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, students develop their reading, writing and critical thinking skills by engaging with books that are relevant to their lives and communities. “All of the literature has to do with children that look like our scholars, and deal with situations that our scholars may face,” Rashawn Meekins, lead coordinator and project director, told WFDD. “There are books that deal with homelessness. There are books that deal with racial situations, social justice issues, community issues, environmental issues.” Students take part in group discussions, creative projects and skits, advocacy projects, lessons from local leaders and field trips to community organizations and businesses. The program is supported by federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Summer Learning: Camp Curiosity Continues to Play Big Role in Migrant Students' Development, Messenger-Inquirer (Kentucky)

All 750 students who are English-language learners in the Daviess County Public School district in Kentucky are invited to participate in Camp Curiosity, a four-week summer learning program designed to boost students’ language skills. Students work on reading and math and rotate between fun, hands-on activities such as music, robotics and time in the gymnasium.  “We’re trying to prevent the summer slide,” Shelly Hammons, Camp Curiosity organizer and administrator, told the Messenger-Inquirer. “A lot of them have gaps, due to the nature of their movement, or some are new to our country … but the overall goal is to develop language acquisition and give them a jump start for their school in the fall.”

Science & Discovery Center Sees Uptick in Summer Camp Program, WJHG (Florida)

Throughout June and July, students ages 4 to 12 years old will participate in engaging STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) camps at the Science & Discovery Center of Northwest Florida in Panama City. The eight-week camp has been growing in popularity, especially during the pandemic. “Our head count has increased every year, and the kids keep coming back so we know we’re doing something right,” Executive Director Michelle Smith told WJHG. Each week, campers focus on a specific theme and participate in hands-on, creative experiments and activities.