Weekly Media Roundup: March 22, 2023

Non-Profit Helps Lynn Students Prepare for Careers in Human Services, CBS Boston (Massachusetts)

At the Pathways to Opportunities afterschool program at Lynn Classical High School in Massachusetts, high schoolers explore careers in human services with help from mentors from the Northeast Arc, a nonprofit serving people with disabilities.  The program provides hands-on experience serving community members with special needs, those with language barriers, and more. “We have students that need to work right now. They're supporting themselves, they're supporting families, they're contributing. So the ability for them to get trained and have meaningful positions coming right out of high school, we probably never had a greater need here at Classical,” Principal Amy Dunn told CBS Boston.

Aspiration Academy: A Place for Children to Learn and Grow Through Inspiration, Innovation, Florida Today (Florida)

Since 2010, Robert Barnes has provided supplementary weekend meals to students in Brevard, Florida through his non-profit Children’s Hunger Project. In January, the 81-year-old expanded his efforts to include an afterschool program for third graders at University Park Elementary School. “It’s going better than I anticipated. All the kids talk about toward the end of the day is staying longer in the school building to be part of Aspiration Academy. Who ever heard of such a thing,” Barnes told Florida Today. Barnes is partnering with local organizations and experts to provide unique, hands-on educational opportunities for the students, including master gardeners, an educational technology company, the Melbourne Fire Department, a therapy horse organization, and many more.

West Side Man Mentors Youth, Inspires Community in Spite of Deadly Disease, KSLTV (Utah)

At the Neighborhood House before and afterschool program in Salt Lake City, Utah, teacher Nate Manuel incorporates his appreciation of his Native American ancestry into his lessons and programs each day. Neighborhood House serves students in kindergarten through 12^th grade and includes lessons on art, cooking, and gardening as well as respect for the tribal land and for each other. “We just try to teach a lot of life skill activities,” Manuel told KSLTV. “Sometimes being the only person of color in the room, let alone being the only native, it’s just hard. You’re alone. And you do feel like, you’re like the only one dancing in the rain.” In 2022, Manuel was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and despite the devasting news, he continues to find joy in his work and inspires his students.

Pi(e) Day Creates a Savory Solution, Talon Marks (California)

To celebrate Pi(e) day on March 14, students in the Bell Gardens Parks and Recreation Center afterschool program worked together to bake individual apple pies in muffin cups. While the pies were baking, students learned about the number pi and how it is used, and completed a painting project to illustrate pi’s values. In addition to the afterschool program, Bell Gardens provides a safe, enriching space for students during the summer and during spring and winter breaks. “We try to do something new every week or every month,” Recreation Leader Emily Esquivel told Talon Marks. “We try to come together as a whole team to plan different events for the kids.”