Weekly Media Roundup - March 23, 2011

Letter to the Editor: Hurting the Future (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri)
Madison County Sheriff Robert J. Hertz writes, “I want to warn against cuts to after-school programs on the grounds that it could hurt our efforts to curb juvenile crime. After-school programs provide opportunities for youth to get help with homework and prepare for future careers. They also can help keep at-risk youth out of trouble during the after-school hours when the risk of them getting involved in crime peaks.”

Local Study of Boys and Girls Clubs Says Their Students More Likely to Graduate (Knoxville News, Tennessee)
A new study commissioned by the Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley finds that children are more likely to graduate high school if they participate in the afterschool program, particularly if they attend on a regular basis. The study looked at participants’ graduation rates over the last 15 years.

Haitian Immigrant-Filled Robotics Team Earns Contest Berth With Winning Robot (Daily News, New York)
The It Takes a Village afterschool program in East Flatbush, made up almost entirely of immigrants who fled Haiti after last year’s earthquake, will advance to the next round of a prestigious robotics competition. If they can raise enough to pay for travel, the students will head to St. Louis for the FIRST Tech Challenge, where the robot they built will compete against schools from around the world. "We're going to show that we're Haitian and we've accomplished something really important," said team captain Christopher Leveille, age 17.

3,000 Teens to Run L.A. Marathon This Weekend (That’s Fit)
Nearly 3,000 students and 500 teachers participated in the Los Angeles (L.A.) Marathon last weekend, as part of the Students Run L.A. (SRLA) afterschool program. Beginning in the fall, students train for and participate in community races that gradually increase in distance, to prepare for the L.A. Marathon. On average, 99 percent of the students who start the marathon finish the full 26.2 mile course,  That’s Fit reports.