Weekly Media Roundup: March 3, 2021

San Antonio Sports launches virtual sports-at-home program for children, CW 35 (Texas)

San Antonio Sports has expanded its afterschool offerings to include a free virtual program called “I play! at home,” to help students stay active during the pandemic. The program, led by a group of accomplished college athletes, American Ninja Warriors and a former Olympian, teaches skills and techniques that don’t require special equipment or athletic fields. “I think this really bridges the gap and makes students think about getting outside and exercising, differently,” Sara Tovar, director of youth and community at San Antonio Sports, told the CW 35. The afterschool sports include soccer, track, volleyball and basketball.

Medora to Use Grant for After-School STEM Camp, Seymour Tribune (Indiana)

Thanks to a STEM Next Opportunity Fund grant, the Reach for a Star afterschool program in Medora, Indiana will be able to provide three new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities in their program as well as a STEM-focused spring break camp for afterschool participants in third through sixth grade. “Continuing to offer a wide variety of opportunities to our students is important in our efforts to ensure everyone is engaged and learning,” Shannon Hunsucker, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers district coordinator for Medora Community School Corporation, told the Seymour Tribune. “There are so many possibilities out there for our students, and we want to make sure they are aware of as many of them as possible. If one activity grabs a student’s interest and they run with it, who knows where it could lead them?”

After-School Is an Equity Issue: With Record Need in Communities of Color, the Time to Partner is Now, School Library Journal

According to the Afterschool Alliance’s America After 3PM survey, unmet demand for afterschool programs is especially high in Latinx and African American communities. Libraries can play a major role in closing that opportunity gap and expanding access to afterschool. For example, public libraries in Mississippi have partnered with the Mississippi Humanities Council to offer Luciérnagas, a bilingual literacy-focused afterschool program that brings students and families together for meals, reading activities and discussions. “[Libraries] have been a huge partner, both pre-COVID and during COVID, and are essential in afterschool,” Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant told the School Library Journal.

Toledo Teens Hold Diaper Drive, WTVG-TV (Ohio)

At the Impact afterschool program in Toledo, Ohio, students get help with homework, connect with mentors, take college tours, explore their options after high school graduation and more. Community service is a key component of the program. This month, students organized a diaper drive for the Salvation Army to assist families in need in their community. Impact has “taught me to respect others and it’s taught me to speak out more, because before I used to have trouble speaking to others,” Juwan McMullin-Bey, a 14-year-old student, told WTVG-TV.