Weekly Media Roundup: March 4, 2020

'Not a Babysitter': After-School Program Keeps Students Engaged After Final Bell Rings, Cumberland Times-News (Maryland)

In the Allegany County Public School afterschool program in Cumberland, Maryland, students have learned about cybersecurity from IBM employees, water testing from the Department of Natural Resources, opioid abuse prevention from the Health Department, and more. The afterschool program offers a daily snack, one-on-one homework help, and a wide variety of enrichment activities, including gardening, college and career exploration, computer coding, outdoor exercise, community service and financial literacy. “Students begin the school year asking when the program will start and are saddened when the program ends in the spring,” John Logsdon, ACPS Elementary School After-School Program director, told the Cumberland Times-News.

APPLE Program Hosts “Chopped” Competition to Encourage Nutrition, Andalusia Star-News (Alabama)

Last week, students in the A.P.P.L.E. (Academic Acceleration, Parent Involvement, Physical Fitness, Leadership Life Lessons, and Enrichment Activities) afterschool program in Andalusia, Alabama competed in small teams, each including a parent, to prepare a healthy meal in just 45 minutes using a pre-selected set of ingredients. Based on the popular reality show “Chopped,” the fun event showcased what students have learned about cooking and nutrition this year and aimed to spark family conversations about healthy eating. “A.P.P.L.E. is more than just babysitting and homework in the afternoons,” Program Manager Sondra Ramsden told the Andalusia Star-News. “It is an enrichment program that teaches these kids many life skills.”

Moving Arts Espanola After School Program Serves in an Underserved Community, New Mexico Living (NM)

Children ages three to 18 receive free farm-to-table meals, learn to dance flamenco and folklorico, take visual arts classes, get academic tutoring and more in the Moving Arts Española afterschool program in the Española Valley in New Mexico. Older students are often hired by the program to serve as mentors and tutors for younger students. “We’re proud of what we’re doing. We were recognized last year by CNN Heroes,” Co-Founder & Executive Director Salvador Ruiz told New Mexico Living.

From Outer Space to Inner City: Retired Astronaut Visits Tulsa After-School Program to Inspire Big Dreams, Tulsa World (Oklahoma)

Paul Lockhart, a retired Air Force colonel and astronaut who piloted two missions to the International Space Station, recently spoke to about 40 students in the afterschool program at the John 3:16 Mission Family and Youth Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Lockhart taught students about space travel, explained his career path, and encouraged students to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). After the event, students stayed to ask Lockhart questions. “I feel like this is really going to get them to dream,” Brian Bost, director of the John 3:16 Family and Youth Center, told the Tulsa World. “They don’t get a lot of this.”