Weekly Media Roundup: March 6, 2024

Charlotte Afterschool Program Aims to Break Cycle of Youth Crime and Violence, WBTV (North Carolina)

In response to the 33 percent rise in juvenile gun violence in Charlotte, North Carolina, county leaders presented The Way Forward plan to city council members this week. The plan includes community engagement and increased investments in afterschool programs such as TreSports and aims to reduce youth gun violence by 10 percent over the next four years. The TreSports afterschool program offers youth charged with juvenile crimes an extensive array of support services including homework assistance, conflict resolution classes, job training, and sports programs. “It’s not gonna be just one solution that’s gonna solve this,” Robert Reynolds Jr., founder of TreSports, told WBTV. “We want to try to renew [students’] minds, change their way of thinking and get them to think things differently, hear things differently.”

Organization That Helps At-Risk Girls to Break Ground On New Facility in Wilkinsburg, KDKA News (Pennsylvania)

At Gwen’s Girls Caring Connections for YOUth afterschool program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, girls in third through 12^th grade are conducting science experiments, learning life skills, and receiving emotional and behavioral health support in a caring environment. “I continue returning to Gwen’s Girls because they give us the floor to speak about issues, not just in our personal lives but that we may see in our communities,” 15-year-old participant Olivia Davidson told KDKA News. “I know a lot of women who are implemented into the juvenile justice system or become victim to the school-to-prison pipeline don’t have the support that they need to work toward their dreams and aspirations, so that’s kind of what Gwen’s Girls does.” The afterschool program began last year and is opening a new site in Wilkinsburg with guidance from the students and the community.

Centro Hispano Expanding After-School Program to Two More Elementary Schools, Frederick News Post (Maryland)

Thanks to a grant from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission, elementary schoolers at two additional schools in Maryland will have access to Centro Hispano de Frederick’s Éxito in the Schools afterschool program. The program serves students who are English language learners and provides science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) exploration, mentorship, language support and more. Centro Hispano de Frederick also screens all participating students for trauma and connects their families to mental health resources. “The beauty of the program is that within the STEM topics that we cover, there’s also a social-emotional component,” Director Maria-Teresa Shuck told the Frederick News Post. “We also talk about leadership qualities. We talk about these kids knowing that, yes, they can go to college.”

After School Program Invites MSUE Nutritionist to Speak, Make Pizza, Ludington Daily News (Michigan)

Last week, teens in the John’s Place afterschool program in Ludington, Michigan helped make their own healthy pizzas while learning about the principles of nutrition and gaining independence in the kitchen. The session was led by the Michigan State University Extension’s Community Nutrition Instructor Kendra Gibson. Student practiced chopping techniques, stretching the dough, grating cheese and more. “We are going to talk about the framework in building recipes and how you can slice vegetables in different ways,” Gibson told the Ludington Daily News. “Sometimes we have reservations before we even try something, we are trying to open them up to be willing to try.”