Weekly Media Roundup: May 12, 2021

Leon County Schools Invests $1.5M in Summer Programs to Prevent ‘COVID Slide,’ WCTV (Florida)

Throughout June and July, students in Leon County, Florida will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of free summer learning opportunities. The Summer 850 programs will be geared to specific grade levels and will include free meals and transportation. “Across our country, some students have been more negatively impacted than others by this horrific pandemic,” Leon County School Superintendent Rocky Hanna told WCTV. “Summer 850 is another example of our district rising to the challenge to ensure the future success of our students.”

Key to Gaining COVID Relief Funding: Partner with Schools Now, Nonprofit Leader Says, Youth Today

In a recent webinar hosted by the Afterschool Alliance, CEO of Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta and Afterschool Ambassador Tiffany Collie-Bailey discussed how to tap into the billions of federal education dollars included in the American Rescue Plan by building partnerships with schools. She detailed how her program grew from partnering with three schools to partnering with 16 schools in the Atlanta area. “This is a time to tell our story of what we’ve been doing during the pandemic, and how we’re making plans to continue that support,” Collie-Bailey told Youth Today. “Our schools need us and we need our school partners. This is the time to find the village or create your village.”

Branching Outward, one of Lincoln’s after-school programs, helping kids during pandemic, KOLN-TV (Nebraska)

Recognizing the need for social interaction and a sense of community in Lincoln, Nebraska, 16-year-old Evan Boesen founded Branching Outward, an afterschool program for Lefler Middle School students that focuses on friendship and agriculture. “For a lot of people, and in middle school especially, life and other things can be very tough, it can pile on and it can become stressful. I feel like Branching Outward cannot only provide a space where they feel welcome, but a place where they can feel calm and free of that stress,” Boesen told KOLN-TV.  The program is completely run by students and participants work together to plant and cultivate gardens on the school property.

Neighborhood Boys and Girls Club Remains Safe Haven for Neighborhood Youth Amidst Pandemic, WGN 9 (Illinois)

For 90 years, the Neighborhood Boys and Girls Club (NBGC) has provided a safe place for students in Chicago to get academic support, discover new interests, learn valuable life skills and explore careers. Activities range from sports to budgeting workshops to leadership training. The program currently serves about 1,600 students. “Our mission is to keep kids off the street during the most vulnerable time of the day, out of school time,” Jim Kartheiser, NBGC board member, told WGN 9.