Weekly Media Roundup - November 13, 2013

Afterschool Ambassador and Girls on the Run of Montgomery County Executive Director Elizabeth McGlynn and Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant co-authored a piece in the Montgomery County Gazette on the importance of afterschool programs in advance of Girls on the Run of Montgomery County’s 5K fun run on Sunday. They write: “As Montgomery County working moms, we long ago learned what every other working parent can tell you: That every-afternoon chunk of time that starts with the final school bell and ends when parents arrive at home can be filled either with angst or peace of mind, depending on whether your kids are under the watchful eye of caring adults and constructively occupied. After-school programs are a terrific solution, and that’s one reason we’ve both spent years working to make sure such programs are available… Sunday, the girls will be joined by parents, after-school providers, teachers, school administrators, community partners, elected officials, and others — all united by their desire to celebrate the girls’ accomplishment, and to show their support for after-school programs. We hope that message is heard, loud, clear, far and wide!”

 

826DC serves more than 2,000 children in and around the Columbia Heights neighborhood each year inspiring them to become better readers, writers and students. 826DC offers free afterschool tutoring, bookmaking sessions, and in-school writing, storytelling and publishing workshops. “The tutoring center is one of eight 826 locations across the country honored this month with the Library of Congress’ first-ever Literacy Award, meant to recognize organizations working to address illiteracy in America,” the Washington Post reports.

 

“Dozens of Palm Terrace Elementary School students rallied recently to draw attention to the need for more after-school programs,” the Daytona Times reports. Kenneth Walker, who works at the school, told the paper that there are millions of children nationwide who are unsupervised and at risk each weekday afternoon.