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Weekly Media Roundup: November 16, 2022

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Weekly Media Roundup: November 16, 2022

Gulf Shores 'Beyond the Bell' Program Offers Afterschool Programs, Orange Beach News (Alabama)

At the Beyond the Bell afterschool program in Gulf Shores, Alabama, students participate in a variety of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities, including building electric race cars for competitions against other schools, studying environmental science with local experts, and monitoring and managing the Gulf Shores Elementary and Middle Schools’ recycling program. “One of our big programs that is definitely a big hit with the students is called Jedi Academy,” Gulf Shores Middle School Assistant Principal Brittney Reeves told Orange Beach News. “It is learning to fence in full pads using light sabers. Then they take those skills using light sabers when they create a movie. They’ll make a short film, they write it, direct it.” The free afterschool program receives funding through a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant.

Hawai’i Medical Service Association Invests $25,000 for Hale ‘?pio Kaua‘i Youth Program, Kaua’i Now (Hawai‘i)

Recognizing the emotional toll the pandemic has had on youth, especially those in underserved communities, Hawai‘i Medical Service Association is donating $25,000 to Hale ‘?pio Kaua‘i’s Ke Kahua O Ka Malamalama, an afterschool program providing youth-driven activities focused on Hawaiian culture and values. According to recent findings from the 2022 KIDS COUNT Data Book, nearly a quarter (23%) more youth in Hawai‘i struggled with anxiety and depression in 2020 than in 2016. Hawai‘i Medical Service Association is providing $25,000 donations to four additional mental health resource organizations – the Boys & Girls Club of Maui, Big Island Substance Abuse Council, Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women and Children, and Mental Health America of Hawaii. “Our teenage population is struggling due to limited access to mental health resources, and we need to work together to support overall health conditions,” Hawai?i Medical Service Association President and CEO Mark M. Mugiishi, M.D., F.A.C.S. told Kaua’i Now.

Gastonia Women Launch Tutoring Program for Children, Gaston Gazette (North Carolina)

When Dina Thompson, a mental health professional in Gaston, North Carolina, realized that there weren’t sufficient afterschool programs available in her community, she and her wife Bralicia decided to create their own to help fill the gap. Today, the Distinguished Youth Enrichment Program provides meals, one-on-one tutoring, mentorship and life skills education to students of all ages. Thompson hopes to expand the program and eventually open an all-day youth center. “It's nice. It helps you believe in yourself,” Isaiah, a ninth grader in the program, told the Gaston Gazette. “They're really helpful, respectful, and they help us a lot.”

More Students Should Have an Opportunity to Attend After-School Programs, NJ.com (New Jersey)

In a recent guest column for NJ.com, Ebony D. Grace, CEO of NJSACC: The Statewide Network for New Jersey’s Afterschool Communities writes that afterschool programs such as the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program in Roselle are essential to the success and wellbeing of students and their communities. By keeping students safe, supporting their learning, helping working parents, and exposing students to new interests and experiences – such as a field trip to a Broadway show– afterschool programs help students pursue their dreams and provide a substantial return on investment. “Every child deserves a program and experience like those at Roselle Public Schools. Unfortunately, too many families are unable to take advantage of the benefits after-school provide[s]. We’re leaving those students behind,” Grace writes.

Weekly Media Roundup: February 26, 2025

Discover How the Leaps After School Program is Transforming Lives at Harrison Elementary, News Channel 9 (Tennessee) At Harrison Elementary’s Leaps After School Program in Chattanooga, Tennessee, students are publishing a newspaper focusing on Black historical figures to be displayed...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/26/25

Weekly Media Roundup: February 19, 2025

Durham Teens Fight for After-School Program Funding Amid Youth Gun Violence: 'My Safe Space,' ABC 11 (North Carolina) In Durham, North Carolina, teenagers rallied together to urge Durham City Council members to increase funding for afterschool programs, sharing how critical these...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/19/25

Weekly Media Roundup: February 12, 2025

'He Invests His Own Money': After School Program Started by Pasco School Employee Still Going Strong, WFTS-TV (Florida) In the 1980s, Eugene Scott founded an afterschool program called This Is How We Do It to provide food, music, dance, mentorship and more to students in his Pasco County...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/12/25

Weekly Media Roundup: February 5, 2025

Claysburg-Kimmel Touts New Programs for Students, Altoona Mirror (Pennsylvania) Students at the Bulldog After-School Club in Claysburg, Pennsylvania are participating in new educational activities with a Beam mobile projector that transforms the center into an interactive visual playground. The...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/05/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 29, 2025

Afterschool Program Introduces West Columbia Students to Technology, The Facts (Texas) Students at West Columbia Elementary in Texas are taking part in hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities in the new Robocatters afterschool program, which already has a long...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/29/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 22, 2025

Another Year, Another Long Waitlist for BUSD After-School Program, Berkeleyside (California) Due to ongoing staffing shortages, more than 200 students are currently waitlisted for afterschool programs at Berkeley Unified School District. Parents in the district’s PTA Collaborative on...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/22/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 15, 2025

New 4-H Program Will Bring STEAM to Area Students, KNEB (Nebraska) Students in rural Expanding Learning Opportunity programs in Nebraska are exploring aerospace, electronics, engineering, robotics and more thanks to a partnership with 4-H. The Think Make Create Lab is a six-by-12 mobile trailer...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/15/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 8, 2025

Parks and Recreation Secures Grant to Bring Physical Activity Education to Youth in Afterschool Program, WBIW (Indiana) More than 50 students in the Banneker Afterschool program in Bloomington, Indiana are taking part in fun physical activities this year led by Indiana University School of...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/08/25

Weekly Media Roundup: December 18, 2024

Mason City YMCA Teaching Social and Emotional Skills to Kids, News-Press Now (Iowa) Students in the Mason City YMCA afterschool program in Iowa practice communication, emotional regulation, empathy and more in twice-weekly social and emotional learning sessions, learning, for instance, to take...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      12/18/24

Weekly Media Roundup: December 11, 2024

Usher Helps Cut Ribbon On New Content Studio at Metro Boys and Girls, WSB-TV (Georgia) This week, superstar Usher visited the Whitehead Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta, Georgia, to unveil a new content studio he donated featuring soundboards, mics, computers and other audio equipment. The...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      12/11/24