Weekly Media Roundup: October 28, 2020

Hampton After-School Program Gets a STEM Boost from Flying Classroom, The Daily Press (Virginia)

Eleven afterschool programs in Hampton, Virginia funded by the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers initiative are helping students develop new skills and explore careers through virtual, hands-on programming during the pandemic. The programs have partnered with Flying Classroom to increase student’s exposure to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Students have completed hands-on projects connected to video lessons from Barrington Irving, the first Black pilot to fly a plane solo around the world. Students recently took a socially distanced field trip to an airport to meet Irving. “We still wanted to support the school day learning, but we don’t necessarily want it to look exactly like it,” Daryle Rogers, out-of-school time and extended learning coordinator for Hampton City Schools and an Afterschool Ambassador for the Afterschool Alliance, told the Daily Press.

Lights On Afterschool Parade Celebrates Full-Day Programs Amid Pandemic, Wisconsin State Journal (Wisconsin)

Last Thursday, a parade of cars decorated with the logos of afterschool programs made its way around the Wisconsin State Capitol to celebrate Lights On Afterschool and raise awareness about how Wisconsin afterschool programs support students and families. Several programs came together for the event, which shined a light on the vast array of services afterschool programs are providing during the pandemic, including full-day programs for students whose schools are operating remotely. “We are glad to be able to celebrate,” Rebecca Carlin, executive director of the Wisconsin Youth Company, told the Wisconsin State Journal. “This year it seems particularly important to highlight what our staff are doing.”

'Their Smile Says It All': New Prairie Schools Resume After-School Clubs, ABC 57 (Indiana)

More than 350 New Prairie United School students in New Carlisle, Indiana are benefiting from comprehensive afterschool programs, which recently reopened in-person for the new school year. Activities include homework help, physical activities, a LEGO club, nutrition education, and more. The programs have been able to take extensive social distancing and sanitation precautions thanks to a grant from the Health Care Foundation of Laporte and funding from the CARES Act. “I think sometimes it’s an area of enrichment that gets overlooked and it’s such an important piece of their overall educational experience," Coordinator Erika Buhring told ABC 57. “We have a nice variety of all sorts of different programs.”

Project Success Celebrates Lights On Afterschool, The Commercial-News (Illinois)

Students completed a scavenger hunt, showcased their art projects, learned to cook nutritious food, participated in a group meditation, and more at Lights On Afterschool events held by Project Success of Vermilion County in Illinois last week. The outdoor, socially distanced events showcased the many ways Project Success supports students’ academic success and physical and emotional health. Project Success is currently offering both in-person and virtual programs. “It was fun for [the students] to do,” Site Coordinator Kelsie Coleman told the Commercial-News.