Weekly Media Roundup: October 4, 2023

N.Y. Afterschool Programs Work to Support Academic, Emotional Needs, Spectrum News 1 (New York)

Afterschool programs across New York State are helping students catch up on academics while addressing their emotional needs. Rural communities tend to have fewer after school options because many are without community centers that might host programs. But Wayne M.O.S.T. (Maximizing Out-of-School Time) in upstate New York is aiming to change that by hosting a training for teachers from multiple districts who are interested in working in afterschool. “There’s a certain fatigue for kids being in school all day,” teacher Melisa Blankenberg, who is in her first year working at an afterschool program, told Spectrum 1. “But then after school they have a different ambition because it is not just all paper pencil activities or just sitting and listening all day and they get to be more active learners.”

Zuni Youth Enrichment Project Partners with Local School District to Offer In- and After-School Programs, Native News Online (New Mexico)

The Zuni Youth Enrichment Project (ZYEP) and Zuni Public School District are collaborating to offer afterschool programming, including Rooted in Healthy Traditions. The 10-week program at Shiwi Ts’ana Elementary is supported by Tribal Practices for Wellness in Indian Country (a program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the New Mexico Department of Health. Children engage in physical activity and special focus areas, including traditional art, knowledge sharing, and food sovereignty. “They’re comfortable with us, they can vocalize their needs — they’ve been taking in the lessons,” ZYEP Youth Development Coordinator Kiara “Kiki” Zunie told Native News Online.  “Someday they might become youth leaders, and then they might even join our team. That is the dream.”

Tennessee Titans Surprise Students with New Tech Lab at Looby Community Center, WTVF (Tennessee)

To advance digital equity in Nashville, the Tennessee Titans partnered with the NFL Foundation to open a new technology lab at Looby Community Center, complete with laptops, tablets, and high-speed internet. Students from the Center’s afterschool program joined Tennessee Titan’s T-Rac for the lab’s grand opening. “For a very long time there has not been a lot of investment in North Nashville so that has created a tremendous amount of needs in the community and so there is a great digital divide,” Nashville Metro Council Member Kyonzte Toombs told WTVF. “A lot of children don’t even have a computer at home. They may not have Internet access. So, to have this right here in a central location is a tremendous resource.”

The Maritime Aquarium Wins AZA Education Award, Fairfield’s HamletHub (Connecticut)

Connecticut’s Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk received the Association of Zoos & Aquarium’s highest education award for its Maritime Summer Academy. Working in partnership with Norwalk Public Schools, the five-week summer program offers disadvantaged students engaging conservation projects and enrichment activities, including trips on the aquarium’s research vessel. “The collaboration with the Maritime Aquarium has been instrumental in reshaping our Summer Academy, turning it into a dynamic and immersive learning experience that goes beyond traditional summer schooling, ultimately enhancing the educational journey for our scholars,” Norwalk Superintendent of Schools Dr. Alexandra Estrella told Fairfield’s HamletHub. Nearly 800 students attended the summer program this year.