Weekly Media Roundup: September 14, 2022

In- and After-School Programs Aim to Combat Mental Health Effects that COVID-19 Worsened, Youth Today

The National Center for Health Statistics reports that in 2021, seven in 10 public schools saw a rise in children seeking mental health services. To support student wellbeing, schools and out-of-school time programs across the country are incorporating social and emotional learning activities and increasing access to mental health professionals as students cope with the ongoing impacts of the pandemic. Advocates say states should leverage Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Response (ESSER) funds to support these efforts. ESSER funds “are providing mental health services and support — with set-asides for Black and brown youth — during school, after school, over the summer and virtually,” Pam McNall, founder and CEO of Respectful Ways, told Youth Today. “When students don’t have adequate access to mental health care, they don’t have the foundation they need to support them to learn well.”

Haywood County Rec Partnership Provides After-School Youth with Outdoor Adventure, The Mountaineer (North Carolina)

Thanks to a new partnership with Haywood County Recreation and Parks, First United Methodist Church (FUMC)’s free afterschool program in Waynesville, North Carolina, offered flyfishing, mountain biking and hiking outings this past spring. The outdoor adventures were well received by the middle school students attending the program and will be offered again this fall. “I heard nothing but positive feedback from students and parents. Both students and parents were very appreciative of the opportunities,” Anna Belle Lamar, director of youth outreach at FUMC, told the Mountaineer. “After fly fishing lessons, a student who lived close to the Rec Park started going down to fish on his own.”

Black Families Report High Unmet Demand, Barriers to Entry for After School Programs, Word in Black

Fifty-four percent of Black families would enroll their children in an afterschool program if one were available to them, a recent Afterschool Alliance survey found, with families citing lack of transportation, inadequate hours of operation, long waitlists and cost as significant barriers. Program leaders and experts say the disproportionate unmet demand for afterschool in Black communities widens the opportunity gap for students. “It’s missing out on an invaluable learning time where they could be finding new passions, figuring out what they want, the career path that they see themselves in, connecting with caring adults and mentors,” Nikki Yamashiro, vice president of research at the Afterschool Alliance, told Word in Black.

Knoxville After-School Program Expands to Help More At-Risk Kiids, WATE-TV (Tennessee)

The Thrive afterschool program in Knoxville, Tennessee is expanding its successful program to five sites this fall. Students will participate in a variety of engaging activities, receive homework help and have dinner together each day after school. “[In] a lot of cases there’s more than a one to one ratio of volunteers and interns to a student, and I’ve seen incredible outcomes as our students have gone on to college,” Holly Kizer, a grant writer for Thrive, told WATE-TV. “In 2021 we had 80 percent of our seniors go to college which is unheard of in these communities, so we are truly invested in every area of these students’ lives.”