Weekly Media Roundup: September 15, 2021

'Too young to do nothing,' Grandma's House Founder is Tulare's Woman of the Year, Visalia Times Delta (California)

When Flora Johnson retired as an elementary school principal after an education career spanning more than three decades, she decided to continue to serve children by opening a free afterschool program called Grandma’s House in Tulare, California. “I thought: You are old enough to retire, but too young to do nothing,” Johnson told the Visalia Times Delta. Over the past 14 years, Grandma’s House has supported hundreds of students with tutoring and mentorship. Earlier this week, California Assemblyman Devon Mathis presented Johnson with the Tulare Woman of the Year Award.

Offering After-School Programs and Open Labs, DSU Opens New K-12 STEM Outreach Center, Cedar City News (Utah)

At the newly opened K-12 STEM Outreach Center at Dixie State University (DSU) in St. George, Utah, students can explore a wide variety of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields ranging from coding to cybersecurity to robotics. The center offers afterschool programs, open labs and workshops facilitated by university students. “Anytime you give kids the opportunity to create, make or innovate in a space, their minds get excited and people get energized,” Eric Pedersen, dean of the DSU College of Science, Engineering and Technology, told Cedar City News. “As they build skills to do it on their own, their confidence grows – both for those who are mentoring and those who are being mentored.”

Cities in Schools Expands to Plainview with Pilot Program¸ Daily Ardmoreite (Oklahoma)

Cities in Schools is expanding its afterschool program in Ardmore, Oklahoma by including older students in a unique way. The pilot program is recruiting and training high school students to be mentors to elementary school students participating in its afterschool program. “Maybe somebody needs help with their reading, maybe one of the [younger students] needs a positive influence,” Cities in Schools Board President Daryle Steele told Daily Ardmoreite. “We’re saying ‘mentor’ because it’s a broad spectrum. That could be playing checkers to working on your math homework.” Based on the success of the initiative, Cities in Schools hopes to expand the program to other school districts.

New After-School Program Launches in Smyth, Smyth County News & Messenger (Virginia)

Recognizing the unmet need for afterschool programming, Smyth County, Virginia administrators and four local elementary schools quickly pulled together resources to open the Smyth County Explorers afterschool program in time for the beginning of the school year. “An amazing partnership happened within two weeks,” County Administrator Shawn Utt told Smyth County News & Messenger. The afterschool programs are located at participating elementary schools and provide homework assistance, physical activities and snacks.