Weekly Media Roundup: September 9, 2020

Lending a Helping Hand in Remote Instruction for Sumter Students, The Sumter Item (South Carolina)

This summer, staff at the Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church in Sumter, South Carolina heard from many parents who were worried about how to keep their children safe in the fall, when schools opened only virtually and parents were at their jobs. To address this concern, the church expanded its Helping Youth Pursue Excellence (HYPE) afterschool program to become an all-day distance learning site where students can access high-speed internet, academic support and mentorship. HYPE Project Director Barney Gadson hopes other programs will open similar sites so students can get the support they need while remaining in small, socially distanced groups. “These children are our children, and when the schools open back up, the district and the teachers don’t want these children to be so far behind…. I would love to see this happening in small groups all across the city,” Gadson told the Sumter Item.

Parks and Rec Child Care Program Filling a Need, The La Grande Observer (Oregon)

At the Riveria Activity Center in La Grande, Oregon, children get help with homework, explore science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM), play outside, do arts and crafts, learn about bike safety and more, all while maintaining social distancing. The new Extended After School Child Care program provided by La Grande Parks and Recreation runs from 1 to 5 PM each weekday to support parents and children as schools reopen virtually. A recent survey indicated a major need for more child care and educational services in the community. “We want to bridge this gap,” McKayla Nitz, the city’s recreation supervisor, told the La Grande Observer.

UISD Providing its Students with After School Adventures, KGNS-TV (Texas)

This fall, the United Independent School District in Laredo, Texas is partnering with multiple businesses to provide After School Adventures, a virtual afterschool program to help students discover new interests and maintain their physical health. Activities include Taekwondo, arts, basketball, and more. “Because of the situation everyone seems to be more at home…. We are just trying to get [students] either physically to work out or learn something different during this time,” Coordinator Roxanne Villagomez told KGNS-TV.

Learning Centers Help Families Juggle Virtual School, Herald Mail Media (Maryland)

Several afterschool programs across Washington County, Maryland are expanding this fall to provide safe places for students to do virtual schooling with guidance from adults and opportunities for recreation. Programs including Girls Inc., the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County, the YMCA of Hagerstown, and White Tiger Martial Arts have opened socially-distanced learning centers with meals, Internet access, academic support and fun activities for students to explore their interests when the virtual school day ends. “A lot of our members and the girls that we serve, they depend on school for not only an education, but for breakfast, lunch, a safe place to be and (then they) come to us for afterschool programming,” Shana Ruff, director of development for Girls Inc., told the Herald Mail Media.