Archives:

Select:

Weekly Media Roundup: April 5, 2023

READ FULL STORY

Weekly Media Roundup: April 5, 2023

After-School Programs Financed with Pandemic Funds Making a Difference in Chester County, Daily Local News (Pennsylvania)

Funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is helping Mighty Writers and Coatesville Kids to College, two afterschool programs in Chester County, Pennsylvania, expand their services to meet students’ needs in the wake of the pandemic. During COVID, both programs have stepped up to provide additional support, including food, warm clothing, school supplies and year-round programming. “The ARPA funding will help us make sure that we have the proper people to come in and provide a full range of services to our students,” Sara Dickens-Trillo, Director of Operations at Mighty Writers, told the Daily Local News. “Many of our students feel invisible and unimportant. We are here to give them support, and to let them know that they matter.”

Summer Camps Slammed: Programs Already See High Enrollment for 2023 Season, KOIN 6 (Oregon)

Staffing shortages, rising costs, and the challenges of COVID have forced many summer programs in Oregon to reduce their capacity, making it harder for families to enroll their children as slots fill up quickly. To help ensure students can access high-quality summer learning opportunities, the state invested $150 million in summer programming at schools and community organizations in 2022. This year, state lawmakers are considering a bill that would establish a Summer and After-School Learning and Enrichment Grant program. “There are not enough programs. I mean, that’s always been the case. We just notice it more now because we have heightened awareness. To meet the needs of families, you have to do more,” Beth Unverzagt, director of the Oregon Afterschool & Summer for Kids Network, told KOIN 6.

Jiu-jitsu Program Helps Students with Life Skills and Academics in Baltimore, WMAR 2 (Maryland)

As a teacher in Baltimore City Schools, Michael John noticed many of his students did not have access to afterschool programs. To help fill the void, he created the Agoge Project, a free afterschool program that provides training in jiu-jitsu alongside mentorship and academic support. Today, the program has its own gym and serves 50 students. “In our mission statement, we say that we use boxing and jiu-jitsu and martial arts as the vehicle to cultivate the child. All the skills that you learn to become good at martial arts is the same equation that you would use to become good at anything else,” John told WMAR 2. “Perseverance, being consistent, finding a good coach, being coachable, finding a good mentor, listening to your mentor, putting in the work.”

Afterschool Programs Serve Families, Beloit Daily News (Wisconsin)

“Wisconsin suffers from a workforce challenge, and afterschool programs offer both short and long-term solutions,” Stateline Boys & Girls Club Chief Executive Officer Mark Rand writes in a recent guest column for the Beloit Daily News. Rand shares how afterschool programs support working parents by providing a safe and enriching space for students after the school day ends, while helping train tomorrow’s workforce by supporting students’ education, providing mentorship and helping students explore careers. Rand concludes by calling on the Wisconsin state legislature to prioritizing funding for afterschool in the state budget. 

Weekly Media Roundup: October 25, 2023

Iberville Coalition Launches Baton Rouge Youth Coalition Satellite Campus, Plaquemine Post South (Louisiana) In September, the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition (BRYC) partnered with Dow Louisiana, the Iberville Parish School Board (IPSB), and the YMCA to open its first satellite campus at the Dow...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      10/25/23

Weekly Media Roundup: October 18, 2023

Participation in Boston Summer Learning Programs Reached All-Time High This Year, WBUR (Massachusetts) This past summer, nearly one in four Boston youths between the ages of five and 14 participated in the city’s educational summer programs and many of the programs were provided at no...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      10/18/23

Weekly Media Roundup: October 11, 2023

Monte Vista Gets AT&T Support for After-School Learning Lab, Alamosa Citizen (Colorado) Thanks to a $35,000 AT&T Foundation grant, the Monte Vista Kids Connection afterschool program in San Luis Valley, Colorado is purchasing much needed laptops and software for students attending the...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      10/11/23

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...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      10/04/23

Weekly Media Roundup: September 27, 2023

After-School Program Helping Kids ‘Kick’ Off Their Future, WKBN-TV (Ohio) The Concept Young Scholars Program at the Horizon Science Academy in Youngstown, Ohio, which helps students with homework and focuses on building confidence, advancing volunteerism, and overcoming academic...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      09/27/23

Weekly Media Roundup: September 20, 2023

Boys & Girls Club Wausau Offering After School Programs to Prepare Students for Future, WSAW-TV (Wisconsin) Career exploration and workforce development is a major focus of the Boys & Girls Club of the Wausau Area’s afterschool program in Wisconsin. Students can apply and interview...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      09/20/23

Weekly Media Roundup: September 13, 2023

Afterschool Program Helps Madison Students Breathe for Change, Wisconsin State Journal (Wisconsin) At the Meadowood Neighborhood Center’s afterschool program in Madison, Wisconsin, students learn to reduce stress by controlling their breathing, practicing yoga, reading books to therapy...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      09/13/23

Weekly Media Roundup: September 6, 2023

Skateboarding, Cooking, Ceramics: After School Programs at Monterey Trail Help Students Find Hobbies, CBS Sacramento (California) At the ASSETs (After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens) program at Monterey Trail High School in Elk Grove, California, more than 200 teens access tutoring...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      09/06/23

Weekly Media Roundup: August 30, 2023

Oldest Home in Spartanburg Gets $200K for Transformation in an After-School Program, WSPA (South Carolina) Built in the late 1700s, the Seay House in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is undergoing a major renovation this fall and will reopen as the Brown Girls Read afterschool program early next...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      08/30/23

Weekly Media Roundup: August 16, 2023

4-H Can Help Find That Spark, Richmond Register (Kentucky) “In a world full of talents, interests and qualities, everyone has a unique inner fire that gives them joy, purpose, and direction. 4-H calls these ‘sparks,’ representing passion, energy and self-identity, not just...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      08/16/23