Weekly Media Roundup: August 2, 2023

$1M Donation Will Help Get Kids to After-School Program at Chandler Boys and Girls Club, Arizona’s Family (Arizona)

As many as 250 students in Chandler, Arizona will now have access to free bus service from their schools to the afterschool program at the Chandler Boys and Girls Club. The bus service is made possible by a $1 million donation from Chandler Compadres, a nonprofit. “We have parents calling all the time wanting to enroll their kids in the club. One of the hardest things we have to do is inform them we don’t have a way for them to get here,” Josh Stine, the vice president of external affairs and business partnerships with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley, told Arizona’s Family. “The ability for families to know their kids have a safe way to the club after school allows them peace of mind and allows them to stay at work and keep their jobs.”

Schools Respond to Mental Health Crisis by Connecting Students, Chicago Sun-Times (Illinois)

Nearly 40 percent of ninth through 11th grade girls in Chicago Public Schools exhibit signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a recent University of Chicago Education Lab survey. Experts say afterschool and summer programs, such as those at Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, play an important role in supporting students’ emotional wellbeing, but students in low-income families and communities of color and less likely to have access, especially amidst rising program costs during the pandemic. “Prior to the pandemic … many were struggling but finding money to pay for these programs. But that became infinitely harder post-COVID,” Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant told the Chicago Sun-Times.

San Diego’s After-School Programs Are Expanding. What Do Families Need to Know? KPBS (California)

Thanks to an Extended Learning Opportunities Program grant, PrimeTime and the San Diego Unified School District are expanding their free afterschool programs from 117 sites to 125 sites this year as well as increasing the number of slots available at sites. “We are working with our PrimeTime partner organizations to help increase the staff, to provide the support to our students and absorb the students from the waitlist,” PrimeTime Manager Christiane Trout-McPhee told KPBS. To assist parents, KPBS created an interactive map and database of local afterschool programs with links to applications and waitlist status.

Salvation Army to Expand Elementary Afterschool and Summer Programs, Aiken Standard (South Carolina)

In Aiken, South Carolina, the Salvation Army plans to convert an unused building on its property into a youth center, complete with wheelchair ramps and a sensory room for students with autism. They currently provide afterschool and summer programs to elementary students and teenagers but due to space limitations, they can’t accommodate the need in the community. “I have to tell a lot of parents I’m sorry we know you really want your kids in our program but we’re already at our max,” Salvation Army Capt. April Tiller told the Aiken Standard. “I want to make [this building] into a space where the kids can enjoy it.”