Weekly Media Roundup: December 13, 2023

Federal Grant Helps Restart University of Tulsa Partnership With Kendall-Whittier Elementary, Tulsa World (Oklahoma)

Thanks to a 21^st Century Community Learning Centers grant, college students from the University of Tulsa will once again help lead the Youth Scholars afterschool program at Kendall-Whittier Elementary School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Elementary school students will work side-by-side with college students, tending to gardens, creating arts and crafts, working on homework, and practicing math skills. “This is great opportunity to reach the community and help build on these kids’ lives,” University of Tulsa senior and Youth Scholars volunteer Daryl Turner told Tulsa World. “A college student from any major, shape or form coming in for an hour means the world to them. When I get here, they’re so excited and it makes me excited.” The University of Tulsa is the only university in Oklahoma to receive a 21^st Century Community Learning Centers grant this year.

Building the Valley: The Teen Spot After-School Program Helps Highlands Students Connect to Community, Tribune-Review  (Pennsylvania)

At The Teen Spot in Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania, students in sixth through 12th grade are practicing yoga, learning how to cook, receiving mental health services, learning about personal finance and resume building, and much more. The afterschool program, supported by Highlands Partnership Network and Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services, recently moved into a larger space as the program continues to grow. “We focus on what’s next for our kids,” Highlands Partnership Network program manager Misty Chybrzynski Woody told the Tribune-Review. “We want them to see that they can go anywhere. They need to get a job, but first they might need a driver’s license, but before that, they need to get a permit. We teach them how to take each step and think about what they need to do to secure their dreams.”

S.C. to Pair Mental Health Resources, After-School Programs, WRDW (South Carolina)

With funding from a three-year grant from the Mott Foundation, the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance will partner with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health to boost mental health support for more than 100,000 students in afterschool programs. Through the initiative, afterschool professionals at more than 1,700 programs will have access to training in trauma-informed care and mental health first aid and will help connect students to mental health services when needed. “This partnership allows us to expand support system in environments where young people already spend time,” Zelda Waymer, president and CEO of the SC Afterschool Alliance, told WRDW. “Tapping into after-school helps improve access to mental health care where it’s most needed.”

New Council Legislation Aims for Universal Out-of-School Time Program, The Washington Informer (District of Columbia)

Nearly two out of three students in the District of Columbia are without access to afterschool programs, according to D.C. Policy Center. Last week, nine D.C. council members introduced the Universal Out-of-School Time Amendment Act, which would require the District to provide universal access to before- and afterschool, school break and summer programs by 2035. Proponents say the legislation would support students’ wellbeing and boost public safety. Speaking in support of the bill, Councilmember Janeese Lewis George shared about how the DC Scores afterschool program shaped her life. “No matter what neighborhood you came from, we learned teamwork [and] conflict resolution. We learned to work together,” Lewis George said. “The first time I got in front of a crowd was my poetry slam for DC Scores.”