Weekly Media Roundup: February 16, 2022

Attorney Donates $40,000 to Keep Tubman Museum After-School Program Running, The Macon Telegraph (Georgia)

At the Harriet Tubman Museum’s afterschool program in Bibb County, Georgia, elementary schoolers get one-on-one tutoring, build relationships with mentors, and learn about art history. When the program was in danger of closing due to lack of funding, attorney and Witherite Law Group founder Amy Witherite stepped up with a $40,000 donation. She has also pledged to match every dollar donated to the program and hopes to help it expand to the middle and high school level. “It’s such a gift back to us and I just love seeing these kids laugh and improve, and not improve because of negative motivation there, but because of that positive reinforcement and people who believe,” Witherite told the Macon Telegraph.

New Youth Facility Growing Boys and Girls Clubs Reach, Programming, CBS19 (Virginia)

The Boys and Girls Club of Albemarle County, Virginia is building a new facility that will double the space available for its afterschool programs. The club plans to open the center in time for the new school year. “One thousand kids need something to do that's positive during out of school, so we're really excited to be able to be a part of that solution,” James Pierce, the CEO of Central Virginia Boys and Girls Clubs, told CBS19. The new building is conveniently located between the county’s elementary, middle school and high school, making it possible for students to walk to the center from their schools.

Theater Works Partners With Tolleson Elementary District For Afterschool Theater Program, Broadway World

Thanks to a collaboration with Theater Works, second through eighth graders attending one of four afterschool programs in the Tolleson Elementary School District in Arizona will spend the next 18 weeks preparing for a joint performance of Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. “This truly wonderful project offers students the chance to experience theater and the arts in a partnership that brings a high level of enrichment to the community,” Theater Works Education Director Laura Berger told Broadway World. The four afterschool programs receive funding through the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers grants.

DC Nonprofit Shares African Culture in After School Program, NBC Washington (District of Columbia)

The Oyé Palaver Hut afterschool program is providing an enriching space for students in Washington, D.C. to learn about African art, food, history and culture. Students take part in a wide variety of hands-on activities including cooking, drums, dance and more. The D.C. Commission on the Arts has provided funding for the program to help support students during the pandemic and keep them safe amidst an uptick of gun violence in the community. “We’re doing our part. We want all of the players to come together and come up with a strategy to beat this violence. Like Dr. Martin Luther King said, ‘Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that,’” Executive Director and Artistic Director Vera Oyé Yaa-Anna told NBC Washington.