Weekly Media Roundup: February 20, 2019

After-School All-Stars Program Provides Safe Environment, Boosts Students Academically, KTNV (Nevada)

Students in After-School All-Stars programs in Clark County, Nevada grow zucchini, write code, sew, and more. The organization serves 6,500 elementary and middle school students from 16 elementary schools. Partnerships with local businesses and the Nevada Ballet Theater increase students’ exposure to diverse activities, and the program provides much-needed relief for working families. Parents “know that their students are safe here. They are learning. They are getting help with their homework. They are getting physical activity. They are getting fed,” Executive Director Jodi Manzella told KTNV.

‘My Company Day’ Teaches Business Basics, Half Moon Bay Review (California)

At a recent culminating event for the Workshop Education afterschool program in Half Moon Bay, California, elementary students sold products and services they had been developing since the start of the year. The program teaches business sense, marketing and design thinking by helping students craft their own business plans and create their own inventory. Products ranged from unicorn treasure boxes to personalized self-portraits to lemonade served with a joke. “They’ve done a lot of different trials,” Founder Alexa Frisbie told the Half Moon Bay Review. “I think the teachers do an amazing job of encouraging that patience to keep improving and problem-solving. It’s the idea that you don’t just do it and it’s done. There’s always ways to improve it.”

STEM+C After-School Initiative Inspires Minority Girls to Solve Global Challenges, Ed Glen Today (Illinois)

Through a set of unique partnerships, girls in an afterschool program in East St. Louis, Illinois are learning how to use computational thinking to tackle issues like public health, environmental sustainability, and world hunger. Funded through a National Science Foundation grant, the project brings together several community organizations and a university. It aims to spark students’ interest in science through hands-on experiments such as testing for macronutrients in food. “This program is a great example of how universities and community partners can work together to enrich the STEM education of local youth, helping them to see a clear pathway that leads to STEM degrees and careers,” Professor Georgia Bracey told Ed Glen Today.

Pathways, Only Afterschool Program for Native American Youth in Flagstaff, Navajo-Hopi Observer (Arizona)

Each year, the Pathways Youth Program in Flagstaff, Arizona creates a safe and empowering community for 125 Native American youth ages six to 13. Through mentoring relationships, culturally relevant programming, and academic support, the program seeks to prevent substance abuse and foster pride in Native American culture. “I’ve been here for over 10 years and enjoy working with the youth and community,” Coordinator Aaron Secakuku told the Navajo-Hopi Observer. “The work is rewarding when we see past participants completing high school and [going] onto further their education or seeing some jump right into the workforce, and be successful at what they do.”