Weekly Media Roundup: January 18, 2023

'Safe Spot' Also Filled with Laughter, Energy, Quad-City Times (Iowa)

At the Project Renewal afterschool program in Davenport, Iowa, students get help with homework, eat snacks, play games, practice social-emotional skills and take part in arts programming organized by partner organizations such as the Figge Art Museum and Common Chord.  Older students also explore potential next steps after graduation by visiting universities, community colleges, trade schools and apprenticeship programs, and hearing from guest speakers about career options. “We are a stable spot…. More kids have started staying with us longer, into high school,” Executive Director Ann Schwickerath told the Quad-City Times.

Building Better Schools: Connecting Kids to Meals CEO Has Been Nationally Recognized, WTVG-TV (Ohio)

In recognition of her efforts to ensure children have quality, nutritious meals after school and over the summer, Connecting Kids to Meals CEO Wendi Huntley has been named an Out of School Time Meals Champion by No Kid Hungry. She is one of 12 out-of-school time professionals in the national cohort who will work to advocate for federal funding and raise awareness of the need for healthy meals in out-of-school time programs. “Those partners trying to do their education enrichment or fun activities, they’re able to get the kids more engaged [when they’re fed], because kids are able to learn and they’re able to focus,” Huntley told WTVG-TV. “I talk about this all the time but this is one instance where we know, and we can see when everyone pulls together, we can actually do some amazing things and reach heights that maybe folks in Toledo didn’t think we could reach.”

TIST Academy, a New After School and Mentorship Program Opens in Lynchburg, ABC 13 News (Virginia)

In early January, TIST Academy opened an afterschool program for elementary and middle school students in Lynchburg, Virginia, offering tutoring support as well as enrichment activities. "We're excited about opening this because I want the same thing that I had when I was growing up, another outlet to go to just so that the kids can be themselves," co-founder Raven Thomas told ABC 13 News. The academy also hosts a Saturday mentoring program for high school students that includes breakfast and weekly guest speakers.

After School Program is Changing Lives, Families, Communities, Fox 17 (Michigan)

At New City Kids in Grand Rapids, Michigan, high school students are paid to serve as mentors and music teachers to younger students in the afterschool program, while gaining valuable skills and confidence themselves. “New City [Kids] really helped me,” high schooler Alani Harris told Fox 17. “[It] guided me away from some not so good pathways and guided me toward great pathways. It gave me a place to call home, it gave me support, it gave me friends, it gave me a future to look forward to and even help beyond just me. It helped my family.” The program reports that all their student teachers graduate high school and three-quarters graduate college debt free.