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Weekly Media Roundup: January 6, 2020

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Weekly Media Roundup: January 6, 2020

Girls Inc. Takes Creative Approach to Programming During COVID-19, The Daily Times (Tennessee)

At the in-person and virtual afterschool programs run by Girls Inc. of the Tennessee Valley, about 200 girls explore engineering, science, and agriculture, reflect on song lyrics, journal, learn about mental health, and more. This year, the program has increased its focus on advocacy and youth voices with activities led by the program’s advocacy and social justice coordinator. “[The students] have discussions about what advocacy means, and what rights for women and girls in our community look like, and what we can do in the community to make sure our voices are heard,” Executive Director Kirby Deal told the Daily Times.

First Lego League Draws Kids into STEM Curriculum Using Play, Sparking Interest in Robotics, Treasure Coast Palm (Florida)

To increase access to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) out-of-school time programming for low-income students, the All About Achieving Learning Center and the YMCA of the Treasure Coast have partnered to provide Lego robotics afterschool programs to nearly 400 students in the Treasure Coast region of Florida. In the program, students ages four to 14  work in teams to complete projects using Legos, developing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the process. “The most interesting piece is watching kids who I’m not sure have ever touched a Lego sit and build and work collaboratively together,” All About Achieving Founder Tina McSoley told the Treasure Coast Palm. “It’s been really interesting watching students after a few sessions engage, talk and create things.”

Hoops 4 L.Y.F.E. Switches Gears Amid Pandemic, The Winston-Salem Chronicle (North Carolina)

At the Hoops 4 L.Y.F.E virtual learning program in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, students doing school remotely have access to tutors, two meals and a snack, laptops and Internet, sewing and cooking classes and more, in a socially distanced environment. When the pandemic hit and schools closed, the program quickly pivoted from an afterschool program to an all-day remote learning center to meet students’ needs. Now Hoops 4 L.Y.F.E. is seeking to expand the program. Founder and Executive Director Brittany Ward told the Winston-Salem Chronicle, “I am proud, but we can do better by adding a second and third location to assist more kids.”

A Public Housing Learning Pod with In-Person Therapy Supports D.C. Students During Pandemic, The Washington Post (District of Columbia)

In 2017, Ryane Nickens created the TraRon Center, an afterschool program in Washington, DC that combines academic support and therapy to support students in the subsidized Langston Lane Apartments, many of whom have been impacted by gun violence. During the pandemic, the program is open all day to provide students a safe space to learn virtually and access counseling and art therapy, tutoring and more. Recently, students took a field trip to Ben’s Chili Bowl where they discussed their goals with the restaurant’s co-founder and took a cooking class. A main goal of the program is to equip students with tools to cope with trauma. “Since the pandemic, people have been protesting, people are dying, and it’s stressful,” 12-year-old Samiyah Coats told the Washington Post. “When I’m stressed, the therapist helps me stay strong.”

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Discover How the Leaps After School Program is Transforming Lives at Harrison Elementary, News Channel 9 (Tennessee) At Harrison Elementary’s Leaps After School Program in Chattanooga, Tennessee, students are publishing a newspaper focusing on Black historical figures to be displayed...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/26/25

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Durham Teens Fight for After-School Program Funding Amid Youth Gun Violence: 'My Safe Space,' ABC 11 (North Carolina) In Durham, North Carolina, teenagers rallied together to urge Durham City Council members to increase funding for afterschool programs, sharing how critical these...

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'He Invests His Own Money': After School Program Started by Pasco School Employee Still Going Strong, WFTS-TV (Florida) In the 1980s, Eugene Scott founded an afterschool program called This Is How We Do It to provide food, music, dance, mentorship and more to students in his Pasco County...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/12/25

Weekly Media Roundup: February 5, 2025

Claysburg-Kimmel Touts New Programs for Students, Altoona Mirror (Pennsylvania) Students at the Bulldog After-School Club in Claysburg, Pennsylvania are participating in new educational activities with a Beam mobile projector that transforms the center into an interactive visual playground. The...

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Weekly Media Roundup: January 29, 2025

Afterschool Program Introduces West Columbia Students to Technology, The Facts (Texas) Students at West Columbia Elementary in Texas are taking part in hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities in the new Robocatters afterschool program, which already has a long...

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Weekly Media Roundup: January 22, 2025

Another Year, Another Long Waitlist for BUSD After-School Program, Berkeleyside (California) Due to ongoing staffing shortages, more than 200 students are currently waitlisted for afterschool programs at Berkeley Unified School District. Parents in the district’s PTA Collaborative on...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/22/25

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New 4-H Program Will Bring STEAM to Area Students, KNEB (Nebraska) Students in rural Expanding Learning Opportunity programs in Nebraska are exploring aerospace, electronics, engineering, robotics and more thanks to a partnership with 4-H. The Think Make Create Lab is a six-by-12 mobile trailer...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/15/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 8, 2025

Parks and Recreation Secures Grant to Bring Physical Activity Education to Youth in Afterschool Program, WBIW (Indiana) More than 50 students in the Banneker Afterschool program in Bloomington, Indiana are taking part in fun physical activities this year led by Indiana University School of...

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Weekly Media Roundup: December 18, 2024

Mason City YMCA Teaching Social and Emotional Skills to Kids, News-Press Now (Iowa) Students in the Mason City YMCA afterschool program in Iowa practice communication, emotional regulation, empathy and more in twice-weekly social and emotional learning sessions, learning, for instance, to take...

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Weekly Media Roundup: December 11, 2024

Usher Helps Cut Ribbon On New Content Studio at Metro Boys and Girls, WSB-TV (Georgia) This week, superstar Usher visited the Whitehead Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta, Georgia, to unveil a new content studio he donated featuring soundboards, mics, computers and other audio equipment. The...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      12/11/24