Weekly Media Roundup: June 11, 2025

Out-of-School Programs’ Role in Reversing Chronic Absenteeism, Future Ed

Recent research finds that for three out of four school district leaders, chronic absenteeism is a top concern, and when students miss more than 10 percent of the school year, it affects learning for all kids. Out-of-school time programs have an important role to play in solving this complex problem, Emma Banay of the Overdeck Family Foundation, Hedy N. Chang of Attendance Works, and Jodi Grant of the Afterschool Alliance argue in a recent guest column for Future Ed. “High-quality out-of-school programs address the problem in three ways: they make learning exciting and fun by offering hands-on experiences; they provide students the opportunity to explore topics they care about; and they give students mentorship from trusted adults,” Banay, Chang and Grant write. “If states are serious about reducing chronic absenteeism, they should see out-of-school programs as essential partners, not expendable extras.”

Whitman Students Learn Life Skills Caring for Chickens in Unique After-School Program, WJLA (Virginia)

In Alexandria, Virginia, students attending Whitman Middle School’s afterschool program are raising chickens in the school’s courtyard, tending to them each afternoon, cleaning the coop, feeding the chickens and gathering their eggs to sell. The program initially started as a one-time chick hatching experiment with the local 4-H but has become a favorite part of the afterschool program. “As [the eggs] started to hatch, the students had a renewed interest in them,” afterschool program specialist Lee McGuire told WJLA. “There was a whole new dynamic that the students were showing as they interacted with the chickens. [The students] were calmer, their faces lit up. A lot of them were able to connect with the chickens in a completely different way.” Through this popular hands-on program, students learn biology, agriculture and the value of teamwork.

Parents say Mayor Adams' Afterschool for All Must Include Students with Disabilities, Gothamist (New York)

Last Thursday, students, parents and advocates for students with disabilities rallied outside City Hall, calling on New York City Mayor Eric Adams to include busing provisions in his “Afterschool for All” plan so more students have access to out-of-school time programs. In April, the mayor announced his plan to provide afterschool programming to an additional 20,000 students over the next three years. Lucas Healy, a high school student with autism, said during the rally, “[Students with disabilities] still need the busing because they can’t travel independently. They miss out on the plays, the sports, the clubs and the general opportunity to make new friends and have new experiences.” The current bus contract, set to expire at the end of the month, does not include late afternoon service.

The Boys & Girls Club of Door County Receives Grant to Support Adventure, Door County Daily News (Wisconsin)

This summer, more than 150 students in the Boys & Girls Club of Door County’s Camp LeVoy summer learning program will take part in outdoor activities at a local nature preserve, a public garden, an historic farm and more. The adventure excursions are made possible by a grant from the Door County Community Foundation that covers transportation “We really want the kiddos to see their full potential and offer them different opportunities, and our mission is to inspire young people to explore what’s possible. Thanks to this generous grant we are able to get them out of the Clubhouse and into our community and see the different opportunities within Door County,” Boys & Girls Club of Door County Development Director Kacie Mueller told the Door County Daily News.