Weekly Media Roundup: June 16, 2021

Dance Program Sparks Joy While Teaching Cultural Diversity, WABC-TV (New York)

Students at the Dance to Unite afterschool programs learn about various cultures through the art of dance. The program includes students from 11 different schools, and each day begins with a lesson about kindness. “We have Indian dance, we have hip hop, we have jazz, African dance, Chinese dance, flamenco,” Founder Galit Adani told WABC-TV. “Teach and celebrate cultural diversity, that's the most important thing. The dance is the vehicle, it's not the goal. If they become professional dancers, awesome.”

Teaching Fellows Get Hands-On Instruction with Students, The Business Journal (California)

This fall, the California Teaching Fellows Foundation plans to hire nearly 500 college students interested in education to work at afterschool programs in the Fresno Valley. “One of our main interests is to help local school districts to build a pipeline of future teachers and educators,” Mike Snell, CEO of California Teaching Fellows Foundation, told The Business Journal. “School districts identified programs they want to work to build, so the majority of our funding is for college students to work in afterschool programs that provide tutoring, mentorship, physical education and other services like social and emotional support.”

Summer Learning Labs Aim To Combat Lost Instruction In Marion County Due To Pandemic., WFYI (Indiana)

This summer, The Mind Trust, a nonprofit, is teaming up with the United Way of Central Indiana and multiple school districts to create five-week, full-day “summer learning lab” programs at 39 sites across Marion County. For the first half of each day, students will work with teachers on reading and math skills. Then, students will spend each afternoon exploring fun, engaging enrichment activities such as coding, theater, and dance, take field trips to local sports events, and more. The programs aim to address students’ academic and social and emotional needs. “Students will have time and space to interact with their peers, learn appropriate interaction with their peers, and also just express their emotions and feelings about the world around them and in their personal lives,” BELIEVE Circle City High School Dean of Students Jawn Manning told WFYI.

Teen Center Granted $10,000 for Afterschool Program, The Reflector (Washington)

At the Rocksolid Community Teen Center afterschool program in Brush Prairie, Washington, students in grades 5-12 develop organizational skills, learn about financial literacy,  connect with mentors, take field trips, explore fun activities such as baking, do community service projects and more. The program recently received a $10,000 grant from the Taco Bell Foundation to develop students’ healthy habits and leadership skills. “We were so excited to know that financial piece was coming in and that we can continue to do good work with kids,” Executive Director Marcy Sprecher told the Reflector.