Weekly Media Roundup: March 1, 2023

Why He’s the Youth of the Year Out of This Columbus Club’s 2,500 Members, Ledger-Enquirer (Georgia)

When high school senior Elijah Adams joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley’s afterschool program in fourth grade, he improved his grades, stopped engaging in risky behaviors, and eventually took on numerous leadership opportunities, including Keystone Club community service projects and coaching younger students in flag football and basketball. Now, Adams has been named the Club’s Youth of the Year for his leadership, service, academic excellence and healthy lifestyles and he was also awarded a full scholarship to Columbus Technical College. Adams plans to study sports management and hopes to one day open a youth sports complex so more students have a safe, enriching place to go after school. “[The afterschool program] is a wonderful place for you to be able to do stuff you like. And it’s also beneficial for you school-wise and entertainment-wise,” Adams told the Ledger-Enquirer. “A lot of people that know me have helped me, like all my mentors. I thank them for stepping up.”

How After-School Programs Improve Educational Outcomes, The Daily Sentinel (Colorado)

In a recent guest column for the Daily Sentinel, Riverside Educational Center (REC) Special Projects Director Kristen Lummis shared that demand for the center’s free afterschool program has surged since the pandemic hit. The program now serves more than 1,100 students at all grade levels, providing daily snacks, outdoor activities, opportunities to explore college and career options, and science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) programming. “As our local community knows well, education funding in Colorado is lacking…. Investments in community-based programs like REC are filling the gap some. And while our programming demands constant fundraising to be sustainable, the benefits to individual students and our entire community are worth it,” Lummis wrote.

Spring Comes Early with Family Focus Student Arts Showcase, Evanston Round Table (Illinois)

For 41 years, JoAnn Avery has inspired children to learn and broaden their horizons at the Family Focus After School Program in Evanston, Illinois. As program manager, she has developed partnerships with Northwestern University, the Identity Performing Arts program and other community organizations to provide unique opportunities for students including college visits, Spanish language enrichment programs, ballet and African dance classes, and much more. “[My son has] been in the program since this past summer, and he’s been going after school this year. This program is full of wonderful enrichment activities for the children, and this is a prime example of one of the many things that Miss JoAnn puts together. It’s phenomenal,” parent Erica Holman told Evanston Round Table during the program’s annual arts showcase event.

Spectrum Presents Digital Education Grant to After-School All-Stars Ohio, Spectrum News (Ohio)

Thanks to a $28,000 Spectrum Digital grant, After-School All-Stars Ohio is expanding its science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) offerings to include Code Ninjas and theCoderSchool. “Coding builds and strengthens kids’ logic, math, problem-solving and critical thinking skills to prepare them for the future in a fun and engaging way,” After-School All-Stars Ohio Executive Director Tracy Ensign told Spectrum News. After-School All-Stars Ohio provides free afterschool programs to students in underserved and high-risk communities in Columbus and Toledo, Ohio.