Weekly Media Roundup: March 27, 2024

The Opp Helps Mr. Calloway’s Students Thrive, Tulsa Kids (Oklahoma)

Thanks to support from The Opportunity Project, students at the Culinary Arts afterschool program at East Central Middle School in Tulsa, Oklahoma are practicing cooking techniques while also learning about budgeting and healthy eating habits. Christian Calloway, an East Central Middle School teacher, created the cooking program based on the students’ interest and incorporates recipes using common food bank ingredients since many of the families receive donated food. “The kids are here until 6 or 7 at night, so we’re able to send them home with food at a low cost that has helped them,” Calloway told Tulsa Kids. “They talk about how much they love the club and ask what they’re going to cook next.” The Opportunity Project collaborates with teachers to support school-based afterschool and summer programs in Tulsa.

Some States Fill the Void as Post-Pandemic Federal After-School Program Funds Disappear, Youth Today

As federal COVID relief funds dry up, many afterschool programs such as the Del Norte Teen Center in Santa Fe worry how they will stay afloat. “There’s going to be a loss of programs in the coming months, and it’s definitely going to impact the families that need it the most,” Chris Neitzey, the Afterschool Alliance’s director of state policy, told Youth Today. Across the country, 20 states have earmarked a total of $107 million for out-of-school time programs to help fill the gap. Still, advocates warn that more federal-level funding is needed. “The states don’t have enough, frankly, to sustain all these investments with their state dollars,” Neitzey said.

CAPPA Brings Saturday After-School Program Back, Williamsport Sun Gazette (Pennsylvania)

On Saturdays at CAPPA (Community Alliance for Progressive Positive Action) in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, younger students are connecting with college student mentors, getting tutoring, learning about Caribbean percussion and more. The program is a partnership with Lycoming College’s Black Student Union, whose members tutor and offer arts enrichment to students at Cochran Primary School, culminating in an annual Performing Arts Showcase. “The showcase gives students an opportunity to share the work, to build self-esteem, and it’s a chance to share what they’ve been working on with the public,” CAPPA Founder and Executive Director Loni Gamble told the Williamsport Sun Gazette.

Dallas afterschool program receives $1M donation from Mackenzie Scott, CBS News (Texas)

In her continuing support of afterschool programs, philanthropist Mackenzie Scott donated $1 million to Dallas Afterschool. The non-profit organization collaborates with out-of-school time programs in Dallas County, Texas which provide services to 17,000 students. “Currently, there are more than 100,000 children in Dallas County who are in need of a quality afterschool program,” Marjorie Murat, CEO of Dallas Afterschool, told CBS News. “This gift will help expand our services, curriculum development and reach to ensure all children have safe and equitable access to out-of-school time care and instruction.” Scott’s Yield Giving Open Call awarded $1 million grants to 250 programs across the county that uplift families facing economic insecurity and/or discrimination.