Weekly Media Roundup: March 30, 2022

This Louisville Nonprofit Focuses on Emotional Growth, Mentorship for Local Youth, Spectrum News 1 (Kentucky)

At the Sowing Seeds with Faith afterschool program in Louisville, Kentucky, students are encouraged to express themselves through art, dance and music while forming strong relationships with their University of Louisville student mentors. “I want them to know they have many ways to express themselves in times of need, and times of excitement, and times of joy, and in times of hurt,” Founder Da’Marrion Fleming told Spectrum News 1. In addition to its afterschool program, Sowing Seeds with Faith also sponsors weekend events and summer camps.

At Acushnet Elementary School, Yoga Takes Youngsters Down a Notch, South Coast Today (Massachusetts)

After nearly 20 years without an afterschool program, Acushnet Elementary School in Acushnet, Massachusetts is providing an enriching afterschool program that includes yoga, science and gardening, thanks to financial support from the Elementary and Secondary School Early Relief Fund. Approximately half of the school’s students attend the popular afterschool program. “This has been teacher-led and our staff are strong advocates for promoting these activities as they know it's a great thing for kids,” Acushnet Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Paula Bailey told South Coast Today. “Teachers have been happy to have fun after school with a variety of students and showcase their skills that aren't necessarily showcased in everyday teaching. The climate has been amazing.”

Cool Schools: Program Allows Students of Color to Get a Jump Start in STEM Careers, 9 News (Colorado)

In the Colorado Association of Black Professional Engineers and Scientists’ (CABPES) Junior Engineers, Tomorrow’s Scientists (J.E.T.S) afterschool program, minority students in fifth through 12th grade take part in hands-on lessons with professionals in civil engineering, robotics, aerospace engineering, architecture and more. The program aims to help students of color, who are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, explore and prepare for careers in STEM. “What better way to get these kids interested in STEM than bringing them into an after-school program like CABPES, so that they can work with and learn from professionals of color that look like them, that have gone through some of the same things they’ve gone through and live in the communities that they live in,” President and Executive Director Dewey Brigham Jr., Ph. D., told 9 News.

Whitehall YMCA Program for Middle School Students First of its Kind in Greater Columbus, The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio)

At the start of each week, students in the Whitehall Community Park YMCA afterschool program take part in “Mindful Monday” activities, such as working in teams to give group presentations on a topic of their choosing. The program offers a wide variety of activities to help students discover their interests and develop leadership skills, including video production, guitar, robotics, and more. Families pay just $10 each semester thanks to funding from the city of Columbus. “The city funds it because it’s a really big priority for us,” Whitehall Parks and Recreation Department Director Shannon Sorrell told the Columbus Dispatch. “There was this recurring message from our community — that our kids needed something to do.”