Weekly Media Roundup: May 17, 2023

Clark County School District After-School Transportation Option Returns for Summer Season, KLAS (Nevada)

After a three years hiatus, the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada is once again able to provide transportation from their summer school sessions at 27 area public schools to the Boys & Girls Clubs afterschool programs. “It’s super crucial that kids have a place to go whether it’s after school or during the summer when there are breaks,” Nicole Snytsheuvel, the director of clubhouse operations at the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada, told KLAS. “We have different programs that reinforce what the kids are learning in the schools, and we provide a fun and safe place for them to be. That way parents can work knowing their kids are being taken care of and fed.”

From Accessible Gathering Spaces to Educational Opportunities, Young Chicagoans Share Their Hopes for Brandon Johnson’s Administration, WTTW (Illinois)

During a panel discussion on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, several Chicago youths talked about their desires for change in the city and the message they’d like to send to newly elected Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “Educating the youth is educating the next generation of leaders, educating the next generation of environmentalists, activists, entrepreneurs,” 17-year-old Kentin London said. “More investments into schools and programs that help cultivate the new minds of the next generation. After school programs, summer programs … abroad studies. Those opportunities for youth would be, I think, an excellent investment.” Fourteen-year-old Kaziah Burks would like more engaging, safe activities to help keep kids off the streets. “There is so much going on in our city and with all of the gun violence and everything that is going on around us, it is hindering us from becoming what we could be. And I feel that if we had the opportunities and the connections where everyone had it, the city will look better as a whole and us young people, we can turn into better people ourselves.”

Future Ready Afterschool Program Celebrates Students’ College Decisions, News 10 (New York)

Approximately 700 students from 57 schools in the Rochester, New York area attend Encompass Future Ready afterschool programs, which provide mentorship, academic support and college preparation. This month, Future Ready held a celebration to honor its graduating seniors’ college decisions. “Future Ready is a big part of my success because, without Future Ready, I would have never filed a college application,” student Mekhi Henderson told News 10. “Also, with Future Ready, they also pay for your college application and do a college application side-by-side. So whenever you need help or have a question, they’ll be right there to assist you.”

Stanly County Schools, Albemarle Parks and Recreation Partner for Summer Learning Opportunity, The Stanly News & Press (North Carolina)

Thanks to a 21st Century Community Learning Center Summer Mini Grant, North Carolina’s Stanly County Schools will partner with Albemarle Parks and Recreation to provide a robust learning program for middle schoolers this summer. The program, Project Next Step, will include hands-on technology activities, wellness activities, academic support, field trips and more. “Parks and Rec is a vital part of bridging the gap between the academic needs and the physical needs of students,” Lisa Kiser, director of Albemarle Parks and Recreation, told the Stanly News & Press. “We are happy to partner with Stanly County Schools on this summer program.”