Weekly Media Roundup: May 21, 2025

Funding Crisis Threatens After-School Programs in Charlotte, WCNC-TV (North Carolina)

With pandemic relief funds ending and federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC) under threat, many afterschool programs across the country are concerned they will be forced to close their doors. One such program is ourBRIDGE, a free afterschool program in Charlotte, North Carolina that currently has 100 students on its waiting list. "Afterschool programs are crucial, not just for the kids and their development but also for working parents. Having a space where the kids are safe and taken care of is really important for the well-being and the stability of the family,” ourBRIDGE Executive Director and Afterschool Alliance Afterschool Ambassador Sil Ganzo told WCNC-TV. “It's very stressful. The federal funding is crucial. There's a lot of uncertainty.”

Opportunity Can’t Wait: Why Arizona’s Workforce Development Must Begin Before High School, Fountain Hills Times Independent (Arizona)

In a recent guest column for the Fountain Hills Times Independent, Ivan Gilreath, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale, notes that with the influx of manufacturing and high-tech corporations into Arizona, the need for skilled workers is great. “To fill the pipeline of talent needed for this new economy, we must invest in afterschool programs and community partnerships that make this kind of well-rounded development possible,” Gilreath writes. Afterschool programs often provide engaging science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities, mentorship and opportunities not available during the school day. “We have a window of opportunity to shape a generation that is not only technically capable but emotionally resilient, collaborative and visionary.”

Centerville Schools to Partner with YMCA on Child Care Program Next School Year, Dayton Daily News (Ohio)

Through a new partnership with the YMCA of Greater Dayton, Ohio, the Centerville school district will offer additional out-of-school time programs at its five elementary schools. “This includes providing multiple care options, such as before-school care and emergency care within our buildings,” Superintendent Jon Wesney told the Dayton Daily News. The new program will also be more affordable for families than the district’s previous offerings.

Franklin County Educator Urges Lawmakers to Protect Federal Funding for Afterschool Programs, Saint Albans Messenger (Vermont)

Earlier this month, LEAPS project director Heather Moore traveled to Washington, D.C. as part of the Afterschool for All Challenge to urge U.S. Representative Becca Balint and Senators Peter Welch and Bernie Sanders to protect federal funding for afterschool. Moore highlighted how LEAPS’ afterschool programs help Vermont students succeed while supporting working parents and emphasized that cuts to federal afterschool funding would be devastating for students and families alike. “They were all very supportive and very encouraged by the breadth of what our afterschool programs provide, from board games and art projects all the way up through career education,” Moore told the Saint Albans Messenger.