Weekly Media Roundup: May 25, 2022

YMCA’s “Find My Genius” Now an After-School Program, Citizens Journal (California)

With a grant from California’s Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, the Southeast Ventura County YMCA has transformed its Find My Genius summer enrichment program into an afterschool program for Conejo Valley elementary schools. This spring, the five-week pilot program is providing educational, social and emotional support along with homework help to Title 1 students and English-language learners each day after school. “It’s been our dream to offer Find My Genius during the school year,” Megan Glynn, YMCA’s Chief Development Officer, told the Citizens Journal. “This is the first step.” Next fall, the YMCA will partner with Conejo Valley Unified and Las Virgenes Unified school districts to offer Find My Genius at even more schools.

New Program Aims to Stop Gun Violence at Albuquerque High School, KRQE (New Mexico)

The Albuquerque, New Mexico, Community Safety Department is launching a pilot anti-violence program at West Mesa High School that provides afterschool programming as well as a case manager for students at risk for gun violence. The program was developed in response to increased violence at local schools. “One of the limitations that West Mesa was seeing was that their consolers [who] are in school already and doing a wonderful job at primary prevention, cannot always do that intensive work with the families at home,” Albuquerque Community Safety Violence Intervention Deputy Director Gerri Bachicha told KRQE. Participants include students returning to school after long-term suspensions or expulsions.

New afterschool program models a Rockford area summer program, Northern Public Radio (Illinois)

Since 2020, the New Genres Art Space, Fairgrounds Boys & Girls Club, and Rockford Area Arts Council have offered the NEW WAYS summer program to give students exposure to digital art, animation, 3-D design, printing, and more. “We only hit a percentage of the students who are at the Boys and Girls Club in the summer. Right? It's hit or miss. People are outside playing football, going on vacation, things like that,” New Genres Co-Founder Jason Judd told Northern Public Radio. But now, thanks to a $50,000 Regrow grant, funded by the City of Rockford’s 3% tax on adult-use cannabis sales, organizers will offer these activities as an afterschool program at the Fairgrounds Boys & Girls Club beginning in September.

New after school program in Hopewell gives youth alternative environment after school, NBC12 (Virginia)

The WELL (Wisdom, Equity, Love and Laughter) afterschool program has opened in Hopewell, thanks to a partnership between the Hopewell City Council and Hopewell School Board. The program provides a safe space, a kitchen and coffee shop where student learn from chefs how to cook, mentoring, job training, a study room, state-of-the-art game room, weight room, and more. “It’s definitely needed in our city,” Hopewell Public Schools Superintendent Melody Hackney told NBC12. “We’re a small city. Some of the kids just find themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time.” The school system is providing transportation to the free program, which already has a waiting list.