Weekly Media Roundup: November 1, 2023

Battle Creek Students Display Importance of Afterschool Programs with 'Lights On' March, Battle Creek Enquirer (Michigan)

For Lights On Afterschool, students of all ages marched through Battle Creek, Michigan with hand-drawn signs calling for “afterschool for all.” Michigan State Representative Jim Haadsma joined the rally and celebration, which was organized by Battle Creek Public Schools’ 21st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool program. More than 300 students participate in the program, which offers mentors, robotics, homework help, chess, nutrition classes and more. “(21st Century) gives students a voice,” Freddie McGee, director of extended learning programs for Battle Creek Public Schools, told the Battle Creek Enquirer. “It gives them a chance to be with other students, with other adults, getting academics and getting enrichment and most importantly, building lifelong relationships. That is what it's all about.”

'Lights On Afterschool' Celebrates After School Programming Across the Bay Area, KTVU (California)

At Bay Area Community Resources (BACR)’s Lights On Afterschool celebrations last week, middle schoolers competed against their teachers in volleyball and elementary schoolers held a fashion show. BACR’s free afterschool programs provide art, sports, dance and more. California lawmakers recently invested $4 billion in afterschool programs, and California State Assembly member Mia Bonta attended the volleyball match to highlight the importance of afterschool. Eighth grader Allyson Del Rio Vega told KTVU that in the afterschool program, “I can try something new that I've never tried before, and I can make more new friends.”

Inflation, Staff Shortages Mean Fewer Kids Are Participating in After-School Meal Programs, Marketplace

For some students, the meals served at afterschool programs are essential. However, fewer students are being served dinner after school, according to a recent report from the Food Research & Action Center. Between 2021 and 2022, afterschool meals fell by nearly one-fourth, the largest decline since the meal program’s creation over a decade ago. The decline is attributed to both staffing shortages and inflation. “I think having a meal after school before they have their homework, and having the time to eat that meal, impacts their mood,” Walter Campbell, Charleston County School District’s Executive Director of Nutrition Services told Marketplace. The requirement that 50 percent of a school’s students need to qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch adds an additional barrier for schools to participate in the afterschool meals program.

Jennings Recreation Center Reopens After Months of Staffing Shortages, Fox 55 (Indiana)

After being closed for two months due to staffing shortages, the Jennings Recreation Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana has reopened its afterschool program. The center relied on college students to staff its summer program but had difficulty finding replacements once the students returned to school. Staff members from other departments stepped in to help reopen the afterschool program after community members voiced their support and reliance on the program to Parks and Recreation Director Steve McDaniel. “We all agreed that it’s best for the kids, it’s best for the community, and we’re able to do it,” McDaniel told Fox 55, “...I keep pushing for [more] staff.”