Weekly Media Roundup: October 18, 2023

Participation in Boston Summer Learning Programs Reached All-Time High This Year, WBUR (Massachusetts)

This past summer, nearly one in four Boston youths between the ages of five and 14 participated in the city’s educational summer programs and many of the programs were provided at no cost. “I honestly believe it’s the way to get our kids back and beyond where they were prior to the pandemic,” Massachusetts Education Commissioner Jeff Riley told WBUR. “The safe, trusting and nurturing environments that [schools and centers] are creating are just what our kids need right now, more than ever before.” The Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education plans to financially support summer programs next year and are exploring revenue sources to help sustain these popular programs.

After School Programs Receive Donations for Digital Literacy, Wyoming Tribune Eagle (Wyoming)

Thanks to a $15,000 donation from AT&T, students at the After School for Kids (ASK) program in Cheyenne, Wyoming and the Boys & Girls Club of Cheyenne will learn coding, typing and cybersecurity. “A lot of people assume that our kids have everything that they need when they go to school, and that’s not true,” Justin Pendleton, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Cheyenne, told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. “A lot of our kids, when they leave the school building, they don’t have access to the technology that is needed to do their homework to continue to grow as young adults.” Each program also received 50 computers to donate to students.

Homegrown Hillsborough Gives Everyone a Chance to Grow Their Own Food, WFTS-TV (Florida)

At the SEEDFOLKids afterschool program in Tampa, Florida, elementary schoolers are learning to plant, harvest and cook their own food. The program is part of a network of organizations, Homegrown Hillsborough, which aim to combat food insecurity, provide nutrition education, and promote food justice at a systems level. “We think it's important that kids really understand where food comes from and that they have the power within themselves to create their own destinies [once they understand], ‘I can create my own food,’” SEEDFOLKids founder Jeanette Bradley told WFTS-TV.

Maui YMCA Launches After-School Program for Keiki Affected by Maui Wildfires, Lahaina News (Hawaii)
Students who have been displaced by the Maui wildfires are taking part in theater, dance, physical activities, tutoring and more at the Maui Family YMCA’s afterschool program in Lahaina. With funding from the Maui Strong Fund, the program serves more than 200 students who are temporarily housed at the Westin Hotel and provides transportation from students’ distance learning hubs. “Getting our kids engaged and back to some sense of normalcy is so important. We are happy to partner with the Westin and other organizations to provide a safe and fun haven for our keiki,” Maui Family YMCA CEO Mike Morris told the Lahaina News. “We are grateful for the support of the Hawai’i Community Foundation to make it all happen.”