Weekly Media Roundup: October 21, 2020

Esther Elonga: Afterschool Programs Even More Important During a Pandemic, New Hampshire Union Leader (New Hampshire)

When Esther Elonga came to the United States as a refugee at the age of 16, she found community, academic support, help with English language skills and more at an afterschool program funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative. Soon, as a junior in high school, Elonga began tutoring younger students in the program and led activities to help students explore their interests. Today she is a student at Harvard University and continues to advocate for afterschool programs. In a recent guest column for the New Hampshire Union Leader, she wrote, “I encourage everyone to support afterschool programming, without it many students would be left behind both academically and socially. Please reach out to your representatives and senators to advocate for 21st Century Community Learning Centers and all after-school care programs.”

Youth Development Center Takes After-School Program Online, WNEM (Michigan)

At the ROCK Youth Development Center’s newly launched virtual afterschool program, students in Saginaw, Michigan, get help with homework, do yoga, participate in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities, and more. The center created the online program to help more middle and high school students reach their potential during the pandemic.  “One of the things that’s really great about our programs is we have strong mentors on our staff,” Director of Development Kylie Anderson told WNEM. “So the young people really value the relationship they can build with that person.”

Middle School Students Constructing Butterfly Safe Haven in Schuylkill County, WBRE (Pennsylvania)

To develop students’ interest in science and engage them with the community, the Achieve afterschool program in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania has launched a multi-year project to build a monarch waystation. First, students researched monarch migration patterns and the importance of pollinators. Then, they advocated for permission from the district to build the station on school grounds. Now students are working on building the station itself, which can be used as a ‘living lab’ for years to come. “I feel like I’m a part of helping butterflies and bees pollinate,” sixth grader Hannah Brase told WBRE.

Kalamazoo Youth Share Concerns, Ask Questions to Michigan Political Candidates, WKZO (Michigan)

Middle and high school students in the STREET Afterschool Program and other community programs in Kalamazoo, Michigan engaged candidates for public office in conversation about a wide variety of issues at an online forum last week. Hosted by Michigan’s Children, the Kalamazoo Youth Development Network (KYD Network), and the Michigan Center for Youth Justice, the event aimed to lift youth voices and concerns while increasing students’ civic engagement. Topics included wealth inequality, mental health, the environment, gun violence, school re-openings, and more. “It’s critically important that decision makers, policymakers and elected officials hear directly from young people about the issues they’re facing in their everyday lives, so they can make better informed decisions and prioritize these issues,” Matt Gillard, CEO of Michigan’s Children, told WKZO.