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Weekly Media Roundup: April 12, 2023

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Weekly Media Roundup: April 12, 2023

Schools Used ESSER Funds for After-School Programs. What Happens When the Money Runs Out? Education Week

With the assistance of ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funding, afterschool and summer programs throughout the country were able to expand and serve a greater number of students during the pandemic. But the federal COVID relief funding will expire in September 2024, and programs are faced with finding new funding streams to sustain their programs. Nikki Gillani of ACT Now Illinois acknowledges the importance of community-based partnerships to maintain successful, long-term programming. “Partnering is really the most sustainable way of moving forward because you’re not losing those opportunities once ESSER funding runs out. That organization will still be there and those opportunities will still be there,” Gillani told Education Week. Programs also plan to explore other potential funding opportunities through various federal and state education agencies, and advocates are calling on local, state and federal leaders to expand funding for afterschool.

Career and Technical Education Needs a Mental Health Revolution, Chalkbeat

Recognizing the need to offer a comprehensive high school afterschool program, occupational therapist Michele Morgan launched the Scratch the Surface program six years ago with Warren Woods Public Schools in Warren, Michigan. The afterschool program offers vocational training and art programming designed to build crucial social and emotional learning skills for at-risk students. In a recent guest column in Chalkbeat, Morgan writes: “Through the power of mindfulness, my students have learned to process their feelings in a constructive way at school. This has allowed them to refocus on developing job skills and preparing for career success.”

Can After-School Programs Help Children Recover From the Pandemic?, EdSurge

Free mental health counseling at After School Matters in Chicago and youth public speaking competitions at Downtown Boxing Gym in Detroit are just two of the innovative ways afterschool programs across the country are helping students re-engage and recover from the pandemic. Afterschool programs provide “an opportunity to have healthy relationships with peers and caring adults and mentors. And so much of that was lost during the pandemic, as well as the academic piece,” Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant told EdSurge. But research shows unmet demand for afterschool has soared. In response, the U.S. Department of Education launched the Engage Every Student Initiative to encourage school districts and states to partner with community-based organizations and invest funds from the American Rescue Plan in afterschool.

How a Lack of After-School Care Defined a Single Father’s Life, Voice of San Diego (California)

Jared Goossens spent a year on a waitlist trying to secure a spot in an afterschool program for his 7-year-old. Without after school care, he lost his job in construction, had to turn down a job offer from the United States Postal Service, and struggled to make ends meet by delivering food part-time. Finally, an increase in state funding enabled his son’s school district to significantly expand the number of slots available at the PrimeTime afterschool program. “It wasn’t just Jared, that got off the waiting list, it was nearly 1,500 kids who now have access,” San Diego Unified School Board Vice President Shana Hazan told Voice of San Diego. “This reflects this systematic prioritization of providing high-quality after-school programming to all our kids who need it, and we’re continuing to do more and more of it.” Goossens told Voice of San Diego his son loves his new program. Goossens himself has accepted a job working in construction, but he feels more investment is needed to ensure others don’t face the challenges he did.

Weekly Media Roundup: February 26, 2025

Discover How the Leaps After School Program is Transforming Lives at Harrison Elementary, News Channel 9 (Tennessee) At Harrison Elementary’s Leaps After School Program in Chattanooga, Tennessee, students are publishing a newspaper focusing on Black historical figures to be displayed...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/26/25

Weekly Media Roundup: February 19, 2025

Durham Teens Fight for After-School Program Funding Amid Youth Gun Violence: 'My Safe Space,' ABC 11 (North Carolina) In Durham, North Carolina, teenagers rallied together to urge Durham City Council members to increase funding for afterschool programs, sharing how critical these...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/19/25

Weekly Media Roundup: February 12, 2025

'He Invests His Own Money': After School Program Started by Pasco School Employee Still Going Strong, WFTS-TV (Florida) In the 1980s, Eugene Scott founded an afterschool program called This Is How We Do It to provide food, music, dance, mentorship and more to students in his Pasco County...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/12/25

Weekly Media Roundup: February 5, 2025

Claysburg-Kimmel Touts New Programs for Students, Altoona Mirror (Pennsylvania) Students at the Bulldog After-School Club in Claysburg, Pennsylvania are participating in new educational activities with a Beam mobile projector that transforms the center into an interactive visual playground. The...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/05/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 29, 2025

Afterschool Program Introduces West Columbia Students to Technology, The Facts (Texas) Students at West Columbia Elementary in Texas are taking part in hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities in the new Robocatters afterschool program, which already has a long...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/29/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 22, 2025

Another Year, Another Long Waitlist for BUSD After-School Program, Berkeleyside (California) Due to ongoing staffing shortages, more than 200 students are currently waitlisted for afterschool programs at Berkeley Unified School District. Parents in the district’s PTA Collaborative on...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/22/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 15, 2025

New 4-H Program Will Bring STEAM to Area Students, KNEB (Nebraska) Students in rural Expanding Learning Opportunity programs in Nebraska are exploring aerospace, electronics, engineering, robotics and more thanks to a partnership with 4-H. The Think Make Create Lab is a six-by-12 mobile trailer...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/15/25

Weekly Media Roundup: January 8, 2025

Parks and Recreation Secures Grant to Bring Physical Activity Education to Youth in Afterschool Program, WBIW (Indiana) More than 50 students in the Banneker Afterschool program in Bloomington, Indiana are taking part in fun physical activities this year led by Indiana University School of...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/08/25

Weekly Media Roundup: December 18, 2024

Mason City YMCA Teaching Social and Emotional Skills to Kids, News-Press Now (Iowa) Students in the Mason City YMCA afterschool program in Iowa practice communication, emotional regulation, empathy and more in twice-weekly social and emotional learning sessions, learning, for instance, to take...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      12/18/24

Weekly Media Roundup: December 11, 2024

Usher Helps Cut Ribbon On New Content Studio at Metro Boys and Girls, WSB-TV (Georgia) This week, superstar Usher visited the Whitehead Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta, Georgia, to unveil a new content studio he donated featuring soundboards, mics, computers and other audio equipment. The...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      12/11/24