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 programs are to keeping their community safe and enabling students to thrive. “I used to have this thought in my head like, ‘dang, am I going to make it to see 16?’” a 16-year-old student named Joel told ABC 11. “I was scared because I didn't know what was next for me... being who I am, just being from Durham, being a young black man in Durham, there's a lot of challenges that I'm up against.” Joel considers POOF Teen Center’s afterschool program his “safe space.” “It made it easier for me to navigate through certain situations in life.”

Dillingham Students Explore Culture Through Hands-On Lessons in After-School Program, KOLG (Alaska)

Earlier this month, elementary students in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program at Dillingham Elementary in Alaska carved wolves and bears from soapstone while learning the history of carved hunting tools, bowls, and art in the area. The activity was part of the program’s monthly culture lessons, which are designed to help students develop healthy identities. “The cultural activities are very important to teach the kids who they are and who the people are in their community,” teacher Deanna Baier told KOLG. “It connects them to the land and to each other.” The program also offers literacy support, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities, homework help, and more.

SPPS' Freedom School Express Empowers Scholars, KARE 11 (Minnesota)

During the 1964 Freedom Summer civil rights movement, community leaders created “Freedom Schools” to provide educational opportunities to children of color amidst a segregated and unequal school system. Today, the Children’s Defense Fund continues that legacy through “Freedom Schools” afterschool and summer programs across the country. At one program in Saint Paul, Mississippi, students take part in activities ranging from origami to choir, while connecting with mentors and building confidence. “We use affirmations in a culturally responsive way," Dr. Darcel Hill told KARE 11. "It's not remedial, it's very rigorous. It's the Common Core Standards Minnesota state standards, but in an active, wonderful, fun way, because our books and materials are written by people of color and our children see themselves in the books, the materials, and also in the staff."

Annual Valentine's Sneaker Ball Keeps After-School Programs Affordable for Families in Thomasville, ABC 27 (Georgia)

At the Marguerite Neel Williams Boys & Girls Club in Thomasville, Georgia, students get homework assistance, mentorship opportunities, life-skills programming through its Smart Girls program, and more in a safe, nurturing environment. Thanks to its annual Valentine’s Sneaker Ball fundraiser, the afterschool program provides scholarships to families in need. Jordan, a parent of a child with autism, told ABC 27, “[My daughter] was nonverbal, semi-nonverbal when she started, and being in this program changed both of our lives tremendously. She is now fully functional and very outspoken.”