Weekly Media Roundup: October 14, 2015

After-School Program Teaches Science to Kids (Casper Star-Tribune, Wyoming)

Students in the John Wold Help Yourself Academy recently visited Casper College to build rockets, make tin can telephones and test the absorbency of paper towels. About 80 third- through fifth-grade students from around Casper take part in the afterschool program, which promotes hands-on learning and using the scientific method. Help Yourself isn’t the only program working to improve Wyoming students’ STEM abilities – Verda James Elementary School has held an afterschool Lego robotics class for 12 years, harnessing kids’ natural curiosity to engage them in learning. “That scientific inquiry, it lends itself to so many other aspects of learning,” Verda James Principal Kevin Pagett told the Casper Star-Tribune. “It’s not a separated silo of learning. It’s about integrating that learning across the curriculum.”

Roanoke Police Tutor, Mentor After School As Homework Helpers (WSLS, Virginia)

Roanoke City Police officers are building relationships with at-risk youth through the Homework Helpers program. “I like the idea of building difference makers,” Sergeant William Drake told WSLS. “I like the idea of being here and helping build those children into productive members of society and helping them learn things.” The officers help students with their homework and offer life advice in the afterschool mentoring program, while also eliminating barriers between young people and the police force.

Community Schools Serving Families and Neighborhoods (Baltimore Sun, Maryland)

The community school movement thrives in Baltimore, thanks in part to the nonprofit Family League. The Family League has helped increase the number of community schools in the city to 52, collaboratively serving 24,000 underprivileged students and their families. Community schools take a holistic approach to improving residents’ quality of life. Each school has a food pantry and an afterschool program, and many offer other support services, like internship programs and parenting classes. “Community schools are about creating an opportunity hub, an access point that doesn’t already exist,” Family League senior director of initiatives Julia Baez told the Baltimore Sun. The Family League was recognized for its work with an Award for Excellence from the Coalition for Community Schools earlier this year.

Youth Go Haunted House Hits 30th Year (Appleton Post-Crescent, Wisconsin)

The Youth Go Haunted House is celebrating its 30th year spooking residents of the Fox Valley. For the past three decades, fifth- through 12th-graders in the Youth Go afterschool program have planned, built and painted the haunted house in advance of Halloween. Youth Go Executive Director Kelly Hicks said the haunted house represents the best aspects of the afterschool program, allowing kids to harness their creativity and exercise leadership skills. “It’s so much bigger than a fundraiser,” she told the Appleton Post-Crescent. “It’s meant so much to them.” More than 130 kids participated last year, putting in upwards of 3,300 hours of work.