Weekly Media Roundup: May 11, 2016

Waterbury Children Spend Day at Half Moon Farm (Meriden Record-Journal, Connecticut)

Kids in the Almost Home afterschool program recently spent a day riding horses around Half Moon Farm with their friends and family members. This is the second year the afterschool program, which serves 40 children each week, has visited the farm, although for many of the students, it was their first time ever riding a horse. The riders were assisted by members of the Cheshire Horse Council, according to the Record-Journal.

Bird Street Students Proudly Finish 5K Race (Oroville Mercury Register, California)

Thirty Bird Street School students crossed the finish line of their first-ever 5K race last week while being cheered on by their peers in an afterschool running club. The club, organized by teachers Kristi Theveos and Kathy Pietak, trains elementary school students for the 3.1-mile race throughout the spring, encouraging them to be proud of participating in the race in the first place rather than worrying about coming in first. “It’s a big deal for them because most kids this age have never run that far,” Pietak told the Oroville Mercury Register.

Village Ambulance Program Training Young Members to Save Lives (Berkshire Eagle, Massachusetts)

Village Ambulance Service’s Explorer Post 911 is teaching kids as young as eight years old how to be lifesavers. The program teaches the basics of emergency medical services, like CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, and prepares students for future careers as health care providers. It’s also a way for kids to find their self-worth and stay safe during the after school hours. “Being part of this has built my confidence and I think more kids should get involved,” high school sophomore Brianna Harris told the Berkshire Eagle. “It feels good to know that I have the skills to save a life.”

Greenhouse After-School Program Sparks Adventure for Ridgeview Elementary Students (Craig Daily Press, Colorado)

Ridgeview Elementary School students are subtly learning about science through the plant-based Greenhouse Afterschool Program. Last week, students worked with flowers like marigolds and petunias to prepare the perfect Mother’s Day plant, while also learning about the plants’ vascular system and the difference between plant and animal cells. The program is sponsored by the school’s Parent Advisory Council (PAC), which also runs afterschool programs in art and languages. PAC president Mindy Baker said the afterschool atmosphere makes learning fun and less of a chore for students, and lets them explore fun topics they don’t have time for in the regular school day. “It gives you the opportunity to offer (students) something outside of what they normally have in their classes,” she told the Craig Daily Press.