Weekly Media Roundup  June 24, 2015

Louisiana Afterschool Programs Not Meeting Demand, Survey Says (Alexandria Town Talk, Louisiana)

Parents across Louisiana are having trouble finding afterschool and summer learning programs for their kids, according to the Afterschool Alliance’s America After 3PM survey. By extending the day during the school year and into the summer, quality programs supplement what schools already provide and help augment student learning, United Way of Central Louisiana president and CEO David Britt said. Many area programs are already doing a good job, but Louisiana needs more high-quality programs to meet demand. "The community has got to step up and help," Britt told the Alexandria Town Talk. "There's more the community can do to align learning with what schools already are doing and have a big impact on student learning."

Valley Organization Connects Families with Affordable Summer Camps (KPHO, Arizona)

With summer camp season in full swing, many parents are struggling to find places for their children to spend summer vacation. "We see far more families expressing interest in having their children enrolled in summer programs than are actually able to participate now," Afterschool Alliance vice president of research and policy Jen Rinehart told KPHO. To fill the gap, groups like the Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence are working to place children in affordable summer learning programs that provide a safe place, positive relationships and learning opportunities.

Letter: Summer Learning Is Important (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, Washington)

Afterschool Ambassador Brent Cummings penned a letter to the editor of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin touting the benefits of local summer learning programs: “At Walla Walla Public Schools’ 21st Century summer programs, children get a heavy dose of exercise for both the mind and brain, giving kids opportunities for fun, interactive learning such as robotics camps, building drones and quad-copters, creating movies and TV shows, programming and testing self-created video games, and designing and 3-D printing board game pieces…. On behalf of all our students and their families, please spread the word about the importance of high quality, accessible summer learning programs.”

Letter: Summer Fun Benefits (Kansas City Star, Missouri)

Afterschool Ambassador Kim Chappelow-Lee wrote a letter to the editor of the Kansas City Star about how her summer learning program improves students’ physical health and academic abilities: “Keeping minds and bodies engaged during the summer goes a long way toward avoiding what researchers call summer learning loss…. At the Johnson County Park & Recreation District, children get plenty of exercise, which fuels both body and brain, along with opportunities for fun interactive learning, including: STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), gardening, field trips, community service, environmental education, social interaction and lots of fresh air. Unfortunately, there just aren’t enough programs to go around.”