Weekly Media Roundup: September 2, 2015

Teens Decorate Fence to Be Placed at Frederick Douglass Park with Inspirational Messages (The Brockton Enterprise, Massachusetts)

Several dozen 14- and 15-year-olds in the Brockton Area Workforce Investment Board’s WAVE (Work, Achieve, Volunteer and Experience) six-week job-readiness program spent their summer beautifying the Frederick Douglass Park. Community organizer Lynn Smith described the park as a “wasteland” before the teens worked on it – now the park features flowers, informative signs about Frederick Douglass’ abolitionist legacy and a free lending library in a large, well-decorated birdhouse. While working on improving the park, students also received lessons on interview skills and how to manage their money. “This is an awesome program that helps teens reach full potential so they can get paying jobs next summer,” Mayor Bill Carpenter told The Brockton Enterprise.

Ward 7 Youth Beat Summer Learning Loss at D.C. Tech Camp (Afro-American News, Washington, D.C.)

More than 75 African American youth experienced science in new ways this summer at the Richard England Boys and Girls Clubhouse in Northeast D.C. At the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) camp, local startup Clearly Innovative taught young people how to code and helped them create their own websites. The students also had the opportunity to work with professionals in tech industries and visit local tech-based co-working spaces. “We’re hoping to cultivate some STEM careers and really have our members reach for the stars because that’s really where the world is going,” branch director Denieka Wicker told the Afro-American News.

Kinsey Students Learn with Baseball (Arizona Daily Sun, Arizona)

Students across Arizona will be participating in a fun, educational nine-week afterschool program this fall that teaches the science behind America’s favorite pastime—baseball. Through Science of Baseball, members of the Arizona Diamondbacks will travel to 63 Arizona schools and lead activities teaching kids about the angles of a pitch, timing runners and batting averages. “They learn about exercise, nutrition and it teaches the science of each part of the sport,” afterschool program coordinator Rebecca White told the Arizona Daily Sun.

Students Create Health-Themed Mural (The Hanford Sentinel, California)

A new nutrition-themed mural was unveiled last week at Lincoln Elementary School. About 100 students in the school’s READY afterschool program designed at least two tiles for it, each featuring a design of fruits and vegetables or physical activity. “We asked students what health means to them and this mural is their answer,” Slyvia Rios, health aid with KCAO’s Nutrition Education and Hunger Prevention department, told The Hanford Sentinel. The mural is one of several projects funded by the Kings Community Action Organization (KCAO), a group aiming to help low-income people eat healthier.