Weekly Media Roundup: April 16, 2025

Students Run Their Own Small Businesses at Kid Biz Market Event in Peoria, Arizona Republic (Arizona)

At a student-run market in Peoria, Arizona, elementary and middle school students from the Kid Biz Builder Class afterschool program sell their homemade crafts, toys, candies, and more to customers. The young entrepreneurs learn marketing techniques at the afterschool program, as well as design their own logos, budgets, and goods to sell. “I wanted to be able to provide a space for kids that are very creative to express [themselves] outside a traditional classroom and then see their hard work come to fruition at a market like this,” Natalee Sticht, founder of Kid Biz Builder Class, told the Arizona Republic.

BankNewport Awards $4K Grant to Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket to Support After-School Program, Providence Business News (Rhode Island)

With financial support from BankNewport, the Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket, Rhode Island will continue to provide academic support, multilingual tutoring, civic opportunities and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities to more than 300 students in its afterschool program. “The Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket’s Out of School Time program is a great local example of how comprehensive youth support services can foster success in and out of the classroom,” BankNewport CEO and President Jack Murphy told the Providence Business News. The afterschool program is part of Governor Daniel McKee’s Learn365 RI initiative which focuses on reducing absenteeism and learning loss.

Demand Remains High, but Afterschool Programs Worry for Their Futures, EdSurge

A recent Afterschool Alliance survey of more than 1,200 afterschool providers found that about four in five programs are worried about securing long-term funding to sustain their programming, and about three in five are concerned about losing their current funds. “For me, the story of the survey is that programs are getting back to normal, right where they were before pre-pandemic levels, that they're providing a lot of valuable support for the kids and families that they serve,” Nikki Yamashiro, the Afterschool Alliance’s vice president of research, told EdSurge. “But they're really struggling to meet demand, they're facing challenges like worries about sustainability, and so we need to find more ways to provide the support that they need.” Advocates note broad public support for increased funding for afterschool programs, which nine in 10 registered voters describe as an “absolute necessity.”

‘Actionable Skill': Philly School District has Full Slate of Summer Learning Programs, NBC 10 Philadelphia (Pennsylvania)

This summer, about 25,000 students are expected to take part in engaging summer programming offered by Philadelphia Public Schools across 135 sites. Activities include orchestra, band, entrepreneurship, welding, auto repair and more. “The skills that our young people learn and the training they get that helps them to command a good income and to support and protect their families is really, really important,” Superintendent Tony Watlington told NBC 10 Philadelphia.