Weekly Media Roundup, April 22, 2020

Boys and Girls Club Keeping Kids Engaged, The Gaffney Ledger (South Carolina)

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Upstate in Cherokee County, South Carolina have adapted their afterschool programming to provide students with daily interactive, fun and educational online activities, while in-person programming is suspended due to coronavirus. Thanks to the BGC@Home program, students are working on science projects, creating art, participating in fitness activities, reading books, and sharing their experiences with these activities online. “We are very blessed to be able to continue to offer our services through home-based activities to students,” Executive Director Vance Hammond told the Gaffney Ledger.

After-School Programs Not an Afterthought, Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (Washington)

The Walla Walla Public School’s 21st Century Community Learning Center program in Washington state is supporting students’ social and emotional growth and helping them develop critical skills such as teamwork and problem-solving through online programming. While schools and programs are closed due to coronavirus, the new program offers activities ranging from soccer drills to online gaming to art projects. Students can record themselves doing activities and send their videos to program staff and other students, as staff members work to increase students’ access to technology. “We have ‘Maker Mondays’ and ‘Science Fridays.’ We have read-alouds … We’re calling kids, we’re asking them to please write us letters, to message us through our social media, we’re making individual connections,” Director Brent Cummings, an Afterschool Ambassador for the Afterschool Alliance, told the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin.

ourBRIDGE Adapts in a Crisis with New Drop-Off Services, Queen City Nerve (North Carolina)

As of last Thursday, the ourBRIDGE for KIDS afterschool program in Charlotte, North Carolina had delivered more than 16,500 care packages, breakfasts and lunches to families, and the program will soon begin distributing dinners as well. Funded by a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, ourBRIDGE primarily serves immigrant and refugee students. While in-person programming is suspended due to coronavirus, the program is delivering meals, school supplies and activity kits; holding virtual programming; and working to disseminate critical information to families in their native languages. “We’re doing way more than we thought we could possibly do,” Founder and Executive Director Sil Ganzó told the Queen City Nerve. “Everybody on staff is working, so I’m super thankful.”

Community Connections: Connecting Virtually with The ROCK Center for Youth Development, Midland Daily News (Michigan)

Teens are participating in book clubs, crafts, music lessons, games, trivia, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities, discussions about personal strengths and well-being, and more through online afterschool programming offered by the ROCK Center for Youth Development in Midland, Michigan. The “Connecting Virtually” initiative is meant to support students’ personal growth while in-person programming is suspended due to coronavirus. “Our kids need this break,” ROCK Executive Director Bev Wenzel told the Midland Daily News. “They need a place to get together, talk about their strengths, try something new, and just have fun with their friends. These opportunities are vitally important for our young people for their well-being, especially those who face additional barriers.”