Weekly Media Roundup: April 25, 2018

Study: Few Hawaii Students Have Access to After-School Meals (Honolulu Civil Beat, Hawaii)

Hawaii is one of only a handful of states that fund afterschool programs – and the only state that offers an afterschool program in all public elementary schools – but the state lags behind in providing students food during these programs, with only 0.3 percent of eligible students receiving an afterschool meal. These meals help alleviate food insecurity and give students access to healthy foods they may not find at home. “With the high level of poverty in our state, for some students, the after-school meal could be the last meal they have until they come back the next morning to have breakfast,” Afterschool Ambassador Paula Adams told the Honolulu Civil Beat.

SIUE STEM Center Grows Urban Gardening Program by Partnering with Community (The Alestle, Illinois)

Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, in partnership with governmental and private community organizations, has developed several collaborative STEM programs for members of the Edwardsville community. This semester, the university’s Powered by Girls program focused on urban gardening, bringing in professors to teach low-income girls in the area to create their own community garden. The program aimed to get the girls interested in STEM and teach them self-sufficiency. “It helps them learn, and in their community, it helps them to see and grow plants,” program director Marie Nelson told The Alestle.

Twin Cities YMCA Focuses on Food Along with Fitness (Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota)

The Greater Twin Cities YMCA is not only choosing healthier foods for children and families in the community – it’s also teaching them how to cook healthier on their own. At its 29 locations and 17 camps across the Twin Cities area, the Y has adopted new nutrition requirements for food the children bring in, stocked its vending machines with healthier products and has even open Healthy Living Kitchens in some locations where children and adults alike can learn healthy habits. “It’s helping people live healthier lives and build a healthier community,” L.D. Platt, a vice president at program sponsor UnitedHealth Group, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

'A Singular Moment of Pride': Auburn Students Unleash Their Words at Poetry Reading (Auburn Pub, New York)

After receiving a grant from the Finger Lakes Art Council, poet Heidi Nightengale organized a series of afterschool poetry workshops for children across the Auburn area, according to the Auburn Pub. These workshops allowed children to hone their creative skills and build a community among their peers. The workshops, hosted by the Booker T. Washington Community Center, culminated in an event at which the 40 children presented their pieces. Nightengale hoped the program would “give them an opportunity for a singular moment of pride in their work,” she told the Auburn Pub.