Weekly Media Roundup: August 5, 2026

Boys & Girls Club of West Chester/Liberty Expanding Grades for Student Members, The Journal-News (Ohio)

The Boys & Girls Club of West Chester/Liberty in West Chester Township, Ohio, will welcome kindergarteners through third graders for the first time at its afterschool program this fall, in addition to the fourth through 12th graders it currently serves. With its rapid growth in membership from 173 to more than 500 members since 2022, the Club is expanding its offerings to meet community needs. “Over the last several years, we’ve witnessed tremendous growth in the number of families seeking safe, supportive, and enriching environments for their children after school,” CEO Daman Knoche told the Journal-News. “Expanding access to all K-12 students allows us to meet that demand in West Chester and Liberty Township while ensuring more young people have the opportunity to access quality programming.”

Lt. Governor Touts Local Efforts to Cut Crime, Increase Safety Among Youth, The Pottstown Mercury (Pennsylvania)

Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis joined a roundtable discussion in Pottstown on Monday focused on violence prevention, where he highlighted the critical role afterschool programs play in keeping young people safe. “I’m proud to say I was a Club Kid, spending most afternoons at our local Boys & Girls Club, so I understand how important it is for young people to have safe places they can go to learn and grow,” Lt. Gov. Davis told the Pottstown Mercury. Pennsylvania’s latest state budget includes $11.5 million for afterschool and summer programs. Over the past decade, serious crime in Pottstown Borough has dropped by nearly a third, which local officials attribute to community investments.

Summer Camp at Guilford Technical Community College Helps Kids Discover Their Passion, WGHP (North Carolina)

Guilford Technical Community College’s summer camp in Jamestown, North Carolina gives rising seventh through twelfth graders hands-on experiences in career and technical education, from pottery and robotics to medical careers and welding. The interactive camp helps students explore potential careers while learning new skills from college professors in a college campus environment. “Because these camps are so hands-on and interactive, all of the staff that are on campus during the summer, we are seeing these students in the fields, exploring, learning. It’s just really cool to see their eyes open at some of the opportunities and experiences they are having with us,” Jan Knox, Guilford Technical Community College’s Vice President of College Advancement, told WGHP.

Student Musicians Rock Out at Arlington Mill Concert for After-School Programs, ARL Now (Virginia)

Last weekend, several Arlington, Virginia bands performed at the Arlington Mill Community Center to raise funds to reduce the Aspire! Afterschool Learning program’s waitlist, which recently reached an all-time high. The music festival included a performance from the Jackson Nine, Aspire’s student band, featuring original songs composed during Aspire’s summer program. “[These bands] came together to find ways to support Aspire and their community,” Paula Fynboh, Apsire CEO and an Afterschool Ambassador the Afterschool Alliance, told ARL Now. “This music festival is a testament to their leadership, generosity and the critical role Aspire plays in [students’] lives.”