Weekly Media Roundup: February 3, 2021

Thousands of Dallas Children Are in Need of After-School Care, Survey Finds, The Dallas Morning News (Texas)

The America After 3PM survey commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance found that more than 101,000 children in Dallas, Texas aren’t in afterschool programs, but would be if a program were available to them. Parents cited cost, availability, and lack of transportation as primary barriers to enrolling their children in programs. The lack of afterschool programs makes it harder for parents to work, and it means students miss out on opportunities to connect with mentors, get academic support and explore their interests. Up to $30 million in public investment is needed meet the demand for afterschool in Dallas. Christina Hanger, CEO of Dallas Afterschool, told the Dallas Morning News, “That is a big, big number. But the benefits of that number — of families being able to work; of children getting academic help; of children being able to develop relationships with caring adults … when you think about kids not being able to read and dropping out of school or things like that — it’s not a lot of money.”

Educators Putting Emphasis on Social-Emotional Skills as Students Navigate Virtual Learning, KCRG (Iowa)

Through discussions, crafts, and hands-on activities, students in the afterschool program at the Jane Boyd Community House in Cedar Rapids, Iowa are learning to cope with stress and manage their emotions. The program has placed an emphasis on social and emotional learning in addition to academic support to help students weather the challenges of the pandemic. “Social-emotional learning [has] been a challenge because kids [during] the pandemic are far more isolated from their friends, and from their peers,” Director Megan Isenberg told KCRG.

Program Gives Children a Break From Schoolwork, Chino Champion (California)

Each day after school, more than 75 students in Chino, California log on to the free SOAR afterschool program, which is delivering programming virtually during the pandemic. In the program, students hear from guest speakers such as police officers and fire fighters, take virtual field trips to local businesses, do crafts, engage in physical activity, and more.  “With kids isolated on their computer for school all day, they are excited to talk,” Community Services Specialist Justin Leininger told the Chino Champion.

Student-Focused Business Incubator Plans Expansion After Remote Pivot, BostInno (Massachusetts)

In The Possible Project’s (TPP) afterschool program, high school students in Cambridge, Massachusetts work with educators and entrepreneurs to design products and launch their own businesses. When the pandemic hit and in-person programming paused, the program pivoted quickly, creating an online curriculum, distributing Chromebooks to students, and providing stipends for healthy snacks. “We are thinking creatively about online learning,” Chief External Affairs Officer Jake Murray told BostInno. “It isn’t just throwing up a PowerPoint. There's all kinds of ways you need to think about the experience and how to engage students.” Now in its 10th year, the program is planning to expand to Boston and incorporate science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) workshops into its programming.