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Weekly Media Roundup: November 4, 2020

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Weekly Media Roundup: November 4, 2020

Mighty Writers Awarded Longwood Grant, Chadds Ford Live (Pennsylvania)

When schools and programs closed due to the pandemic in March, the Mighty Writers afterschool program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania quickly stepped up to make sure the immediate needs of children and families were being met, “because you can't think clearly when you are hungry,” Director of Development Naomi Levecchia told Chadds Ford Live. The program distributes food, diapers, bilingual books and more to some 300 families per week and offers free online afterschool programming focused on creative writing and developing students’ voices. Mighty Writers was recently awarded a $75,000 grant from the Longwood Foundation of Chester County to continue and expand this work.

'A Big Impact': Kid City Moves to Align Curriculum with Dalton Public Schools, Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News (Georgia)

Students in the Kid City afterschool program in Dalton, Georgia get help with homework, explore the sciences, develop their artistic abilities, take part in social and emotional learning activities and more. The program, which is funded by a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, is working to closely align programming with students’ academic curricula this year. For example, fourth graders will take part in a NASA challenge in the program at the same time they are studying space at school. “I was a fan of the cooking (course last year), and all my friends are here so I can spend more time with them,” fourth grader Brianna Vidana told the Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News. “Last year, I struggled with my reading, but not as much now. They helped me with my reading.”

How One of the World's Biggest STEM Programs is Still Teaching Students to Build Robots During One of the Most Uncertain School Years Ever, Business Insider

In FIRST afterschool programs, students learn about computer programming, collaboration, marketing and more as they work in teams to design and build robots to compete in challenges. During the pandemic, FIRST programs are finding creative ways to continue this mission while maintaining social distancing. For example, in Camdenton, Missouri, FIRST students brainstorm ideas over video chat, build individual robots at home, and then come together while wearing masks to run ‘missions’ with their robots in teams. “Technical skills are fairly easy to reproduce and teach,” Sherry Comer, afterschool services director for Camdenton R-III Schools and an Afterschool Ambassador for the Afterschool Alliance, told Business Insider. “But sometimes those skills of just being able to sit down with a group of people, come up with a common goal, and work toward that goal is really hard.”

Y Academy Programs Offer Academic Support, Child Care, Central Jersey (New Jersey)

From 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM each weekday, the YMCA of Greater Monmouth County’s Y Academy in Freehold Township, New Jersey is providing a safe, socially distanced environment for students to do remote learning, connect with friends and mentors, and more. In addition to academic support, the program includes mindfulness activities, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) challenges, and yoga. “These are tough times, but the Y Academy gives us some sense of normalcy,” parent Gary Eng told Central Jersey. “When she is at the Y Academy, [my daughter] Karina can log in to her school classes and she has academic support from the Y staff. She also gets to spend time outdoors and do other fun activities. Being with other children is psychologically good for her.”

 

Weekly Media Roundup: March 20, 2024

Matthew McConaughey and ASU Are Helping an Arizona School District. Here's How, Arizona Republic (Arizona) Matthew McConaughey and Arizona State University (ASU) have teamed up to help a Phoenix-area school district apply for federal afterschool funding included in the Bipartisan Safer...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      03/20/24

Weekly Media Roundup: March 13, 2024

English Learners Stopped Coming to Class During the Pandemic. One Group is Tackling the Problem By Helping Their Parents, Hechinger Report In North Carolina, nearly one third of English language learning students were chronically absent last year, a rate significantly higher than the...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      03/13/24

Weekly Media Roundup: March 6, 2024

Charlotte Afterschool Program Aims to Break Cycle of Youth Crime and Violence, WBTV (North Carolina) In response to the 33 percent rise in juvenile gun violence in Charlotte, North Carolina, county leaders presented The Way Forward plan to city council members this week. The plan includes...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      03/06/24

Weekly Media Roundup: February 28, 2024

Program Designed to Boost Reading Rates in NW Tallahassee is Reaching More Students, WTXL (Florida) At Springwood Elementary School’s afterschool program in Tallahassee, Florida, students are paired with volunteers from United Way’s ReadingPals program, working together to improve...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/28/24

Weekly Media Roundup: February 21, 2024

Missoula After-School Program for BIPOC Youth Creating Next Generation of Leaders, KTVQ-TV (Montana) At the Association for BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) Youth afterschool program in Missoula, Montana, students of color build community, take part in mindfulness activities, and develop...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/21/24

Weekly Media Roundup: February 14, 2024

Viewpoint: Invest in Out-of-School Programs to Help Solve State’s Educational Challenges, South Bend Tribune (Indiana) Indiana lawmakers are considering continuing the state’s pandemic-era investments in out-of-school time learning, including afterschool and summer learning programs....

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/14/24

Weekly Media Roundup: February 7, 2024

Rangers Star Welcomes Kids to the Ice in After School Program, NBC4 (New York) With help from a donation from the Garden of Dreams Foundation, 50 students in the WHEDco (Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation) afterschool program in the South Bronx are lacing up skates and...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      02/07/24

Weekly Media Roundup: January 31, 2024

Advocates of Afterschool Opportunities Rally in Albany for $119M Funding Boost, Spectrum News 1 (New York) On Tuesday, afterschool leaders, students, and lawmakers gathered in Albany, New York to press for an additional $119 million in state funding to ensure universal access to afterschool. At...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/31/24

Weekly Media Roundup: January 24, 2024

'Articulate Their Pain': Preventing Teen Suicide Through the Power of Music, Spectrum News 1 (North Carolina) DDAAT-App, a mental health nonprofit with an afterschool program in Charlotte, North Carolina, is partnering with The Bridge, a music studio, to give students access to recording...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/24/24

Weekly Media Roundup: January 17, 2024

Bessie Coleman After School Aviation Program to be Tested in Oklahoma, General Aviation News (Oklahoma) Sixth and 7th graders in Tulsa, Oklahoma are exploring careers in aerospace and aeronautics by building planes, flying drones, and participating in other hands-on projects thanks to a...

BY: Magen Eissenstat      01/17/24