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Weekly Media Roundup: October 21, 2020

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Weekly Media Roundup: October 21, 2020

Esther Elonga: Afterschool Programs Even More Important During a Pandemic, New Hampshire Union Leader (New Hampshire)

When Esther Elonga came to the United States as a refugee at the age of 16, she found community, academic support, help with English language skills and more at an afterschool program funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative. Soon, as a junior in high school, Elonga began tutoring younger students in the program and led activities to help students explore their interests. Today she is a student at Harvard University and continues to advocate for afterschool programs. In a recent guest column for the New Hampshire Union Leader, she wrote, “I encourage everyone to support afterschool programming, without it many students would be left behind both academically and socially. Please reach out to your representatives and senators to advocate for 21st Century Community Learning Centers and all after-school care programs.”

Youth Development Center Takes After-School Program Online, WNEM (Michigan)

At the ROCK Youth Development Center’s newly launched virtual afterschool program, students in Saginaw, Michigan, get help with homework, do yoga, participate in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities, and more. The center created the online program to help more middle and high school students reach their potential during the pandemic.  “One of the things that’s really great about our programs is we have strong mentors on our staff,” Director of Development Kylie Anderson told WNEM. “So the young people really value the relationship they can build with that person.”

Middle School Students Constructing Butterfly Safe Haven in Schuylkill County, WBRE (Pennsylvania)

To develop students’ interest in science and engage them with the community, the Achieve afterschool program in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania has launched a multi-year project to build a monarch waystation. First, students researched monarch migration patterns and the importance of pollinators. Then, they advocated for permission from the district to build the station on school grounds. Now students are working on building the station itself, which can be used as a ‘living lab’ for years to come. “I feel like I’m a part of helping butterflies and bees pollinate,” sixth grader Hannah Brase told WBRE.

Kalamazoo Youth Share Concerns, Ask Questions to Michigan Political Candidates, WKZO (Michigan)

Middle and high school students in the STREET Afterschool Program and other community programs in Kalamazoo, Michigan engaged candidates for public office in conversation about a wide variety of issues at an online forum last week. Hosted by Michigan’s Children, the Kalamazoo Youth Development Network (KYD Network), and the Michigan Center for Youth Justice, the event aimed to lift youth voices and concerns while increasing students’ civic engagement. Topics included wealth inequality, mental health, the environment, gun violence, school re-openings, and more. “It’s critically important that decision makers, policymakers and elected officials hear directly from young people about the issues they’re facing in their everyday lives, so they can make better informed decisions and prioritize these issues,” Matt Gillard, CEO of Michigan’s Children, told WKZO.

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