Weekly Media Roundup, September 23, 2020

Answering the Call for Remote Learning Needs, Herald News (Indiana)

Three afterschool programs in Fall River, Indiana are ensuring students have a safe place to learn and explore their interests while their parents work by creating remote learning assistance centers. For example, the Fall River YMCA is operating from 7:45am to 5pm, serving free breakfast and lunch, and providing support with remote learning as well as dance, outdoor play, arts education and more. People Incorporated and the Fall River Boys & Girls Club have created similar programs. “It is heartbreaking to hear stories of parents [who] have to decide between leaving children home alone on remote learning days and quitting their jobs,” Fall River Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Bill Kiley told the Herald News. “I am glad the Club, YMCA, People Inc. and other youth serving agencies are available to support our families in need.”

Beverly Students To Help Out With '3 Square' After School Program, Beverly Patch (Massachusetts)

This fall, three high school students and recent graduates in Beverly, Massachusetts launched a new, free virtual afterschool program to support families during the coronavirus pandemic. The 3 Square Virtual Afterschool Program utilizes high school volunteers to facilitate homework help, games, crafts, and more. So far, 55 high school students have signed up to volunteer. "It's just to help in the community," co-founder Amanda Desmond told Beverly Patch. "If we can help parents through occupying them for an hour — allow them to cook dinner, or whatever. Just to see that we're giving back in some way in this really hard time is really rewarding."

Girls Inc. Learning and Enrichment Center Supports Girls Remote Learning During the Pandemic, Noozhawk (California)

To give girls a safe, empowering space to do remote learning, the Girls Inc. afterschool program in Santa Barbara, California created a socially distanced, full-day program with academic support, technical help, and programming designed to help girls become bold, smart and strong. When not doing school, students learn about kindness, female trailblazers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and more. “In October, all youth will participate in the Girls Inc. She Votes program, where they learn about civic engagement and the political process, their voting rights, and how to study issues of importance to them during an election. They will also learn about how to become a candidate for elected office themselves!,” Director of Communications Kristen Weaver told Noozhawk.

New City Kids GR Becomes a Daytime Program to Accommodate Virtual Learning, WZZM 13 (Michigan)

Each morning at the New City Kids GR remote learning center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, students do virtual school in pods with support from academic specialists. Then, after lunch, teens are paid to serve as mentors, tutors and music teachers for younger students. New City Kids GR, which has provided high-quality afterschool programming to students for seven years, has implemented strict precautions including masks, temperature checks and more. "I got to wake up early, get here by 8:30 a.m., get my homework done and then get ready to teach right after, but the music development, like being the piano teacher and watching my students grow in their music class is my favorite part," Musical Director Maurice Townsend told WZZM 13.