Weekly Media Roundup: April 15, 2026

Summer Learning Program Gets $2 Million Boost from Foellinger Foundation, The Journal Gazette (Indiana)

Thanks to a $2 million grant from the Foellinger Foundation, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne, Indiana will offer free, five-week Summer Learning Lab programs at six different sites this summer. The summer enrichment program includes math and reading instruction, field trips, hands-on activities as well as daily breakfast, lunch and healthy snacks for students. “This collaborative effort reflects a shared commitment among our partners to support the growth and well-being of youth in our community – especially those who need it most. It is a strong example of the impact we can make when we invest in our children and in the future of our community,” Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne President and CEO Joe Jordan told the Journal Gazette.

Boys & Girls Clubs Expanding to Serve More Citrus County Youth, Preparing for Summer Programs, Citrus County Chronicle (Florida)

Earlier this year, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Citrus and Marion Counties added a fourth Club in Crystal River, Florida, expanding its reach to about 1,500 students ages 6 to 18. “We found that we were at capacity at all of our Clubs almost all the time, and we were having to turn a lot of kids away,” CEO Travis Anderson told the Citrus County Chronicle. The Clubs’ afterschool programming helps students learn new skills, practice teamwork, and stay physically active through fun, hands-on activities – for example, students recently built and raced makeshift cars made from household materials. Registration just opened for summer programs, and program leaders say spots fill quickly due to high demand.

Albuquerque Public Schools Hosts 18th Annual Native American Fashion Show, KOAT (New Mexico)

Last week, Albuquerque Public Schools and its afterschool program hosted its annual Native American Fashion Show featuring traditional and contemporary Indigenous designs at the University of New Mexico. Students in the afterschool program spent months organizing the event, working with Native American designers. Kilynn Yazzie, a student participant, notes how accessible the fashion is. “A lot of it is contemporary, where anyone can wear it. It has Native prints on it. A lot of people can rock it. A lot of people look good in it,” Yazzie told KOAT. Organizers say the show celebrates Native culture and helps build confidence and community.

After-School Program Sustainability Concerns Are Rising Among Providers, K-12 Dive

When the U.S. Department of Education froze 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) funding last summer, nearly half of afterschool providers were affected, and more than 1 in 10 were forced to serve fewer students, according to the latest Afterschool Alliance provider survey. While 21st CCLC funds were eventually released after public outcry, advocates warn the initiative is still under threat, as President Trump proposed to eliminate it in his FY 2027 budget proposal. “That, in turn, would mean more hungry kids, more children and youth unsupervised and at risk each afternoon, more academic failures and dropouts, more chronic absenteeism, more parents forced out of their jobs, and a less STEM-ready and successful workforce now and in the future,” Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant told K-12 Dive.