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. Those investments have allowed the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County to expand 30 sites. Continuing the investment “would dramatically improve our state’s academic outcomes and bolster the life trajectories for thousands of students,” Jacqueline Kronk, Club CEO, writes in the South Bend Tribune. “For too many students from low-income households, non-school hours are spent at home, unsupervised. Indiana has a rare chance to close gaps in access to programs that have proven to be life-changing and make headway against the stubborn challenge of educational inequity.”

$100 Million in Grants Now Available for After-School Programs Statewide, WXHC (New York)

On Monday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that $100 million in Learning and Enrichment After-School Program Supports (LEAPS) grants will be awarded to afterschool programs this spring, an increase of $17.7 million from last year. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, many children and youth were disconnected from afterschool programming and lost out on this critical means to receive academic support and build stronger social connections,” Governor Hochul said. “This funding will give young people another safe space to grow and express themselves and assure parents that their child’s learning and development isn’t confined to school hours.”

Cleveland After School Programs Face Budget Cuts, Spectrum 1 (Ohio)

With the Cleveland Metropolitan School District predicting a multi-million dollar deficit, afterschool providers are concerned that the impending budget cuts will affect their ability to serve students and  families who rely on them. David Smith, executive director of Horizon Education Centers, which operates five after-school programs in collaboration with school district, said more than 90 after-school programs, including his, are in danger of losing funding from the school district. “We want to make sure we sustain our programs, all 93 programs into next school year,” Smith said. “The afterschool programs are at risk of discontinuation due to the lack of funds after the ARPA and COVID relief dollars expire.”

Arlington Parents Seek $2M for Afterschool Programs After Fatal Suspected Fentanyl Overdoses, NBC 4 (Washington, D.C.)

In response to the rise in youth fentanyl overdoses in Arlington, Virginia, community organizations and concerned parents are asking county leaders to include $2 million for afterschool programs in next year’s budget. “They want their kids to be in programs and not in the streets or being alone at home,” Janeth Valenzuela, founder of the Arlington Schools Hispanic Parents Association, told NBC 4. “It’s investment of life, investment of the future of our children.” The proposal would fund afterschool programs in local middle and high schools.