Weekly Media Roundup: November 27, 2024

Detroit After-School Program Mentoring Children Through Art, Music Looking to Expand, WDIV (Michigan)

At the New City Kids afterschool program in Detroit, teen mentors inspire younger students to pursue music, dance, and the arts while also providing homework assistance. The teen mentors likewise gain valuable life skills, including leadership, self-confidence, and communication skills. “The magic is in the relationships we have,” New City Kids Executive Director Rich Colon told WDIV. “Kids want good role models and teens need to experience what it is to lead.”

Students Learn Sustainability Through Gardening Project, The Greenville Advocate (Alabama)

Students in the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers program at W.O. Parmer Elementary School in Greenville, Alabama are helping build raised garden beds to grow fresh produce. The gardening project is the result of a partnership between the afterschool program, the Butler County Alabama Extension, and two local businesses which donated supplies. Students will grow radishes, peas, collards and more. “I want the children to learn how to grow vegetables so they can be self-sufficient,” Master Gardener Linda Jarzyniecki told the Greenville Advocate. “Eventually, we’re going to have the lunchroom make a meal of this so the children can taste the fruits of their efforts.”

Free Haircuts, Loc Retwists One Piece of Building a 'Village' for These Wilmington Kids, Our Community Now (Delaware)

In addition to its afterschool and summer programs, One Village Alliance in Wilmington, Delaware organizes monthly “’Free’dom Mondays” where students and families can get free health screenings, haircuts, loc retwists, food, and more. More than 300 people registered for the most recent event. “We offer a safe haven where young people feel valued and supported,” Armani Coleman, vice president of operations, told Our Community Now. “We provide dinner, mentoring, tutoring, prevention programming, build self-esteem and foster a strong sense of community. And it continues with completely free afterschool programming daily. This is our way of helping the next generation step into the classroom with confidence and a sense of belonging.”

U.S. Cellular Donates $41K to Boys & Girls Club of Border Towns for STEM Education, WABI (Maine)

Thanks to a $41,250 donation from U.S. Cellular, 16 Boys & Girls Clubs in Aroostook County, Maine will expand their STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities and programs. U.S. Cellular has supported the Boys & Girls Clubs of Border Towns for the past ten years, providing financial and technical assistance. “Beyond our dedication to STEM, we’ve also been able to partner with the Boys & Girls Club of Border Town to address the digital divide and provide our After School Access Program. Through this After School Access Program, we’ve provided 165 hotspots and two years of free service” Jody Doughty, store manager of U.S. Cellular Presque Isle, told WABI. “This After School Access Project bridges the gap that children have to internet access after they leave school.”