Weekly Media Roundup: September 20, 2023

Boys & Girls Club Wausau Offering After School Programs to Prepare Students for Future, WSAW-TV (Wisconsin)

Career exploration and workforce development is a major focus of the Boys & Girls Club of the Wausau Area’s afterschool program in Wisconsin. Students can apply and interview for jobs within the program such as helping at the front desk or working in the kitchen, and the Club also offers field trips where students explore different career paths.  “I’ve always liked working with students. I always had mentors in my career path as well. So having a mentor is definitely very important to young students and young members of the community, because sometimes some of our members might not have the opportunity to have mentors in life,” Tao Xiong, Workforce Development Director and a former student in the program, told WSAW-TV.

Program Aims to Combat Teen Violence After 4 Arrested in Killing of 15-Year-Old in Winter Haven, WFTS (Florida)

In the past week, local teenagers were involved in at least three different gun violence incidents in Polk County, Florida. “There’s a lot going on in the world, and kids need to know that there’s opportunities and hope and there’s a different path that they can take,” Ashley Ray, Vice President of Development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County, told WFTS. “We serve about 3,000 (children) annually, but that’s not even the tipping point of what Polk County needs.” The Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County is opening its tenth location in the area which will include an afterschool program for middle school students, providing them a safe, enriching  environment with positive role models.

After-School Excellence Meets Community Engagement, Daily Journal (Missouri)

At the Learning Zone After School Program in Fredericktown, Missouri, as many as 450 students take part in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities, tutoring, archery, a LEGO lab, art, Boy Scouts and more. “Our broad array of activities seems to keep students engaged,” Assistant Superintendent Shannon Henson told the Daily Journal. “We also know that after school care is needed in the community.” Funded by a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, the program is open to all students in the community, provides daily dinners, and offers classes for adults on financial planning, fitness, and more.

After-School Program Seeks Solutions for Struggling Homeless Students, WCNC (North Carolina)

After organizing a summer camp for homeless students in Charlotte, North Carolina, Champion House of Care is opening an afterschool program this fall, offering homework assistance, reading and math enrichment, outdoor activities, and a healthy meal to homeless and low-income students. “During the summer, we found out the fifth graders were on first grade [reading] level,” Champion House of Care Founder Janette Kinard told WCNC. “They’re not doing well in school because when they get home, they don’t have the materials to do their homework with.” In 2022, approximately 23,000 homeless students were enrolled in North Carolina’s public schools.