skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Getting WA “At-Risk” Kids Involved After School and Summertime

play audio
Play

Monday, June 1, 2009   

Seattle, WA – City and county officials concerned about gangs, youth crime and at-risk kids will be turning to experts today to figure out how to get more teens involved in positive activities. After-school and summer programs are one way to keep Washington State students learning and out of trouble, but a study of after-school participation released in January by School's Out Washington found that only six percent of teens take advantage of those programs.

Jeff Jordan, president and founder of Rescue Social Change Group, says that in addition to having low registration numbers, after-school programs miss the bull's-eye when it comes to reaching their target: at-risk teenagers.

"The kids who are overachieving, those are the ones who are in after-school programs right now. The teens who are at risk are not only not seeking out these programs, but they reject them because it's just not socially acceptable — just not cool."

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has set a goal to cut youth violence in half by June 2010. Members of the Youth Violence Task Force will be among those in Seattle to hear the presentation.

Unlike younger students, teens expect to get something in return when they invest their time, Jordan says. That's why he suggests that after-school programs be structured more like sports programs, which reward teenagers for the hours they put in.

"Where there's a competition or there's a state finals, my peers get to see me. This becomes a very socially rewarding, very socially valuable experience. We need to make dance that way, we need to make art that way."

Jordan also urges that all after-school and summer programs be promoted in a way that speaks to youth culture.

More information is available at www.rescuescg.com. Statistics are online at http://schoolsoutwashington.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page§ionid=169.





get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


A 2022 report finds failing to speed up transmission beyond the current pace will increase 2030 U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions by 800 million tons per year. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021