Choosing an after-school program is about more than filling the gap between when school ends and when parents are home from work. The right opportunities can significantly impact academic performance, social skills, and overall well-being.
Options in the Greater Pittsburgh area range from academic enrichment and sports to arts and technology. Understanding the key factors can help families choose the best after-school programs to foster growth, learning, and happiness beyond the classroom.
One of the more popular options available to students in grades six through 12 is Open Studio After-school Programming from SLB Radio Productions. Jozef Kukula, Youth Media Center Manager, said Open Studio includes drop-in hours, workshops, and meet-ups for teens interested in audio editing, creative writing, music, podcasting, radio, and other media formats.
“Some programs are more neighborhood-specific, but we have kids coming from all around Allegheny County,” said Kukula. “They come in with different ambitions but share the same creativity and enthusiasm to share their voices and what’s important to them.”
At the most basic level, SLB Radio Productions provides a state-of-the-art studio designed specifically with teens in mind. It’s modular and adapts to recording needs, said Kukula. The studio is available to students after school from September to June and earlier in the day during the summer. “The hope was, and the ambition was, to build a space here that we could bring them all together from across different neighborhoods and give them a community space where exciting things are happening, where they can create work they’re proud of.”
It’s not only the studio space that attracts students to this opportunity. Other opportunities include Monday meetups for participants interested in writing. “They can partner with local news outlets like Kidsburgh to work towards publication,” said Kukula.
Some of the workshops have a technical focus, such as learning to use Audition in Adobe Creative Suite. Students learn about different production challenges and how to solve them.
One creative project students completed this past spring was on-the-street interviews with dogs. It taught the students how to do an interview with someone you’ve never met before. “That’s something the kids really ran with,” said Kukula. “The most delightful stuff they do often comes when they’re following their own passion and using their voice for something that matters to them.”
A monthly calendar listing all events is published on the SLB Radio production website at www.slbradio.org.
The drop-in program has over 150 students on the registration log for this year. All programs are free. Many of the audio projects are stipends. “They’re making great work, and we want to get them thinking that what they’re doing is valuable–because it is,” said Kukula.
Students who live or attend school on a Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus line can get free bus passes to get to the afterschool program. Students coming from the North Side often walk together in groups from school because the facility is so close. Others, who are licensed, may drive.
This fall, SLB Radio plans to offer even deeper experiences for existing and new participants, said Kukula. Keep checking the website (ymc.slbradio.org) for more details.
Another after-school program option for middle and high school students is the MuseumLab at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Located next door to the museum, it offers cutting-edge experiences in art and tech. Kay Shabazz, the museum’s manager of youth engagement, said the program launched in the fall of 2019. The motivation for MuseumLab was to ensure kids still had a home at the museum to make and create after they reached a certain age.
The space can accommodate up to 40 students, said Shabazz. As of this past school year, 21 were enrolled. “Every year, we look for new ways to add more programming and more kids.”
Students enrolled in the MuseumLab program engage in a variety of arts and making processes. Some of the projects include fiber arts, jewelry creation, metalworking, woodworking, acrylic painting, resin, and photography to name a few.
“The kids who participate decide what we do. We usually take a poll about whether there’s something they want to explore that we’ve never done before,” she said. “That’s how we build our schedule for after school. We start them off with some ideas we have and then leave them to create a schedule of exploration.”
MuseumLab also features community artists and other teaching artists in the after-school program. Students learn how artists market themselves, plus how to find their artwork in the community. “It’s important for our kids to see the options they have. A lot of times, people see art as a hobby. Bringing in those community artists shows our kids that this can be a career as well.”
The free after-school program is tailored to middle-school students, so participants must be in sixth grade. Students are asked to commit to attending twice weekly and have an interest in art. “If the student isn’t interested in art, it won’t be a good fit for them,” said Shabazz.
MuseumLab also hosts bimonthly Youth Nights designed to give middle school-aged youths an opportunity to explore the same art and making activities offered during the after-school program. “This is an opportunity for youth who may not be able to commit to our two day commitment required for participation in the after-school program,” said Shabazz.
Even once students age out of the program, Shabazz said opportunities for internships exist for ninth graders so they can come back and help out in the lab.
To enroll, visit www.museumlab.org/learn/youth-teens/afterschool. Applications will go live on the site in August for the 2024-25 school year.
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