MetLife Foundation Funds Goals for Graduation Program to Help Club Members Better Reach Their Academic Potential.
Striving for success, the Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia - West
Kensington Unit is one of 30 Clubs nationwide to receive a grant from
MetLife Foundation to execute the Goals for Graduation Best Practices
School-Site Program, a national initiative of Boys & Girls Clubs of
America (BGCA) designed to help students improve academically and reach
their full potential.
Facing the grim statistics which suggest America's children are not
making the grade when it comes to reading, writing and arithmetic, BGCA
and the MetLife Foundation have teamed up to increase educational
opportunities for young people after school. West Kensington Boys
& Girls Club is one of 30 Clubs to receive a $10,000 grant to
implement the Goals for Graduation program.
Every day, an estimated 2,500 students across the nation drop out of
high school. Communities are losing the battle to successfully educate
huge numbers of youth. According to the new Harris Interactive Survey
of Club alumni, some 28 percent report they would have dropped out of
high school if not for the Club. Another 51 percent achieved a higher
level of education than they thought possible because of attending the
Club.
By implementing programs such as Goals for Graduation, every Club
member is provided help fulfilling his or her potential by encouraging
and motivating members to set and achieve educational goals. Goals for
Graduation is a program for turning words into action and dreams into
reality. Through a five-step process, members are guided to set goals,
supported to achieve them, and counseled to understand the relationship
between small steps today and big results in the future. "The Boys
& Girls Club, each day, provide the children and youth with a safe,
clean and healthy environment, where they can play, be safe and learn,"
said West Kensington Boys & Girls Club's Unit Director, John
Gonzalez.
Over 65 students from the William Cramp Elementary School associated
with West Kensington Boys & Girls Club afterschool program attend
the Goals for Graduation program which allows them to identify their
life goals, make a pledge to improve in school and help members make a
pledge to achieve daily goals based on their personal strengths.
Dedicated Club staff and volunteers help mentor the students and meet
with their teachers during grade reviews to determine if they are
meeting their goals.
"The West Kensington Boys & Girls Club has been offering
afterschool programs at the William Cramp Elementary school for over 4
years. Since the program began, hundreds of students from the school
have benefited from the quality afterschool program offered by the Boys
& Girls Clubs of Philadelphia." said John Gonzalez, Director of
the West Kensington Boys &
Girls Club unit.
About MetLife Foundation
MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife in 1976 to carry on its
longstanding tradition of corporate contributions and community
involvement. Grants support health, education, civic and cultural
programs throughout the United States. For more information about the
Foundation, visit www.metlife.org.
