Philadelphia, PA June 10, 2005- Today the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia hosted the annual Achievement Matters ceremony at the Germantown Boys & Girls club. Two clubs (NE Frankford and Germantown) honored 56 children for their continued effort in their academic performance the previous school year. The ceremony was complete with opening remarks by our CPO Jeff Waldron, singing, poetry, and award presentations to both children and staff. Families who attended the ceremony were served dinner, and shown a power point presentation on the history of the Philadelphia Clubs.
The mistress of ceremonies Ms. Ninete Cooper set the tone of a supportive and encouraging night for both the honored children and the dedicated staff who works closely with these children. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia are proud of all of their members and look forward to hosting another group of dedicated students at the 2006 ceremony.
About Achievement Matters:
Achievement Matters is a system of recognition. This system of progressive recognition ensures that a teen club member will not receive the same award as a younger club member and recognizes consistent behaviors overtime. The award system is thus broken down into four levels.
- Bronze level – 1st –3rd grade
- Silver level- 4th – 6th grade
- Gold level – 7th – 9th grade
- Platinum – 10th – 12th grade
There are three levels of awards for each tier. Every level has a distinction that adds value to the award. These distinctions are as follows:
Mountain Climber: This level is awarded to students who may find it a little difficult to meet the award criteria along their journey of achievement.
The "A" team: This award is given to Club members who meet all grade appropriate criteria including academic performance, attendance, and the demonstration of leadership.
Circle of Excellence: This level is limited to those club members who exceed in each of the three criteria areas of the “A” Team.
Overall, Achievement Matters is a national program that is implemented throughout the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Many staff members nationwide attend conferences to be trained on the execution of this educational component to their local club. The Boys & Girls Clubs stress the importance of achievement and provides their staff with all the tools needed to encourage the next generation of leaders.
