Boys & Girls Club Communities Receive Grant for BE
GREAT: Graduate
ATLANTA, Nov. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) announced today it is
partnering with University of Phoenix
to combat dropout rates among the nation's youth. Currently one in
three kids in the United States
fails to graduate each year with one in two African American and
Hispanic kids falling short of high school graduation, statistics
the BE GREAT: Graduate program aims to change.
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20050921/CLW030LOGO)
The three-year partnership between University of Phoenix Foundation and BGCA will help
10 Clubs across the nation (Woburn,
Mass.; Baltimore, Md.;
Macon, Ga.; Jackson, Miss.; Madison, Wis.; Cleveland, Ohio; Talequah, Okla.; Little Rock, Ark.; Santa Ana, Calif.; and Phoenix, Ariz.) build and implement BE
GREAT: Graduate, a BGCA initiative that helps young people most
vulnerable for dropping out of school develop the academic,
behavioral and social skills needed to be successful. Targeting
youth who show warning signs for potentially dropping out of
school, the partnership will focus on providing mentorship and
graduation coaching for fourth to eighth graders.
"University of Phoenix strives to
remove barriers to higher education for all students," said
Pat Gottfried, executive director,
University of Phoenix Foundation. "We
have been a long-time supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of
America because we believe the path to higher education starts in
childhood. Through the BE GREAT: Graduate program we can begin to
positively influence these students and set a higher standard of
educational achievement."
The mission of the University of
Phoenix Foundation is to increase access to education,
especially for underrepresented and low-income students
traditionally under-served by the education continuum, in an effort
to provide a pathway for economic advancement.
"Partnering with University of
Phoenix Foundation is a great fit for BGCA because we both
feel very strongly about the importance of education and providing
young people with resources to achieve academic success," said
Judith J. Pickens, senior vice
president for Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Program &
Youth Development Services. "We are excited for the opportunity to
keep youth on the right track to graduate from high school with a
viable plan for their future."
The first year of the partnership will focus on capacity
building in Clubs, providing resources for organizations to work on
the quality of their current programming and promoting a culture of
academic success along with increasing their ability to recruit and
retain volunteers. Years two and three are set to monitor and track
academic success data for a total of 50 youth per Club.
For more information about BGCA's partnership with University of Phoenix Foundation, visit
http://bgca.org/meetourpartners/Pages/University_of_Phoenix.aspx
About University of
Phoenix
University of Phoenix is constantly
innovating to help students balance education and life in a rapidly
changing world. Flexible schedules, challenging courses and
interactive learning help students pursue personal and career
aspirations without putting their lives on hold. As the flagship
university of Apollo Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: APOL), University of Phoenix serves a diverse student
population, offering associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral
degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S.
as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit
phoenix.edu.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
(GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve
great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
Today, nearly 4,000 Clubs serve some 4 million young people
through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are
located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native American
lands throughout the country and on U.S. military installations
worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and
friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily
basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote
academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy
lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club
saved their lives. National headquarters are located in
Atlanta. Learn more at
http://bgca.org/facebook and
http://bgca.org/twitter.
SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America