FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (July 14, 2013) – For the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, a $200,000 challenge grant from the Salah Foundation has mobilized more than $700,000 to expand two critical programs that greatly increase reading and math skills for Broward County’s at-risk youth.
The Youth Education Success (YES) program is a comprehensive academic success initiative that combines six different components to meet the educational needs of at-risk youth including: homework help; i-Ready computer assisted reading and math instruction with an individualized monitoring and assessment system; mentoring; high-yield activities such as reading, writing, and educational games; parent and community involvement, and collaboration with Broward County schools. This program fosters parent involvement through regularly scheduled parent-teacher mini-conferences to discuss each student’s progress.
“We have been able to reduce the number of children on our waiting list to access YES. Thanks to the Salah Foundation’s challenge grant, this critical program more than doubled to 589 youth since expanding in February,” said Brian Quail, President/CEO. “We were able to implement the i-Ready online instruction platform for reading and math that is focused on the new Common Core State Standards for public school learning. We are also grateful to our donors who generously stepped up to make gifts toward the challenge.”
Maximizing Out of School Time (MOST) addresses “summer academic loss” by enhancing children’s daily academic, social, fitness, and cultural arts components during the summer through: daily homework/reading activities inclusive of reading, math and science; organized physical fitness activities and water safety; eating nutritious breakfasts/lunches/afternoon snacks approved by the US Department of Agriculture; and sessions focused on social and life skills, character and leadership development, family involvement, and a community service learning project.
The MOST program, currently in progress through August 9 is serving more than 700 youth this summer – up from 400 last year. BGCBC was able to maximize those same grant monies from the Salah Foundation to secure additional funding from the Children’s Services Council.
“We are anxious to see how the kids have improved during the summer session,” said George Taylor, Esq. Salah Foundation board member. “It’s exciting to see them engaged in reading and math when they could be doing other summertime activities. Our partnership in philanthropy strengthens with every success they have.”