BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA PARTNERING WITH METLIFE FOUNDATION TO SERVE MORE TEENS
Thirty-three Clubs Nationwide Selected for Funding

Atlanta [April 17, 2008] – Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) has announced a $500,000 grant from MetLife Foundation to reach more teens. The MetLife Foundation Teen Growth and Enhancement Initiative will create and evaluate new strategies to attract and retain teen members by providing them with safe, fun, positive experiences and adult mentors in Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.

"MetLife Foundation and BGCA share a commitment to providing young people with constructive activities and interaction with caring adults after school," said Sibyl Jacobson, president of MetLife Foundation. "We are pleased to partner with the organization on this new initiative to increase outreach and innovative programs for teens nationwide."

When young people enter their teen years, they have more options for how to spend their time after school. Unlike younger children, teens often make their own decisions about after-school activities and do not always see Boys & Girls Clubs as relevant to their maturing lifestyle. Therefore, it is challenging for youth development agencies to recruit new members from the 13-and-older age group.

At the same time negative peer pressure on teens increases, other factors are at work:

• Youth are at greater risk of being victimized by violent crime in the hours after school, particularly between the hours of 3-4 p.m.

• Every day, approximately 4,000 American youth aged 12-17 try their first cigarette.

• Nearly a third of high school students don't graduate on time. Among African American, Hispanic and Native American teens, the rate increases to nearly half.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the national leader in providing after-school programs for young people, believes these trends can be reversed. Research shows that students spending one to four hours per week in extracurricular activities are 51% less likely to have used drugs and 63% less likely to become teen parents than those who do not.

Students in quality after-school programs also achieve greater academic success, record improved behavior and school attendance and set higher expectations for the future. Most importantly, new data suggests that the high school dropout rate can be significantly lowered through consistent academic encouragement.

“We are grateful to MetLife Foundation for their continued support and specifically for this new grant to increase our teen outreach initiative,” said BGCA President and CEO Roxanne Spillett. “We know from listening to the teens we already serve that today’s young people face much more challenging issues and often have fewer strong adult mentors in their lives.”

Thirty-three Clubs across the country were selected to participate in the BGCA/MetLife Foundation Initiative. Seventeen will receive funding to expand existing successful teen programming and add a minimum of 100 new teen members over the course of one year. An additional 16 Clubs will receive grants to launch a teen program in their community.

Clubs will use MetLife Foundation funding to have dedicated teen staff, extend hours of operation and provide age-appropriate programs and relevant field trips to attract and retain teens. The Clubs will also receive training and technical assistance from national experts on working with teens. BGCA will document and share best practices from the participating Clubs throughout the Boys & Girls Club Movement.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (http://www.bgca.org) comprises a national network of more than 4,000 neighborhood-based facilities, with 4.8 million youth served through Club membership and community outreach, in all 50 states and on U.S. military bases worldwide. Known as “The Positive Place for Kids,” the Clubs provide guidance-oriented character development programs on a daily basis for children 6-18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize leadership development, education and career exploration, financial literacy, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation, and family outreach. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

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. The Foundation has supported Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s youth development programs with grants of almost $6 million. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.metlife.org.

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