But throughout the country, nearly one-third of America's public high school students won't graduate on time. In fact, in some of our nation's most distressed communities, as many as half of our kids are dropping out of high school. As a result, the U.S. is now the only industrialized country where young people are less likely than their parents to earn a diploma. It's a crisis that most Americans don't know about, but one that could affect our nation's ability to compete on a global stage.
With a century-old commitment to education, Boys & Girls Clubs of America helps Clubs build partnerships with schools and parents; identify high-risk youth to help them stay in school; and develop and implement comprehensive programs that support what kids learn in class. Programs such as Power Hour, a homework assistance initiative, and Goals for Graduation, which helps young people set academic goals, instill the importance of getting a good education.
Thanks to supporters like you, Boys & Girls Clubs can create a culture in which every child embraces academic success as the key to a bright future.
Making Dollars and Sense
While growing up, Christopher Rivera's teachers always told him to save his money. But no one had ever shown him how to do it, or told him why it was important.
Rivera's perception and knowledge about finance changed last year when he participated in Money Matters: Make It CountSM, a financial literacy program offered at The Educational Alliance Boys & Girls Club in New York City.
"This program showed me that saving is a way of life," says Rivera. "My spending patterns have changed, from spending impulsively to only getting items I need. All my life we have been living paycheck to paycheck. This is not what I want for myself."
Since Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Charles Schwab Foundation developed Money Matters in 2003, some 120,000 teens at 1,100 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country have learned how to use a checking account, manage debt and save for college through fun, interactive activities.
For young people like Rivera, the lessons appear to stick. As a Money Matters scholarship winner, he promotes financial literacy to other Boys & Girls Club members, and plans to attend college in hopes of establishing his own nonprofit youth organization. "My lifelong goal is to help others improve their quality of life, the same way I was helped at the Club," he says.
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Powering Through
One way many Boys & Girls Clubs promote academic
success is through Power Hour, a program that dedicates time for daily homework assistance and educational
activities. Power Hour helps young people learn how to work independently, complete projects on time, develop confidence in their abilities and feel good about their accomplishments.
- At the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Lane, Calif., three siblings attend Power Hour each day. Club staff learned that the children's parents were illiterate, and the grandparents with whom the children also lived had reading difficulties. The parents were vocal about wanting their children to participate in Power Hour, even going so far as to request daily reports from Club staff and the children’s school. As a result, their eldest son raised his grades from Ds to As and Bs, and set out to make the school’s honor roll. Club staff also connected the parents with a tutor, who has helped them begin reading at a functional level.
- First-grader Keionna M. from the Boys & Girls Club of New Britain, Conn., had trouble reading, and performed poorly on her weekly spelling tests. Club staff helped her sound out letters and build her confidence.
Within a month, Keionna received her first 100 on a spelling test. During Power Hour, Club staff made an announcement about Keionna’s good grade, and everyone cheered. The Club proudly displayed her test on the bulletin board, and Keionna continues to make progress in school. She is a regular participant
in Power Hour and now eagerly reads to staff, volunteers and other students.
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