Boys & Girls Clubs of America and The Coca-Cola Company Celebrate 75 Years of Equipping Young People with Essential Skills and Opportunities for Successful Futures
Press Release
ATLANTA, Sept. 28, 2021 – Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a youth development non-profit and committed youth empowerment leader, today celebrates 75 years with The Coca-Cola Company, working side by side to strengthen local communities nationwide and help millions of youth achieve great futures.
Since the 1940s, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has been championed by The Coca-Cola Company, whose longtime chairman, Robert Woodruff, strongly believed that shaping a better future for everyone started with supporting young people in our communities. Now, both brands have navigated times of triumph and challenge together, to provide safe, enriching places for Club youth to grow and reach their greatest potential.
“Boys & Girls Clubs of America is committed to doing whatever it takes to provide a great future for all young people, and for 75 years, we are honored that Cola-Cola has stood by our side as a national partner to support millions of youth across the nation,” says Jim Clark, president & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
“Our legacy partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs centers on building a better shared future for America’s youth and evolving our support to meet their changing needs, ” said Alfredo Rivera, president of North America for The Coca-Cola Company. “Today, to help close the job readiness gap, we are proud to help Boys & Girls Clubs prepare young people to succeed in the workforce and become pioneering workers, leaders and innovators of tomorrow.”
Preparing Youth to Succeed in the Workforce
Boys & Girls Clubs of America launched its Workforce Readiness Strategy to help youth build social and emotional skills such as communication, creativity, collaboration and leadership through mentorship and high-impact programming. In 2020, The Coca-Cola Company became a founding workforce readiness partner, investing in four program pillars: essential skill development, career exploration, employability skills and credentialing and work-based learning opportunities for youth at 4,700 Clubs nationwide.
According to a 2021 study performed by Measure of America, a project of the Social Science Research Center, seventy-five percent of youth express concerns about whether they have the skills necessary to secure a job. With COVID-19 furthering widening existing disparities and the opportunity gap for underrepresented groups, this critical workforce partnership enables Club youth to develop transferable skills to help them stay on-track in the midst of change. Through essential skill building and greater access to job pathways and career exploration opportunities, young people will be better prepared for success in work and life.
To learn more about the impact of this longstanding partnership, visit www.bgca.org/about-us/our-partners/coca-cola.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. More than 4,700 Clubs serve over 4.3 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and Twitter.
Media Contacts
Eliza Lynch
Manager, Public Relations (Partnerships) External Communications
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
ELynch@bgca.org
