$1 Million Grant Goes to Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Angeles Harbor

2011 Grant Provides Funding for Expansion of Successful College Bound Program

The Everychild Foundation awarded its $1 million 2011 grantto The Boys and Girls Clubs of theLos Angeles Harbor (BGCLAH) tofund the expansion of its highlysuccessful College Bound Program.Created in 2002, the programprovides academic supportto hundreds of youth, includingsubject matter tutoring for the SATand quality college counseling.With its level of success andexperience, it was BGCLAHExecutive Director Mike Lansing’sdream to expand College Boundto reach as many young peopleas possible in the Los Angelesarea. Indeed, Lansing – a formerLos Angeles Unified School BoardMember – was a member of the club as a youth growing up in the SanPedro area.

‘We are excited to work with an organization like BGCLAH with asolid plan for replicating an already successful program,” said EverychildFoundation President Jacqueline Caster. ‘This grant may have thefurthest reach of any grant we have made to date.”BGCLAH plans to expand College Bound to an additional 600 youthat its three main sites and an additional 3000-3500 youth at ten otherclubs within the LA Alliance. In addition, BBCLAH will promote replicationof College Bound through ‘The Everychild College Bound University”,a web-based program available to the remaining Boys and GirlsClubs of the Los Angeles Alliance, potentially serving 5000 additionalyouth. It will also be available to 180 Boys and Girls Clubs throughoutCalifornia as well as YMCAs, YWCAs, and public and charter schools inthe state – potentially serving an additional 25,000 to 50,000 youth overthe term of the two-year grant.

The grant meets an importantneed in the Los Angeles area. Toomany high schools are experiencingdismal graduation rates. This isa critical concern because graduatingwith the skills necessary toenter college is a key indicatorof the ability of young people toreach their full potential in today’seconomy. College Bound has astrong track record of success.Prior to its implementation, youthparticipating in BGCLAH’s afterschoolprograms had less that a50 percent high school graduationrate. Today, youth participating inCollege Bound average a graduationrate of 90 percent.The expansion of BGCLAHserves disadvantaged youth ages 11 to 18 in the San Pedro and Wilmingtonareas. They face significant challenges in achieving academicsuccess including poverty, non-English speaking parents, gang pressure,and single-parent homes. More than one-half of the adults in thecommunity did not graduate from high school.Since its inception in 1939 as the ‘Boys” Club of San Pedro, BGCLAHhas stayed true to its mission: ‘To enable all young people, especiallythose who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caringand responsible citizens. This is achieved through a commitment toquality programs and services in an environment that is safe, nurturingand inspiring.” BGCLAH operates two Teen Centers, provides afterschoolprogramming at ten school sites, and offers sports and recreationprograms.