|
Children in After School
Programs Can Achieve!
|
The JCPenney Afterschool Fund and
Boys & Girls Clubs of America are helping
students achieve realistic, educational and
career goals. Two organizations have teamed-up
to make possible Goals for Graduation, an
academic goal-setting initiative, that
encourages students to set achievable goals for
their studies, and perhaps more importantly, for
their futures.
Boys
& Girls Clubs of Citrus County has received a
$1,000 grant to implement Goals for Graduation
in 2005. This year alone, the JCPenney
Afterschool Fund will provide 200 Goals for
Graduation grants to Clubs around the United
States. Goals for Graduation is a
proactive initiative for members (ages 6 – 15).
This academic goal-setting program provides
members with a variety of one-on-one,
small-group and large group activities to
support academic goal setting, learning and
success in school.
Goals for Graduation is
designed to fuel kids’ desire to strive toward
new and exciting goals, while providing them
with moral support and encouragement” said Lynne
Smith JCPenney Store Manager “Children are our
most valuable resource. They are the future
leaders of our country. What better investment
can we make in our future than in our children?”
Working with Boys & Girls Club
staff, participants develop three sets of goals:
achievable Know-I-Can goals, more
challenging Think-I-Can goals and yearly
Believe-I-Can goals. A fun and
motivational I Can Achieve academic pledge
rally kicks off the goal-setting process, with a
pledge from participants to commit to the goals
they have set.
“The
JCPenney Afterschool Fund has provided us with
the resources we need to create a comprehensive
and effective curriculum that encourages kids to
excel.” said Anne Pope, Board President of Boys
& Girls Clubs of Citrus County. “We know
from research and firsthand experience that kids
need support in order to excel. Otherwise, they
accept lower standards of academic achievement
which can result in lower aspirations for higher
education.”
Goals for Graduation
and the I Can Achieve academic pledge
rallies have been implemented by Boys &Girls
Clubs of America to help Club members link their
future aspirations with their present actions.
The JCPenney Afterschool Fund, a 501(c) (3)
non-profit organization and sponsor of
after-school programs, has made Goals for
Graduation and the I Can Achieve
academic pledge rallies possible by awarding
grants to Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide over the
past three years.
Boys & Girls Clubs are safe
places to learn and grow - all while having fun,
thanks in part to Goals for Graduation.
Call your local Club at 621-9225 for more
information. |