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Last Updated: January 18, 2012 |
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New President Named for Boys & Girls Clubs of America - Jim Clark
The first of the year brought a new beginning and new leadership to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). As the eleventh president and CEO of BGCA since its founding in 1906, Jim Clark heads the nation’s largest youth development organization. He joined BGCA in January 2012 after serving for eight years as president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee where he implemented visionary and innovative education programs. His leadership will strengthen our Club’s focus on impacting academic performance of Club members. |
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Club Receives Grant to Increase Literacy
Baton Rouge is one of 10 Clubs in the country to receive a $5,500 grant! Educators, mentors and parents are putting an extra emphasis on literacy skills to help America’s youth beat the odds and graduate. With generous support from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, BGCA has teamed up with Developmental Studies Center to implement AfterSchool KidzLit®, a proven reading enrichment program for young people in grades K-8. You support an organization that others recognize and value. More dollars into Baton Rouge means more kids can be served and impacted by proven Boys & Girls Club Programs.
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Club Expanding Programs for High School Members
After a limited Club program in the fall semester focusing only on academic tutoring, high school Club members are excited to see a full schedule of Club programs resume in January. Programs at Belaire High School are made possible by a grant received from the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation. This Club site will serve more than 50 high school Club members. Thanks to donors like you, more opportunities are available to members. High school programs will focus on academics, healthy lifestyles and character development.
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Club AmeriCorps Members Improve School Campus
Improving the character of our members, including our staff, is one core outcome of Boys & Girls Club programs. Members of the Boys & Girls Club family will not be sitting around this Martin Luther King holiday. Instead, we will be volunteering at one Club site - Glen Oaks Park Elementary School. Boys & Girls Club AmeriCorps members will work to improve landscaping on the school grounds, paint interior classrooms and make general improvements to the school.
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Members Bear Service
Club members and University of Phoenix volunteers pause for a picture at the University of Phoenix, Baton Rouge Campus’, Share-a-Bear event on Saturday, November 19, at the Mall of Louisiana. Members and adults created teddy bears for first responders to give to local children in traumatic situations. |
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Marucci and the Club Swing for the Fence
Marucci celebrated its second annual Marucci Live event on November 26, by honoring some of the biggest names in baseball while raising funds for the Boys & Girls Club! The event line up included an interview with Cal Ripken, Jr. and a Major League Baseball (MLB) player panel discussion. The hosts of the night were MLB Commentator, Harold Reynolds and Marucci’s Chief Hitting Officer, Jenn Lee. Complete with peanuts and Cracker Jacks, this event was a home run for the Club.
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Club's Celebration Dinner Held November 1
While many doors open in a kid’s life, Boys & Girls Club doors transform. On Tuesday, November 1 at the Baton Rouge RiverCenter from 6-8 p.m., the Boys & Girls Club celebrated this commitment to outcomes and thank corporations in Baton Rouge who are opening doors to Great Futures through their support of the Boys & Girls Club.
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Be Somebody for Somebody
The Boys & Girls Club is conducting a mentoring program with fourth and fifth graders this school year. The Club has recruited mentors from the Baton Rouge community to serve as role models for our Club members. Mentors are meeting one time per month. Adults are able to choose the meeting time and date that works with their schedule. Adults are primarily academic mentors helping kids stay on track and progress to the next grade level on time. For more information about this program or to find out how to get involved, contact Onya Carter, Director of Volunteer Services, at onya@brclubs.org.
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Clubs Work to Stomp Out Bullying
Throughout the month of October, Boys & Girls Club afterschool programs celebrated Bullying Awareness Month. Every Club site learned what it means to be a friend by participating in many anti-bullying activities - all part of the Club’s Get Real About Violence curriculum. Sites created a banner to share their Stomp Out Bullying message. The Club’s Facebook fans voted on the best banner. The Boys & Girls Club at Alaska Street BREC Park won the banner contest with more than 210 votes! Not only did the contest promote powerful messages, it also brought new people to the Club’s Facebook page and increased awareness for Club programs.
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Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Supports High School Club
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation has recently granted the Club $20,000.00 for the Boys & Girls Club to continue to implement academic enhancement, character development and fitness and nutrition programs with students at Belaire High School. The Club is passionate about providing the young people of the Belaire community with a safe, positive place to go after school. Thank you, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, for your ongoing support of the Club.
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Promoting Healthy Lifestyles by Measuring Outcomes
The Boys & Girls Club is committed to being an outcome-driven organization dedicated to providing programs that kids need. Louisiana children have an obesity rate of 35.9 percent which is above the national average. This fall, the Club is conducting a pilot study measuring the BMI of our members at four Club sites. Based on our findings, we will evaluate the needs of our Club population and tailor our healthy lifestyle programs and activities to meet these needs.
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Club Receives Additional Funding from Volunteer Louisiana
The Boys & Girls Club has recently received additional funding from the Louisiana Serve Commission to hire ten additional AmeriCorps members, to work 900 hours each. This new class is scheduled to start in January 2012. This will allow the Club to utilize these AmeriCorps members to serve kids at Boys & Girls Clubs.
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Target Helps Support Reading Programs for Club's in Baton Rouge
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge has recently received funding from Target to implement our Integrated Reading Curriculum (IRC) at one of eight afterschool enrichment program sites in Baton Rouge, LA. The Club will provide two six-week IRC sessions serving members at the Boys & Girls Club. During this 12-week period, 90 members will participate (45 children per session). Thank you, Target, for supporting Clubs here in Baton Rouge! |
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JCPenney Gives to the Club
JCPenney Pennies from Heaven is taking place now at the Mall at Cortana. This $4.7 million nationwide program provides JCPenny customers with the opportunity to make donations to the JCPenny Afterschool Fund at the cash register by rounding up their purchase to the next whole dollar. In turn, JCPenney at Cortana Mall will donate this "round up" amount to the Boys & Girls Club! Shop at JCPenny at Cortana Mall until August 27 and help the Club.
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Training Equips Staff to Change Futures
The Club is committed to developing staff to have the skills, knowlege and enthusiasm to meet the needs of the youth we serve. From August 10-13, the Club’s youth development professionals were busy preparing for the start of Club programs. Staff training ended with an overnight retreat at the Judson Baptist Retreat Center. Time was packed with teambuilding activities that moved staff out of their comfort zones and focused on impacting the lives of our Club members.
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Exxon Helps Provide Summer Staff
ExxonMobil Community Summer Jobs Program provided one intern who worked as a youth development professional for six weeks. Thank you, ExxonMobil, for helping us provide programs to even more kids this summer. |
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KPMG Intern Assists in Measuring Outcomes
From July 11 - 22, Cora Jones, a summer intern for KPMG, spent two weeks volunteering at the Club. During her time with us, she helped analyze our reading results from the summer. KPMG has been a valuable partner for the Club for years. Special thanks to Perry Leslie, board member, for cultivating this partnership and for sharing Cora’s expertise with the Club. |
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"A Day to BE..." Anything Club Members Desire
At the Boys & Girls Club, anything is possible. On Tuesday, June 28, 50 Club members learned from the pros by shadowing 31 adult mentors for a day. It was a day to be an architect, a day to be a lawyer, a day to be a restaurant manager—a day to BE GREAT. Special thanks to this year's chair, Scott Ritter, for coordinating this event and making it very meaningful for both Club members and adults. |
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The POWER to ADE a Future
On Wednesday, June 15, more than 500 Club members came to Memorial Stadium to kickoff the Club's Triple Play program. Every part of the day was sponsored by Coca-Cola and POWERADE. Club members were encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle by staying active, making the right food choices and giving back to our community. Thanks to POWERADE and Coke for making this day possible! |
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Baton Rouge Wins Photo Contest - And $7,000 for Media Center
Through the Great Futures Start Here College Tour photo contest sponsored by Google™, five lucky Boys & Girls Clubs have won a media center valued at $7,000 - and Boys & Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge is one of them! Thanks Boys & Girls Clubs of America. |
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Youth Legislature Hosts First Ever Hall of Fame Session
On Tuesday, June 7, 80 of the brightest middle schoolers in Louisiana gathered at the Old State Capital Building for the Boys & Girls Club's first every Youth Legislature Hall of Fame Session. It was an exciting day filled with debating bills, running for election and learning from each other. Special thanks to all Louisiana legislators who contributed to this program making it possible. We hope it will continue for years to come!
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Golfing to Create Great Futures
On Monday, June 6, Manda Fine Meats hosted the 15th Annual John A. Manda, JR. Me morial Golf Classic benefiting the Boys & Girls Club. This year's tournament was held at the Bluffs Country Club in beautiful St. Francisville. Despite a little bad weather, the tournament was a great success securing some funding to help with summer programs at the Club! Thanks to all who came out and supported our cause! |
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GREAT Staff Will Create Great Futures
For two weeks, the Boys & Girls Club's youth development professionals were in training to learn how to make summer programs the best they possibly can be. Between academic programs, healthy habit activities and character building workshops, they were trained in everything. Why? Because Great Futures Start Here! |
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Kids do Better in School by Participating in the Club's Summer Programs
In an editorial written by The Advocate, the Boys & Girls Club was commended for serving more than 800 kids this summer. It says, "We applaud the work Clubs do in making summer brighter for youngsters." Thanks to The Advocate staff for supporting vital Club programs!
View the entire editorial, as seen in The Advocate.
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Great Futures Start with BGCA's National Conference
From May 18-20, more than 30 community leaders from Baton Rouge joined Boys & Girls Club staff and board members to attend the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's National Conference in New Orleans. It was three days filled with inspiration where everyone left knowing more about the Movement.
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United Way Funding Increase Shows Community Value for the Club
Capital Area- United-Way released its allocations and the Boys & Girls Club is proud to have received an increase! We're thrilled that our community sees the impact we are having on the education of youth in Baton Rouge. Thank you, United Way, for ensuring that Great Futures Start Here.
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Marucci Teams Up with the Club to Inspire Great Futures
Reed Dickens, CEO of Marucci, said that the biggest obstacle facing the young generation is the acceptance of mediocrity. At the Boys & Girls Club’s annual Passport to Manhood luncheon, the Club members were anything but mediocre.
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge held the luncheon on Friday, May 6, 2011 where more than 50 business men came to the Camelot Club to have lunch with 50 Club members. The luncheon culminates a 16-week program that all members go though teaching them to have strong character, exhibit integrity and set goals to become an engaged citizen.
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Career Development Interviews Conducted with Members at Belaire High School
The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) conducted mock interviews with Club members at Belaire High School on Thursday, May 5. Club members learned the basic skills to have a successful interview. Thanks to all those who attended and helped prepare members for the workforce or other future aspirations.
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Junior League of Baton Rouge Hosts SMART Girls Conference for Club Members
On Tuesday, April 19, Junior League of Baton Rouge members taught our 5th-12th grade Club members how to be SMART girls. At a one half day conference, Club members learned about respect, health, academics and motivation. Special thanks to event chair, Heather Gahagan, her committee and all Junior League members for hosting this special day. Our girls always enjoy it! |
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Capital Area United Way and Exxon Mobil Host Day of Action - Club Members and Staff Participate
On Saturday, April 16, hundreds of volunteers came together for a Day of Action hosted by Capital Area United Way and Exxon Mobil. Our Club members and Boys & Girls Club AmeriCorps members helped restore more than 100 classrooms at Delmont Elementary School - one location of the Boys & Girls Club's after school programs.
Being a part of this project and improving our school is something Boys & Girls Club values. It is projects like these that we are able to improve the character of our Club members by teaching them to be a contributing citizen in the Baton Rouge Community.
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Downtown Kiwanis Club Volunteers with the Boys & Girls Club
On Saturday, April 16, the Downtown Kiwanis Club hosted a fishing trip for Club members from the Boys & Girls Club at Brookstown Elementary. Members were so excited to learn how to fish and meet our volunteers. Thank you to the Downtown Kiwanis Club for helping show Club members how great they are by investing time in them!
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Regions Bank Volunteer Teaches Club Members to be Financially Responsible
The Club is improving the character and citizenship of our members by teaching them the importance of financial responsibility and setting them on a path to great futures. Layne Dodd used to be a student at Belaire High School. Now, he is Assistant Vice President of Special Assets at Regions Bank. He is giving back to his alma mater by volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge’s high school Club site that serves students from Belaire High School. Dodd’s expertise provided members with basic financial information. "My favorite part of teaching this program was passing on good, solid and practical financial advice to the students,” said Dodd.
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Fore!Kids Foundation Shows Support to the Club
Since 1958, the Fore!Kids Foundation has raised money to fund children's service organizations, like the Boys & Girls Club, through golf events like the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. This year, the foundation contributed $5,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge to help provide summer programs for kids who need it most, our Club members. Thank you, Fore!Kids Foundation, for supporting the Club and its programs.
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LSU's Phi Kappa Psi Hosts Field Day for Club Members
On Saturday, April 2, members of LSU's Phi Kappa Psi planned a fun field day for Club members on the LSU campus. The day was filled with obstacle courses, water balloon tosses and potato sack races. Every year, Phi Kappa Psi volunteers with the Club and we appreciate their time and willingness to give back to the Baton Rouge community.
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AT&T Pledges $1 Million to BGCA
AT&T has committed $1 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of America to support our BE GREAT: Graduate program helping members stay in school and graduate from high school ready for a Great Future! Thank you, AT&T for helping Club members BE GREAT.
Read the full story here.
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Baton Rouge Club Member Named Louisiana Youth of the Year
Youth of the Year is Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s (BGCA) premier recognition program for Club members, promoting service to Club, community and family; academic success; strong moral character; life goals; and poise and public speaking ability. In New Orleans on March 25, 2011, Baton Rouge's Youth of the Year, Adrian Augustus, was named Louisiana Youth of the Year by BGCA! This is the second year in a row for Baton Rouge to win the state title. Adrian will compete in the regional Youth of the Year competition in Atlanta this summer. Read the full story, as seen in The Advocate.
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Turning Frowns Upside Down
Dig Baton Rouge says, "For a Club whose aim is to serve kids who need them the most, some might be tempted to declare Mission: Accomplished." See what Kendra Chamberlain, writer for Dig Magazine, had to say after meeting Boys & Girls Club members from our site at Forest Heights Academy.
Read the full story, as seen in Dig Baton Rouge.
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The Club Appears on WBRZ's 2une In to Celebrate National Boys & Girls Club Week
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge are celebrating national Boys & Girls Club Week from March 20-26. On Tuesday, March 22, the Club's President, Pat Van Burkleo, and board member, Thomas Spradley, stopped by 2une In to talk about their experiences and how the Club has helped them get to where they want to be.
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Kickin' Off Boys & Girls Club Week with a Family Fun Day
On Saturday, March 19, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge was "Kickin' off Boys & Girls Club Week" with a kickball tournament and family fun day for all Club sites! Teams of 20 Club members from all 11 Club sites came together at Flannery BREC Park to celebrate National Boys & Girls Club Week and promotes healthy lifestyles for members and their families.
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