Boys & Girls Club Receives Grant Funding Essential to Achieving Mission
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Still bubbling with excitement for a new school year and the grand opening of its new facility, the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence was awarded funding from three key organizations to increase the it’s impact on the learning and development of young people in Lawrence.
In total, the Club was awarded $1.2 million from state and federal organizations, or a combination of the two. The funds make it possible to welcome the high number of youth who come through the Club’s 15 locations throughout Lawrence. While fundraising and membership fees are vital components to Boys & Girls Club’s sustainability, grant funds go directly to developing targeted programs that comprise the Formula for Impact.
“It makes me very proud that our organization is recognized and awarded these imperative funds,” said Hannah Coash, Director of Grants at the Boys & Girls Club. “These funders receive applications from around the state and across the country, all of which are respectable organizations. For us to not only develop lasting relationships with them, but to also grow our grant funds year after year, is a testament to the work we do. I am thrilled that we are able to serve more kids in Lawrence with this money.”
This funding accounts for one-third of the annual revenue the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence generates to provide after school and summer programs for over 3,000 Lawrence youth.
While the collective totals are impressive, each grant is regulated and reported separately. For the purpose of clarity, each are explained in detail below.
21st Century Community Learning Centers
Since 2009, the Boys & Girls Club proposed a partnership with the Lawrence Public School District to request funds to implement its current before and after school programs. BGCLK had already been awarded three 21st CCLC grants for last school year (Hillcrest, Kennedy and Woodlawn). This spring, two more Club locations were awarded 21st CCLC funds (Prairie Park, Schwegler).
This program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-need schools. The program helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math. It also offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs. Coash worked with Lawrence Public School administrators to identify factors that Boys & Girls Club programs aim to address. The factors include high rates of poverty, low academic achievement, high numbers of working and single parents and high need for social emotional support.
Funded by the Kansas State Department of Education, the Boys & Girls Club will receive $400,000 from the 21st CCLC program in the upcoming year.
AmeriCorps
Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence is one of eight Kansas organizations to receive AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which is the federal agency that administers AmeriCorps. This marks the eighth-consecutive year that AmeriCorps members will serve in Clubs in Lawrence. The growth level in that time is staggering. When Boys & Girls began its partnership with AmeriCorps in 2010, 10 members were serving at the Club. This year, BGCLK will be home to 73 members. The 2017-18 grant term was a banner year for the pair as 86 AmeriCorps members completed a total of 36,150 service hours at the Club.
These members serve alongside school district personnel and BGC staff to provide academic interventions to students in all 15 Boys & Girls Club afterschool program sites. They participate in training with the Lawrence Public School District, as half of their service agreement is fulfilled by serving in the schools during the day. By serving both during school and in the afterschool program, AmeriCorps members are able to provide consistent academic support.
Due to their placement in the schools and Club sites, AmeriCorps members build strong relationships with teachers, paras and counselors to ensure they provide academic assistance, specifically focused on improving math and reading proficiency. They also provide a positive learning environment and promote the personal, social and intellectual development of Club members.Additionally, CNCS awards education funding to AmeriCorps members by these grants to help pay for college, vocational training or student loan repayment. Last year, AmeriCorps paid out more than $130,000 in education awards to members who successfully completed their service term at the Boys & Girls Club.
Funded by the Kansas Volunteer Commission and the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Boys & Girls Club will receive $356,375 from the AmeriCorps program in the upcoming year.
KidzLit
KidzLit is a reading enrichment program for grades K–3 that is designed for out-of-school settings. Children hear fiction and nonfiction books read aloud to make connections between the stories and their own lives. At the Club, KidzLit staff uses powerful literature and engaging activities to increase children’s enjoyment of reading, build their vocabularies, deepen their thinking and foster their ability to work with others.
Working within their grade groups, children have opportunities to express their feelings and explore big ideas through discussion, art projects, creative thinking and writing. The program promotes literacy growth, thinking skills and supports social and emotional development.
In 2017, Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence implemented KidzLit at seven different locations. The results were phenomenal. More than 1,500 kids received literacy programming. Of those, 96% said they enjoyed reading, 85% increased their comprehension skills and 89% expanded their vocabulary. Thanks to the resounding statistics, BGCLK was awarded funds to have KidzLit at all 14 elementary sites in 2018-19.
Funded by the Kansas Department of Children and Families, the Boys & Girls Club will receive $400,000 from the KidzLit program in the upcoming year.