We saw kids succeeding in school, getting active, and making good choices, and it’s all because you believe in our mission. Here are just a few of our top accomplishments for 2016.
Because of you:
1. We are reaching thousands of kids! Nearly 10,000 kids and teens walked through our doors and found love, hope, and their own potential!
2. Our members are reaching high with their education! 100% of our College Bound seniors graduated high school, 89% went on to higher education, and Club teens were awarded a total of $1.7 million in college scholarships.
3. Our Youth of the Year, Sergio Wallace, found his voice! Thousands of kids like Sergio took part in key leadership programs at their Clubs and learned skills like interviewing and public speaking. Check out his story to see why his Club means so much to him!
4. Our kids are getting active! More than 800 kids participated in Soccer for Success – an expanded partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation serving nearly 20 Boys & Girls Clubs across the city.
5. Our kids know the importance of giving back! More than 75% of our teens report that they volunteer on at least a monthly basis – a rate three times higher than the national average.
6. Our young women continued to shine! BGCMA celebrated 25 years of including girls in our Clubs. We honored a special group of women for blazing trails in business and philanthropy and serving as great role models to girls across the city. Check out these amazing women who are empowering our girls!
7. Our kids are learning eating healthy is actually fun! 16 Clubs began growing their gardens this year and learned how yummy good nutrition can be. Congratulations to Joseph B. Whitehead Boys & Girls Club for winning ‘Top Chef’ at this year’s Salsa, Salsa event! Check out their winning recipe!
8. Our Clubs got a new look! We finished renovations at 7 of our Clubs and are in the process of designing 5 more to give our kids and teens an even better place to learn and grow.
9. We helped bridge the digital divide! We invested thousands of dollars in educational technology, including tablets and multi-media upgrades, to help our kids succeed in school and beyond.
10. We turned summer learning loss into summer learning gains! On average, low-income youth lose two to three months in reading each summer while their higher-income peers make gains, but we saw a 9% increase in reading proficiency among our kids.
Click here for more information on how you can get involved with helping Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta youth achieve Great Futures.