United Way Partner Program
This investment grant will support Boys and Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore (BGCML) to implement a year-round educational enhancement strategy called Project Learn in the newly renovated state-of-the-art Clubhouse. This is a model designed to engage young people in learning, encourage them to succeed in school and help them become productive, healthy, and lifelong learners. Project Learn reinforces the academic enrichment and school engagement of young people during the time they spend at the Club.
Youth who attend Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore do much better in school when they spend their non-school hours engaged in fun, but academically beneficial, activities. Through Project Learn with partnership of Panda Express Associates and guest, a BGCA program initiative, our club staff use all the areas and programs in the Club to create opportunities for these high-yield learning activities, including leisure reading, writing activities, discussions with knowledgeable adults, helping others, homework help, tutoring and games that develop young people’s cognitive skills.
Project Learn also emphasizes parent involvement as well as collaboration between Club and school professionals. BGCML has ongoing collaborations with Muskegon County schools Superintendents and administrators to promote Project Learn.
Key attributes of this program will:
- Promote academic achievement and college readiness
- Foster development of character, resilience and wellness
- Forge partnerships to maximize resources and strengthen communities
- Engage families in meaningful ways by having quarterly family gatherings
Programming will be offered by BGCML's trained staff during out of school times year round. To ensure continuous improvements, BGCML will utilize the NYOI study through the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, as well as Youth Program Quality Assessment. Youth Investment studies like these have found that high-quality out-of-school time programming drives even greater impact through a direct correlation between the quality of the Club Experience and positive youth outcomes. These are yearly assessments that our organization participates in. Findings show that an optimal Club Experience leads to statistically significant academic and social growth for all age groups.
About Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore
MISSION | to inspire and enable all youth, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive and caring citizens
VISION | to be the beacon of hope & light to over 1,000 youth, each day. Through teamwork, dedicated staff and volunteers cultivate a “Culture of Cool” by offering age appropriate and dynamic programming, easily accessible to any youth, ages 6-18 within the Muskegon County area. Supported by sustained funding, the Boys & Girls Club will be the premier youth-serving organization.
VALUES | Inclusion, Collaboration, Accountability, Integrity, & Respect
- We value the range of different backgrounds people bring to their work, and appreciate how those backgrounds make us better at what we do.We work effectively within and across teams, with engaged people to accomplish our goals; we celebrate success together
- We do what we say and hold each other to the highest standards; we are good stewards of all our resources
- We are honest and transparent in what we do and say; we are committed to doing the right thing.
- We affirm the dignity of others; we respect & embrace the contributions of others.
