600 Dalton Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45203
Graduate Education Program
Grant Application:
At the Boys
& Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati, we give our members a place to learn,
grow, and succeed. Our Graduate education program helps Club members achieve
high school graduation, reach for college, and prepare for a 21st century
career. Through this program, Club members are given access to tutoring,
mentors, literacy and math support, and computer-based instruction for a
multi-pronged, multimedia approach to improving their academic achievement. The
Graduate program consists of the following major program components:
1) Homework help and tutoring
2) High-yield learning activities
3) Parental involvement
4) Collaboration with schools
5) Incentives (i.e., field trips, games,
and prizes)
Grant Evaluation Report:
Since 2010, BGCGC has provided social, emotional, and academic supports for youth with the greatest need through our Graduate program. Each year, BGCGC uses both qualitative and quantitative data to analyze the program’s success and make program design adjustments that best address the emerging needs of our youth.
In October 2022, a study released by the National Assessment of Education Progress noted that 44% of parents said the pandemic and remote learning had long-term negative effects on their children’s education that were still apparent entering the 2022-2023 school year. Half of parents also noted that the pandemic had a negative effect on their child’s emotional well-being and, of those, 30% say their child’s emotional challenges persist (https://tinyurl.com/2p9xm2bd).
In response, during the project period, BGCGC re-committed to providing intensive supports that helped our youth recover from the pandemic. This included a focus on the academic basics, including literacy, math, and college/career readiness, socio-emotional supports that foster wellbeing, and continuing to cultivate the expertise of our staff members so they can nurture and build invaluable relationships with students that help them reach their full potential.
BGCGC engaged outside experts to supplement program staff as needed. For example, BGCGC engaged an established tutoring firm – Club Z! Tutors – with experienced teachers to help K-3rd grade students who experienced profound learning losses from remote schooling. Club staff report that their students absolutely love working with Club Z! tutors and some even come to the Clubs more often on days they know their Club Z! tutor will be there.
BGCGC also worked alongside mental health professionals to help youth recover from the trauma of the pandemic and ongoing depression and anxiety that resulted from long-term shutdowns and isolation. Through these partnerships, BGCGC has established an ongoing Advanced Trauma Competent Care and Social-Emotional Learning curriculum for BGCGC program staff.
With these supports, our students achieved all the academic and social-emotional goals BGCGC set for the Graduate program in 2022. These results speak to the power of the Graduate program and to the resilience of the youth we serve.
Additionally, we celebrate and recognize the success of our program as it is demonstrated by the personal achievements and growth of our youth.
Braedyn, Griffin, Destiny, and Adrianna are four Greater Cincinnati youth who benefited from Graduate’s academic and social-emotional programming in 2022.
Braedyn started third grade in fall 2022 and was struggling with reading. He began working with a tutor, his program leader, and other staff to improve his reading skills. Within a month, Braedyn was seeing improvements in his grades, and even received an ‘A’ on his last reading test.?
Griffin, a middle schooler, was struggling in his math courses and asked to work with Mr. John, a Club math tutor. This was unusual because Griffin is often quieter and reserved, but he felt comfortable enough to proactively vocalize his needs to get the academic support he required. Griffin and Mr. John work together every Wednesday and Griffin has been making steady improvement in his math scores.
Destiny is a new Club member who just started coming to Club during the 2022-2023 school year. Her first few weeks were tumultuous. She acted defiantly toward staff and struggled with behavior. Her program leader turned to BGCGC’s social-emotional resources and, after several weeks of working together, Destiny has learned how to pinpoint her triggers. Now, she can feel a meltdown coming on, take herself to the Club’s calm down room and can verbalize what specifically overwhelms her. Club staff are continuing to work with Destiny as she continues to learn to regulate her feelings.
Adrianna, a 10th grader, was named her Club’s 2021 Youth of the Year and continues to be a leader. In 2022, she successfully received a grant to help her with future college expenses. In addition, BGCGC staff created a special role for her to manage the Club’s teen store. She is now in charge of the daily functions of the teen store and is gaining valuable skills in management and supervision. Club staff cannot wait to see what she does in the future.
These stories illustrate how BGCGC’s Graduate program makes a real difference in the quality of life for the youth we serve. Graduate’s high-quality programs, coupled with caring role models, support youth in reaching their full potential and becoming productive, caring, considerate, and responsible citizens.