Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas 

 Back to School Issue 2012

The Club Connection

President's Corner
Charles English & Mesquite PD     

The 2012 - 2013 school year is here, and at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, we know that education is the solution for  children to become productive, responsible citizens. Currently, too many kids are falling behind in school - and life - before they even get started. Oftentimes, this is not due to a lack of ability but to the lack of access to quality afterschool programming that helps prepare kids for academic success and, inevitably, a great future.

 

What do kids need to do well in school? Basic supplies are essential, but they also need self-esteem, creativity and confidence. Our youth need safe places, adult guidance and enriching experiences in their out-of-school time. They need Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. We make a difference by providing kids, especially those most in need, with access to after-school programs that every child needs to be successful and achieve a GREAT future.

 

Join Boys & Girls Clubs' of Greater Dallas effort to reach our objective of serving 125 more Club members by the end of 2012.  Contribute today and help close the gap of $250,000 to meet our budget goal!

  

Donate Now! 

Sincerely,
Charles English
 

 

Charles English 

President & CEO 
Club Spotlight
West Dallas Boys & Girls Club

Day for Kids 2012A volunteer is a person who renders aid, performs a service, or assumes an obligation voluntarily. At the West Dallas Boys & Girls Club, our staff teaches our members that all deeds should not be done for compensation only; some deeds are done through the kindness of your heart and through good judgment. Members were taken on several field trips based on good behavior and "good deeds" done around the Club. These field trips were intended for members to experience, first hand, multiple ways of giving back to the community. For two weeks, we observed our student's behavior daily for positive manners and member relationships during Triple Play and Power Hour. Members were given points for picking up trash, opening doors for the elderly and helping others with every day tasks. Later in the week, during our Character & Leadership Programs such as Passport to Manhood and SMART Girls, we discussed each and every behavior seen.  While discussing what we observed, we established that most of our members enjoy helping others when they are told "thank you" in return and enjoy helping others less when they are not recognized for their help. The saying, "Vision without action is a daydream, Action without vision is a nightmare", is a slogan we live by at the Club. Our vision is to serve our community's youth, and our action is to open doors and opportunities that may not have been available to our members. Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It's important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.

 

We recently began a co-ed baseball team with the Arlington Park Recreation Center. The members enjoy practicing during Triple Play with Coach Carter and Coach DeRon and were excited to travel to other parts of the city and meet other children their age.  

 

West Dallas Boys & Girls Club 

Arlington Park Recreation Center 

1505 Record Crossing

Dallas, TX 75235

(214) 821-2950

Recent Grant Awards Promote Youth Academic Success and Fight the High School Dropout Crisis

 

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas has had a successful 2012 thanks to our generous funders. These organizations and corporations help us continue to provide impactful programs for our members.

 

United Way of Metropolitan Dallas awarded $482,482 toward programs that foster academic success. The support of United Way has been critical to the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas.

 

Thanks also go to The Dallas Foundation for recognizing the importance of the work being done by Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. $50,000 was awarded to support our Academic Success program including family outreach to assist families to become healthy support mechanisms for the BGCD youth in their care. This award was from the Bertice Carter Speck Fund of the Dallas Foundation.

 

Junior League of Dallas is another repeat funder for BGCD. Junior League provides both funding and volunteers for the Collegiate STEPS program. Freshman through seniors work every week with Junior League of Dallas volunteers on a myriad of topics that prepare these high school students with skills to navigate the college application process, gain entrance into college and understand their financial responsibilities. Volunteers also actively assist members in researching and applying for scholarships to help with the cost of higher education. The assistance of the volunteer women of Junior League has made it possible to expand the services offered through Collegiate STEPS and made an impact on our members by motivating them to remain in school and move on to post-secondary education.

 

Women of St. Michael has again contributed toward funding of the food programs of BGCD. We are grateful for their assistance that allows us to help members who may face issues of food insecurity when away from the Clubs.

 

State Farm also made a recent contribution to the Academic Success programs that are a part of Project Learn. Additionally, State Farm will involve their employees in volunteer activities at local Boys & Girls Clubs.

 

The Taco Bell Foundation contributed $10,000 specifically designated to support The CSI-Big D program that has become so popular with Club youth. This program is a real-world experiential program that helps motivate Dallas teens stay in school and graduate by exposing them to a variety of Public Service professions and information about the necessary skills and levels of education required to pursue careers in: Law Enforcement, Forensic Science, Biology, Medical Examiner, Coroner, Firefighter, EMT, and more. The program is facilitated by current and former homicide detectives of the Dallas Police Department who may be familiar to the youth from their appearances in The First 48.

 

The 3M Foundation approved funding to the Clubs on behalf of the Dallas Sales Connection. In addition, 3M also provided some of their stationary and consumer care products for use in the Clubs.

In This Issue
President's Corner
Club Spotlight
 
Donate Now
 
Time Warner Cable / BGCD Community Partnership  

  

Robo Tech is being sponsored by Time Warner Cable.  It is for ages 9-14.  Participants will observe a First Lego League competition and design, build, test and program robots using Lego Mindstorms� technology.  This allows kids to apply real-world math and science concepts, research challenges facing today's scientists, learn critical thinking, team-building and presentation skills and participate in tournaments and celebrations.  Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas appreciates the media and marketing support of Time Warner Cable through their national public service announcements and customer eNewsletter articles.

Day for Kids
Fun  for  everyone!
BGCD Members 
Train Ride 
Golfing! 
Spiderman
 Book Drive
Plane Ride! 
Volunteer Opportunities

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas would like to request volunteers for after-school programs in the following areas: 

  • Art Teachers
  • Career Education
  • Cheerleading / Drill Team
  • Computer Teachers
  • Cooking Class Instructors
  • Drama Assistants
  • Game Room Assistants
  • Golf Teachers
  • Mentors
  • Music Teachers
  • Photography Teachers
  • Sports Coaching
  • Sports Officiating
  • Substance Abuse Presentations
  • Tutors
For more information about volunteer opportunities, please contact Carolyn Jordan via email at cjordan@bgcdallas.org or by phone at (214) 821-2950 x 712.