Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula

The low-income teens we serve face barriers to finishing high school, and continuing on to college. 

 

 1) Compared with teens from more affluent neighboring communities, our students’ families are less likely to hold college degrees, and are more likely to live below the poverty line.

 

2) Because fewer than 50% of local parents have graduated from high school, many of our students lack parental guidance in navigating the education system, college applications, and career options.

 

3) With high school drop-out rates of 50% or more, our youth are at increased risk of unemployment, gang activity, and substance abuse.

 

By the time they reach high school, many local students are not proficient in basic academic skills. These teens face a future with fewer options and less opportunity than their peers from more affluent communities in the region. 

 

Our teen programs make a difference for some of the highest-need youth in the region. BGCP provides programming for teens at our clubhouses in East Palo Alto, eastern Menlo Park, and the North Fair Oaks neighborhood of Redwood City.  We also provide an in-school academic intervention program for at-risk high school students. Across our programs, we serve 200 of the region’s most at-risk teens every day.

 

On May 3rd, your partnership with BGCP will provide underserved teens with the gift of opportunity. We must raise $200,000 to give teens the academic support they need to graduate from high school and succeed in college and career.

 

YOUR GIFT CAN BE DOUBLED: The first $40,000 of donations will be matched by a group of generous BGCP donors, so your gift can have twice the impact for teens!

With your support of our teen programs, we can accomplish so much:

 

Ensuring high school success: We support the most at-risk students by providing: case management, homework support, tutoring, and more. Teens build the critical study skills they need to stay on-track and graduate. For many of the teens we serve, they will be among the first people in their family to graduate from high school.

 

Preparing teens for college: We support high school students throughout the college admissions process, from college tours andapplication support, to SAT/ACT prep.

 

Preventing summer learning loss: We work with high school students during the critical summer months, when academic learning loss occurs and criminal activity rates spike for this population. At BGCP’s Summer High School Center, teens can explore new interests, build new skills, and join a positive peer group in a safe space, supported by caring adult mentors.

 

Providing career pathways: Through skill-building classes such as resume and interviewing workshops, field trips to local businesses, guest speakers, and mentoring, teens find and explore new passions and learn about career paths.  

 

You can help BGCP support the local teens that need our programs the most.    

 

Volunteer in the classroom or one-on-one with a student. Contact Kira Edwards at kedwards@bgcp.org.

 

Visit a teen center or meet with BGCP leadership. Contact David Cruz at dcruz@bgcp.org.

 

Thank you for making a difference for local teens. We hope to see you soon.

 

With appreciation, 

 

Sean Mendy

Senior Director, Development

smendy@bgcp.org

650-646-6073