Another Boys and Girls Club in Greater Moncton is hoping to receive financial support for its Raising the Grade program.
The Club in Riverview, fears that without funding, it will mean an end to the same program that has helped so many kids.
Executive Director Lynda Carey says the grant they originally received from Rogers, will run out at the end of the year, and they will need financial help in order for the Raising the Grade program to continue, “We’re actually looking for about $55, 000 per year, and we are hoping for a two year commitment so we can get everything organized. That will also give me the opportunity to reach out and look for future funders to give us a hand with this.”
Carey says the Riverview Boys and Girls Club helps up to 50 kids per semester, “Our program runs a little differently and we work very closely with the high schools in Riverview. We also have started a mini program that reaches out to grade 8 students in the middle schools. For high school students, our Raising the Grade program is built on three pillars. They are academic support, career exploration and hobby exploration. We want to show these youth how they can build their own personal blueprint. A lot of kids get to grade 12 and ask themselves what now? This program has been integral in helping those kids to make those decisions.”
She was able to reflect back on at least one success story, from the Raising the Grade program, “We have a young student in grade 11 this year. He has done his first two years with the Raising the Grade program, and he has been a part of our Club for a very long time. When he first started in the program his goal was to play football, but we started talking to him about other future opportunities that could include football and what he could do that could include his favourite sport, in a career. Now, he has started setting his sights and choosing his courses and looking at universities where he can study kinesiology, but he is only looking at schools that have good football teams.”
Unfortunately without this funding, Carey says there will be dire consequences for this program, “The program would end. This program would go away.”
Recently, the Boys and Girls Club of Moncton announced that they will receive $125, 000 per year for two years from the provincial government, to support its Raising the Grade program.
