Winner of the New England Board of Higher Education's 2007 Robert J. McKenna Award for Program Achievement (read the Burlington Free Press announcment)
Mission:
The mission of our College and Career readiness initiative at the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington is to introduce the youth we serve to the college process and career choices, in hopes of encouraging and preparing our youth to pursue higher education.
KnowHow2GO, launching in January 2008, will:
- Provide mentoring from local college students
- Work on individualized goal-setting
- Visit colleges & universities throughout Vermont
- Explore career choices and visit to local businesses
- Create programs for parents, including a college fair and financial aid information sessions at the Club
- Provide access to the VSAC resource center
Why College?
Average lifetime earnings for individuals with associate degrees are almost 25 percent higher than average lifetime earnings for high school graduates. (1)
For every 100 9th graders attending public school in Vermont, 83 will graduate from high school, 36 will enter college the following fall, 28 will return to the same college for sophomore year and only 22 will graduate college within 150% time. (2)
(1) Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2006
(2) New England Board of Higher Education’s 2007 Trends and Indicators
Details:
The program will meet twice a week; once a week for educational sessions and once a week for trips to colleges and businesses, for a total of six weeks. There will be two cohorts: one for middle-schoolers and one for high schoolers. Educational sessions will be held at the Club and all meetings will be after school and during school breaks. Participation is free of charge but requires a serious commitment from the students and parents. Times and dates TBA.
What's happened so far in the program? See the photos from last Spring's tour of Boston area colleges and read the article from New England Board of Higher Education President Evan Dobelle.
From the Burlington Free Press:
Boys & Girls Club of Burlington receives higher education award
December 23, 2007
The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) recently announced that the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington will receive a prestigious award for its KnowHow2GO College and Career Readiness Program. Chosen from among 47 candidates across New England, the Club’s KnowHow2GO program is designed to acquaint middle and high school members of the Club with post-secondary educational options.
NEBHE presents the Robert J. McKenna Award for Program Achievement annually to individuals and institutions that have made substantive contributions to improving higher education opportunities for New England students.
Gov. Jim Douglas, himself a recipient of the 2007 NEBHE State Merit Award, was on hand at the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington’s college fair to announce the award. He recognized the Club for taking the necessary steps to help youth realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.
The Boys & Girls Club of Burlington is the first Club in the United States to partner with NEBHE to reach young teens. Through exploratory and curriculum based learning, the program hopes to increase the rate at which youth complete high school and enroll in post-secondary education.
The Boys & Girls Club of Burlington will officially accept the award at a ceremony in Boston on March 14 that will honor all 2008 NEBHE award recipients.
Useful Links:
Upcoming Events:
January 7: Program begins!
Stay tuned for more updates!
Ready to apply? Download the application as a pdf!
Contact Dottie Olio, Career Readiness Director, at dolio@bandgclub.org or Maureen Rees, AmeriCorps*VISTA College Access Coordinator at mrees@bandgclub.org to register, refer a student, for more information, or to see how you can get involved!
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