Education & Career Development
Out-of-school time – after school and summer – is the most critical and overlooked opportunity to help youth reach their full potential and have a great future. At Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County, we offer academic programs and hands-on learning opportunities that complement and reinforce what kids learn in school. Our programs let kids and teens explore interests at their own pace and equip them with skills they’ll need to advance from kindergarten to 12th grade, and graduate from high school on time, ready to succeed in college, the military or a career.
At the Boys & Girls Club of Hudson County members engage in educational programs and receive support services that assist in improving their academic performance, creativity, and critical thinking skills. To date our Club members have received more than 10,000 hours of homework help from trained staff and volunteers. Power Hour: Making Minutes Count provides the activities, resources and staff to create an engaging homework help and tutoring program that encourages Club members at every age to become self-directed learners. Members receive recognition and incentives for completing homework and staff, college interns and volunteers are there to help them every step of the way.
Each afternoon, our students can be found working on writing assignments, reading for fun, and participating in educational games and activities. Daily tutoring and homework help is provided to our kids between the ages of 5-12 through our Power Hour program, and members ages 13-18 receive their own Power Hour support services upstairs in our Teen Tech Center computer lab.
Project Learn reinforces and enhances the skills and knowledge young people learn at school during the hours they spend at the Club. Through Project Learn, Club staff use all the areas and programs in the Club to create opportunities for these high-yield learning activities, which include leisure reading, writing activities, discussions with knowledgeable adults, helping others, homework help and tutoring and games like Scrabble that develop young people's cognitive skills. Project Learn also emphasizes parent involvement and collaboration between Club and school professionals as critical factors in creating the best after-school learning environment for Club members ages 6-18. Extensively field-tested and formally evaluated by Columbia University with funding from Carnegie Corporation of New York, Project Learn has been proven to boost the academic performance of Club members.
Three out of four young people in the U.S do not participate in summer learning programs. Lack of participation causes the average student to lose approximately one month of learning; most students from low-income families lose two to three months of learning. To increase kids’ chances of on-time grade progression and high school graduation, BGCA developed Summer Brain Gain, a summer learning loss prevention program. While the average low-income U.S. student lost at least two months of learning last summer, the average Summer Brain Gain participant did not.
The Diplomas 2 Degrees (d2D) program provides a range of services to guide Club members as they work toward high school graduation and prepare for post-secondary education and career success. The Teen College Guide offers tips on achieving academic success and planning for post-secondary education, including ideas for obtaining financial aid and scholarships. Support for this program is provided by the NJ Office of Faith Based Initiatives, a Division of Programs in the Department of State.
Career Launch is a fun and exciting program preparing teens for the working world. Club teens 13-18 years old embark on a journey to explore careers, make sound educational decisions and find success in the world of work. The program, sponsored nationally by Bank of America and the Gap Foundation, contains 22 competency based, small-group activities that are organized into four units.
The Jersey City Career Launch program serves nearly 200 young people enabled by funding from Bank of America and Wells Fargo,
Money Matters promotes financial responsibility and independence among Club members ages 13-18 by building their basic money management skills. Participants learn how to manage a checking account, budget, save and invest. They also learn about starting small businesses and paying for college. Money Matters features three components.
