For the City-Times

Looking for a place that will give your kids an academic boost? Do you have a student that struggles with reading or math? The Boys & Girls Club of Portage County is now offering tutoring and homework assistance after school! Certified teachers and UWSP students work directly with students to help them complete their homework assignments, use creative techniques to learn math and reading, and play several fun games and activities.

The Boys & Girls Club of Portage County was recently awarded two 21^st Century Community Learning Center (CLC) grants, one for their Jefferson Elementary school Club site in Stevens Point and the other for their Almond-Bancroft school Club site from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The grants will fund after-school and summer programming focused on helping all students achieve greater academic success.

The CLC programs will include daily tutoring in math and reading, homework assistance, fun academic enrichment activities, sports recreation, as well as monthly family events. Goals for the CLC’s include improving students’ grades and attitudes toward school, using technology and games to make learning more fun, and providing parents with strategies that promote academic success for their children. More than 120 students are expected to benefit from these programs annually.

Thanks to this CLC grant, on Thursday, November 6^th the Boys & Girls Club site within Jefferson Elementary in Stevens Point, with the help of UW Extension, will be hosting a family night focused on how to handle the many obstacles facing family mealtime.  Club members and their families are invited to join them from 5:30-6:30 in the Jefferson School Art Room for a free baked potato dinner as you will develop strategies to combat common family mealtime struggles such as feeling too tired to prepare a full meal, not knowing what to cook, or simply not having enough time.  This will be a great event for the whole family!  If your child is not a Club member, but you are interested in participating in this program, email [email protected].

However, the CLC grant is not the only homework help offered at the Boys & Girls Club.  Each day at all of the Club sites, the staff help run Power Hour.  This is a comprehensive homework help and tutoring program and is designed to raise the academic proficiency of Club members ages 6 to18. They offer Power Hour during the school year Monday-Friday right after school at each of their 7 Club sites.  There is also a specific Homework Center that is a part of their Teen Programming located in the PJ Jacobs library that runs Monday-Thursday from 3-4:30pm as well.

To participate in either of the CLC locations (Jefferson Elementary or Almond-Bancroft) or any of their other 5 Club sites throughout Portage County, contact the Boys & Girls Club of Portage County at 715-341-4386, email them at [email protected], visit www.bgclubpc.org, or like them on Facebook www.facebook.com/bgclubpc to see what they are up to each day at the Club sites!

Today, thanks to the generous support of the Portage County community, the Boys & Girls Club of Portage County serves around 1,300 youth per year, with 7 site locations scattered across Portage County.  For only $10 per year, any child can attend the Boys & Girls Club after school and are included in all of our programming including Power Hour (homework help), LEAP (reading program), Triple Play (physical activity), and Healthy Habits (smart lifestyle choices).  They welcome new Club members each day, and hope you will walk through their doors to see what they are all about. Great futures start at the Boys & Girls Club!