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Boys & Girls Club receives 25K State Farm Neighborhood Assist Grant

The Boys and Girls Club of Butler County is one of 40 recipients of a 2017 State Farm Neighborhood Assist grants, according to information released by State Farm Insurance.  The local club will receive $25,000 that will be used primarily to help create a workforce development initiative and to advance and strengthen the community's economic well-being by teaching skills needed to succeed in the workforce.

Below is information provided by the Boys and Girls Club of Butler County as part of the grant application process. 

Currently in Morgantown, 57.5% individuals are below poverty level and the median household income is $14,254.00. It is our mission at the Boys & Girls Club of Butler County to inspire and enable all youth, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as caring, responsible, productive community members. In order to do this, we need to better educate and train the children and youth of Butler County to help them define a path to future success while still at the club. This cause will help our Club youth be better prepared to enter the workforce and eventually create a relationship with local employers who will see us as partners in preparing the next generation of employees and business leaders. It is our hope that increasing workforce readiness will draw interest of business owners to start or move their business into our community.

Through this cause we as Club professionals will assist with teen recruitment initiatives to increase participation in the Club's workforce development program and facilitate small-group workforce development activities, such as CareerLaunch, Junior Staff, and Money Matters. To implement the Workforce Development program, our Club is in great need of additional funding. If chosen, we will use the funds to purchase laptops and tablets needed to train our youth. New technology will help us provide training in researching job openings, completing job applications, creating a resume, and completing college applications. Currently all our club technology is 10+ years old and no longer in working condition. Our current technology is not meeting the needs of our members. The grant would assist in funding our initiative by paying for trips for our youth to visit work sites and careers they may be interested in, as well as colleges.

Our Workforce Development initiative would have lasting community impact. Our Club youth would be better prepared to enter the workforce, which will be beneficial to our poverty stricken community. The initiative would create a partnership between our Club and local businesses to train the future workforce of Morgantown and Butler County. We hope to strengthen our economy and build a stronger workforce through our workforce development efforts. In turn, we would increase the level of business interest in our town and create job opportunities for the citizens of Morgantown and Butler County. Early access to job training and education programs creates a pathway to economic self-sufficiency. In a survey completed at Boys & Girls Club of America's 2016 Keystone Conference, teens highlighted needs of learning about college life (33%), wanting access to jobs and internships (32%), and workforce development opportunities (31%). Our initiative will assist in meeting each of these needs.

 

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