For More Information, Contact s23

For more information, contact: Jessica Erickson Jessica Hopp AT&T Wisconsin Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay 608-692-5340 (cell) 920-494-7090 ext. 1015 [email protected] [email protected] Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay Receives $8,000 AT&T Contribution to Help More Teens Graduate High School

AT&T Grant to Help Club Expand BE GREAT: Graduate Program to 25 More Youth

GREEN BAY, Wednesday, April 16, 2014 — The Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay was presented with an $8,000 AT&T contribution today to help the Club expand its successful graduation initiative and help more teens graduate high school.

The funding through AT&T’s Aspire program will enable the Club to expand its BE GREAT: Graduate program to an additional 25 new teens who will receive weekly academic support over the next two years. In total, the program will help 115 Green Bay teens remain engaged in school, succeed academically and graduate high school.

“Too many teens drop out of high school, especially those from low-income families,” said John Benberg, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay. “We are committed to reversing this trend. Through our graduation program, we’ve been able to help 90 Green Bay teens stay in school. Thanks to AT&T’s support, we are excited to expand this successful program to even more teens.”

The BE GREAT: Graduate program pairs at-risk youth with positive adult Graduation Coaches who provide a persistent source of motivation about the importance of education for future success. Weekly one-on-one interactions with Graduation Coaches build students’ confidence that they can succeed academically.

The program, which began in 2010, uses an evidence-based educational intervention called the “Check & Connect” model to increase the odds of graduation for youth who are disengaged and at risk of dropout. Each week, Graduation Coaches “check” school performance data and then “connect” with students to provide timely interventions that address obstacles and celebrate successes.

During the 2012-13 school year, 85% of participants earned the necessary number of credits to be on track with their grade level in high school. The program also focuses on improving students’ classroom behavior and social skills, with 54% of participants seeing a decrease in school behavior referrals. “The Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay is doing fantastic work to help our students succeed in the classroom and graduate high school,” said State Rep. John Klenke (R-Green Bay). “Through mentoring, the Club connects youth with positive role models who help students improve academic performance and make better choices.”

In the United States, one student drops out of school every 26 seconds. Nationally, students from low- income families drop out at a rate four times higher than students from higher income families.

“AT&T is committed to not only helping our teenagers stay in high school, but also preparing them for success after graduation,” said Scott T. VanderSanden, president of AT&T Wisconsin. “The Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay has a proven graduation strategy that is helping at-risk youth stay in school and succeed academically. We are very proud to help them expand this program to serve even more teens.”

As a company, AT&T has a long-standing commitment to helping advance education. In 2012, AT&T also provided a $154,000 AT&T Aspire grant to the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay to help expand the BE GREAT: Graduate program to 40 youth. The AT&T Aspire program is one of the nation’s largest corporate initiatives committed to helping more students graduate from high school ready for college and careers.

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