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Alachua County Boys & Girls Club Wins Another Award
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Boys and Girls Club of Alachua County
P.O. Box 532
Gainesville, FL 32602
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2011
Freddy Williams, 352-377-8003
Alachua County Boys & Girls Club Wins Another Award
Woodland Park awarded 2011 Program Impact Excellence
GAINESVILLE, Fla.– The Woodland Park Boys & Girls Club of Alachua County is setting a new precedent for youth development programs both locally and nationally. President and Chief Professional Officer, Keith Blanchard, was presented with the award on August 26, 2011 at the Florida Area Council of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Keith Blanchard said:
“The past several years have been among the most challenging in recent history. Yet we have continued to make a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands of Gainesville’s children. Our success – past and future – is because of our leadership, our commitment, and the priceless power of the Boys & Girls Club Experience that has served America’s children so well for over 150 years. It would be easy to rest on our laurels. But these are very troubling times. America is faced with more and more poor children and families, alarming high school dropout rates, an unprecedented obesity epidemic among our young and the ever-present need to raise a generation of young people of good character who serve their communities and their country. No matter how daunting these times may be, it is our nature to respond.
We are very humbled to have brought the state’s most prestigious award to Gainesville, Florida.”
The Program Impact Award is given to an organization each year that demonstrates clear, measurable, and documented outcomes in their programs. The Woodland Park Boys & Girls Club, a Southeast Gainesville club, was the recipient of the 2011 award for its Health and Life Skills Program. “We implemented a new initiative to prove our impact during 2011 and have oriented our program delivery around an outcome-driven club experience for youth with a common set of indicators to measure outcomes with consistency and credibility” said Freddy Williams Southeast Gainesville Area Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Alachua County.
“Our comprehensive approach, in essence, encompasses five key elements: Safe, positive environment, supportive relationships with a highly trained and motivated staff, opportunities and expectations, recognition, and fun. When coupled with high yield learning activities, targeted programs, and regular attendance youth will achieve our three priority outcomes: 1. Academic Success – youth will graduate from high school ready for college, trade school, military, and a twenty-first century career 2. Good Character & Citizenship – youth will be engaged citizens involved in the community, registered to vote and model strong character 3. Healthy Lifestyles – youth will adopt a healthy diet, practice healthy lifestyle choices, and make a life-long commitment to fitness.” Williams said.
The Woodland Park Campus is one of two sites located within the Gainesville Housing Authority’s properties. The Boys & Girls Club is working closely Gainesville Housing Authority’s with interim executive director Bernadette Woody to leverage the Boys & Girls Club’s successful, comprehensive, and outcome-driven programs to become an asset to the troubled authority. “Our recognition can be used as a leveraging tool to bring additional resources to East Gainesville.” Williams said. “Our mission and objectives are a perfect complement for the housing authority…this is the principle reason Boys & Girls Club sites in public housing have grown nationally from 26 sites in 1987 to 427 in 2009.”
The Woodland Park and Eastwood Meadows sites receive approximately one-third of their operational funding through the Gainesville Housing Authority's management improvement funding through HUD. Williams stated that, “the management improvement funding source is independent of the section 8 shortfall; I am hopeful that our success will improve the Housing Authorities Management Assessment Program scores and provide additional resources to GHA.”
With diminishing resources becoming an all-too-often sentiment among non-profits, the paradigm of shared expenses has become one of importance. The relationship between the Boys & Girls Club of Alachua County and Peaceful Paths Domestic Violence Abuse Network exemplifies a partnership that stems great impact for the community. Natalya Bannister, Assistant Director of the Woodland Park Boys & Girls Club says “the programs Morgan Moeller and Peaceful Paths bring to our overall program are an integral part of our success. Bannister said “through our partnership we were able to engage hard to reach populations and make a profound impact through programming.” Peaceful Paths has administered programs at the Woodland Park Boys & Girls Club since 2009 and has become a staple in promoting Healthy Lifestyles to the Boys & Girls Club program.
Successful implementation of three High School Building Block programs were piloted at the Boys & Girls Club by Peaceful Paths which included 1. basic high school prevention curriculum, 2. high school leadership curriculum 3. and a high school mentor program. The high school leadership curriculum focuses on reviewing skills developed during the eight-session basic curriculum and encourages youth activism. The high school mentor curriculum allows youth who have completed both the basic and leadership curricula to be trained as mentors. The mentors then facilitate weekly violence prevention programming with elementary-aged youth (with limited technical assistance from Peaceful Paths’ Domestic Violence Network Program staff). The success of the High School Building Block program prompted a continuation of similar developmentally appropriate programs to middle school-aged youth.
Judging of Impact Award was based on:
The Boys & Girls Club has served the youth of Alachua Countysince 1949. The Boys and Girls Club of Alachua County provides programs to thousands of localboys and girls in the areas of character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts, and sports and recreation. Contact Freddy Williamsat 352-377-8003or freddy@myboysandgirlsclub.comfor additional information.
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Boys and Girls Club of Alachua County
P.O. Box 532
Gainesville, FL 32602
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2011
Freddy Williams, 352-377-8003
Alachua County Boys & Girls Club Wins Another Award
Woodland Park awarded 2011 Program Impact Excellence
GAINESVILLE, Fla.– The Woodland Park Boys & Girls Club of Alachua County is setting a new precedent for youth development programs both locally and nationally. President and Chief Professional Officer, Keith Blanchard, was presented with the award on August 26, 2011 at the Florida Area Council of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Keith Blanchard said:
“The past several years have been among the most challenging in recent history. Yet we have continued to make a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands of Gainesville’s children. Our success – past and future – is because of our leadership, our commitment, and the priceless power of the Boys & Girls Club Experience that has served America’s children so well for over 150 years. It would be easy to rest on our laurels. But these are very troubling times. America is faced with more and more poor children and families, alarming high school dropout rates, an unprecedented obesity epidemic among our young and the ever-present need to raise a generation of young people of good character who serve their communities and their country. No matter how daunting these times may be, it is our nature to respond.
We are very humbled to have brought the state’s most prestigious award to Gainesville, Florida.”
The Program Impact Award is given to an organization each year that demonstrates clear, measurable, and documented outcomes in their programs. The Woodland Park Boys & Girls Club, a Southeast Gainesville club, was the recipient of the 2011 award for its Health and Life Skills Program. “We implemented a new initiative to prove our impact during 2011 and have oriented our program delivery around an outcome-driven club experience for youth with a common set of indicators to measure outcomes with consistency and credibility” said Freddy Williams Southeast Gainesville Area Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Alachua County.
“Our comprehensive approach, in essence, encompasses five key elements: Safe, positive environment, supportive relationships with a highly trained and motivated staff, opportunities and expectations, recognition, and fun. When coupled with high yield learning activities, targeted programs, and regular attendance youth will achieve our three priority outcomes: 1. Academic Success – youth will graduate from high school ready for college, trade school, military, and a twenty-first century career 2. Good Character & Citizenship – youth will be engaged citizens involved in the community, registered to vote and model strong character 3. Healthy Lifestyles – youth will adopt a healthy diet, practice healthy lifestyle choices, and make a life-long commitment to fitness.” Williams said.
The Woodland Park Campus is one of two sites located within the Gainesville Housing Authority’s properties. The Boys & Girls Club is working closely Gainesville Housing Authority’s with interim executive director Bernadette Woody to leverage the Boys & Girls Club’s successful, comprehensive, and outcome-driven programs to become an asset to the troubled authority. “Our recognition can be used as a leveraging tool to bring additional resources to East Gainesville.” Williams said. “Our mission and objectives are a perfect complement for the housing authority…this is the principle reason Boys & Girls Club sites in public housing have grown nationally from 26 sites in 1987 to 427 in 2009.”
The Woodland Park and Eastwood Meadows sites receive approximately one-third of their operational funding through the Gainesville Housing Authority's management improvement funding through HUD. Williams stated that, “the management improvement funding source is independent of the section 8 shortfall; I am hopeful that our success will improve the Housing Authorities Management Assessment Program scores and provide additional resources to GHA.”
With diminishing resources becoming an all-too-often sentiment among non-profits, the paradigm of shared expenses has become one of importance. The relationship between the Boys & Girls Club of Alachua County and Peaceful Paths Domestic Violence Abuse Network exemplifies a partnership that stems great impact for the community. Natalya Bannister, Assistant Director of the Woodland Park Boys & Girls Club says “the programs Morgan Moeller and Peaceful Paths bring to our overall program are an integral part of our success. Bannister said “through our partnership we were able to engage hard to reach populations and make a profound impact through programming.” Peaceful Paths has administered programs at the Woodland Park Boys & Girls Club since 2009 and has become a staple in promoting Healthy Lifestyles to the Boys & Girls Club program.
Successful implementation of three High School Building Block programs were piloted at the Boys & Girls Club by Peaceful Paths which included 1. basic high school prevention curriculum, 2. high school leadership curriculum 3. and a high school mentor program. The high school leadership curriculum focuses on reviewing skills developed during the eight-session basic curriculum and encourages youth activism. The high school mentor curriculum allows youth who have completed both the basic and leadership curricula to be trained as mentors. The mentors then facilitate weekly violence prevention programming with elementary-aged youth (with limited technical assistance from Peaceful Paths’ Domestic Violence Network Program staff). The success of the High School Building Block program prompted a continuation of similar developmentally appropriate programs to middle school-aged youth.
Judging of Impact Award was based on:
- Documented data that clearly aligns with program solutions
- Program creativity
- Direct solution to needs of the community
- Ability to replicate
- Clear, measurable, and documented results
The Boys & Girls Club has served the youth of Alachua Countysince 1949. The Boys and Girls Club of Alachua County provides programs to thousands of localboys and girls in the areas of character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts, and sports and recreation. Contact Freddy Williamsat 352-377-8003or freddy@myboysandgirlsclub.comfor additional information.
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