The Boys & Girls Club of Bulloch County is one of 34 across Georgia that will receive a portion of $15 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds for camp and after-school programs.
Gov. Brian Kemp made the announcement earlier this week and Mike Jones, CEO of the Bulloch club, said the funding will support its “Academic Success” program.
“All research shows significant learning loss across all grades and all subjects due to the pandemic,” Jones said. “This summer the Boys & Girls Club of Bulloch County has begun to address this learning loss by implementing its Academic Success program. Children will receive six weeks of rigorous academic enrichment services in math and English language arts.”
Prior to the pandemic, the non-profit Boys & Girls Club offered education and recreation services for about 300 children after school and on holidays. COVID-19, however, forced a total shutdown of the club, and Jones said precautions due to COVID are still having a major impact on attendance.
“BGC currently serves only one third of its normal operating capacity,” he said. “Occupancy limitations established by the CDC and (the Georgia Department of Public Health) have limited the number of children we can serve on a daily basis. At a time when many parents have returned to work and need a safe place for their children, we are unable to help.
“We hope infection rates continue to decline and these restrictions can be fully lifted by the beginning of the school year. We are anxious to return to full capacity serving more than 300 school age children daily.”
The money the Boys & Girls Club will receive comes from a pot of $3 billion set aside in a stimulus bill Congress passed last year for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER). The funds will be distributed through September 2022, supporting summer and winter camp programs and after-school programs for youths between the ages of 5 and 18.
“We have the opportunity to receive funding to support the implementation of academic programs designed to address the learning loss created by COVID-19,” Jones said. “Since our inception, academic enrichment has been the focus of our daily programs and we have proven that our programs have a significant impact on the academic achievement of our members. This focus and our impact is even more important now.”
Jones said certified teachers and ParaPros from the Bulloch County Schools System have been hired by the club to offer small group instruction based on state standards.
“It is our goal to have these children performing at grade level when they return to school in the fall. We plan to use the funds provided by the Governor's Office to continue this level of academic support through the 2021-2022 school year.”
The program’s goals include ensuring that 65% of students that fell below grade level will return to grade level by the end of the program, with the other 35% showing progress toward grade-level achievement.
The average cost of the program is $1,550 per child.