Everything You Need to Know About BGCP's Response to COVID-19
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula (BGCP) strives to close the opportunity gap and provide youth from underserved communities within Silicon Valley with opportunities to achieve academic success. In this article, we look at the organization’s history, as well as how BGCP is providing vital services and support to local families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
BGCP aims to help young people achieve academic success
The organization was established with the goal of providing hard-working youngsters with the opportunities to help them obtain a good education and decent housing, fair-paying jobs, the ability to raise a family, and the chance to lead a fulfilling life. The organization encourages young people to focus less on the circumstances in which they were born and to instead focus on their own actions in terms of creating opportunities and reaching their potential.
For decades now, Silicon Valley has been synonymous with innovation, progress, and development, with many individuals enjoying significant success and wealth. Nevertheless, this prosperity is not felt by all, with far too many children growing up disconnected from what makes the area so dynamic. Approximately 25% of the students served by BGCP are either in foster care or are homeless. In addition, 7% of BGCP clients have a parent who went to college. And for 80% of the children served, English is not their native language.
The simple fact is that these students are underserved and lack access to the same opportunities as students in adjacent neighborhoods. As a result, many of them struggle to achieve academic success, with 70% of students residing in BGCP neighborhoods failing to read at their grade level, and 35% failing to graduate from high school.
BGCP partners with school districts, learning institutions, and families in its efforts to close the opportunity gap and provide its students with expanded and enhanced learning opportunities through a variety of school day, after school and summer programs.
The organization provides the following:
Learning programs four days a week that support 2,500 local students.
740 hours of expanded learning time for the average student, increasing the school day by around 60%, the annual equivalent of an extra 100 days at school.
The BGCP Summer Learning Academy, which offers an opportunity for 85% of youth to avoid summer learning loss.
Post-secondary education plans that have enabled 90% of students to graduate from high school.
BGCP is providing local families with targeted support during the pandemic
The organization is offering a range of additional resources, which include distributing grocery boxes to the local community and serving dinners on weekdays. BGCP has partnered with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley to distribute non-perishable products and fresh produce, as well as to prepare to-go dinners for its student members and their families each weekday.
Students from BGCP’s Hoover, Garfield, Taft, and RC Clubhouse are eligible for the free meal program. In addition, BGCP has extended the program to include non-BGCP members in order to meet the needs of the local community.
In order to support the project, BGCP has set up special drive-through locations in its parking lots, as well as walk-up doors at select locations, where participants can collect a variety of freshly prepared dishes, such as mac and cheese, chicken Alfredo pasta, beef mostaccioli, spaghetti and meatballs, and cheese enchilada bake.
Due to the pandemic, BGCP’s three partner school districts, Sequoia, Ravenswood, and Redwood City, were forced to close their campuses on March 16, 2020, as part of local efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. BGCP has implemented a special virtual learning program designed to enable its students to keep up-to-date with their studies online.
BGCP has also had to close its clubhouses in line with government directives to eliminate gatherings in order to reduce spread of the virus. Nevertheless, the organization strives to support its students as best it can by implementing a range of remote services with a sharp focus on maintaining relationships. The staff continues to reach out and connect with its students in order to maintain a close connection and prevent students from feeling emotionally isolated.
Due to the rapidly changing situation, BGCP has had to retain flexibility amid a challenging and rapidly evolving situation. Each decision it makes is a delicate balancing act that considers the needs of BGCP students and their families, as well as the safety and long-term health of the staff and the community at large.
During these difficult times, BGCP continues to rely on the generosity of its patrons, as well as the efforts of its team of volunteers who take time out of their daily lives to support local youth, help to deliver meaningful programs, and provide positive role models. From coaches to corporate and community groups, to high school summer fellows, BGCP welcomes volunteers of all backgrounds and skillsets. The organization is seeking volunteers to support its community meal program, packaging, and food distribution. Additional information is available on the BGCP website.