| |
| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #357 |
| Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs - Foster and Adoptive Kids - Keeping Kids Safe, Healthy and Productive |
| |
| Requester: |
Daniel Lyons |
Organization: |
Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs |
| |
| Project Title: |
Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs - Foster and Adoptive Kids - Keeping Kids Safe, Healthy and Productive |
Date Submitted |
12/19/2007 3:27:57 PM |
| |
| Sponsors: |
Bennett |
| |
| Statewide Interest: |
| Children in Foster Care and Adoptive Services |
| |
| Recipient: |
Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs |
|
Contact: |
Daniel Lyons |
|
| |
3100 Fruitville Road |
|
Contact Phone: |
(772) 263-2723 |
|
| |
Sarasota 34237 |
|
Contact email: |
dlyons2001@msn.com |
| |
| Counties: |
{Statewide} |
| |
| Gov't Entity: |
|
Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): |
Yes |
| |
| Project Description: |
| On behalf of Boys & Girls Clubs across the state of Florida, the Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs respectfully requests a grant of $1 million to assist youth in becoming productive and healthy adults. The funding will be matched by the Alliance on a one-for-one basis, reaching a total $1 million project. Funding will be used to serve youth with more frequency and impact with an emphasis on teens and those in the Foster Care System. It will also be utilized to strengthen the support structures that youth depend upon, including families, local communities and Boys & Girls Clubs. The Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs represents 40 local Boys & Girls Club organizations across the state of Florida that serve youth, ages 6 to 18, with specialized, after-school activities in safe, caring environments. Each year, more than 177,000 young members are served by their local Boys & Girls Clubs. Membership demographics are as follows: 49 percent are African American; 22 percent are Caucasian; 15 percent are Hispanic; 6 percent are multi-racial; 1 percent are Asian; and 1 percent are Native American. In 2006, Clubs serve 55,875 teens.
All Club members at participating sites, who meet DCF income qualifications, will be served through this project. There are currently 40 organizations, including 238 Club sites located in 55 Counties ready to offer their resources as a part of this proposal. In addition, participating Boys & Girls Club organizations will continue to work with their local Department of Children and Families to accept referrals of youth in the Florida�s Foster Care System. Referrals will also be accepted for families receiving TANF and youth in the Juvenile Justice system.
All Boys & Girls Club organizations participating in this project will implement activities related to following four core program areas: Education and Career Development, Health and Life Skills Development, Character and Leadership Development, Education and Career Development, and Sports, Fitness and Recreation. Cumulatively, these programs will promote healthy lifestyles, education, college/career preparation, leadership and community service to all children who participate. |
| |
| Is this a project related to a federal or state declared disaster? |
No |
| |
| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of America�s Outcome Measurement Toolkit will be utilized to measure attitude, knowledge and behavioral changes across program areas. Pre-tests will be given to all youth who participate in the proposed program. Overviews of each program area and expected outcomes are as follows: Education and Career Development -In terms of education, the Club sites will become an extension of the learning that takes place during the school day. Staff members promote informal learning that takes place in fun, dynamic activities throughout the Club. In addition, structured learning programs will also be promoted. The Alliance will track academic outcomes related to all participants to gather the data needed to assess achievements. Members will increase the number of high-yield learning activities they experience each month. Through the Power Hour Program, Club members will complete homework assignments more frequently and will spend more time studying. (Power Hour is an educational enhancement program that helps members achieve success in school, by providing a dedicated time for homework completion and help; supplemental worksheets; and incentive points and recognition for completion. Club members can utilize Learning Center resources, computers and peer tutors to help them with their work. Clubs will work with local schools to coordinate homework assignments and completion). Character and Leadership Development: A priority for all Clubs will be the promotion of a moral foundation and development of positive role models. Many times, youth come to the Clubs with little understanding of what it means to be a good citizen. They have few positive role models in their lives. Programs, such as the one described below, provide them with a frame of reference to become tomorrow�s contributing citizens. Youth who participate in Club Leadership Program activities over the course of the year will have shown: improved school attendance and better grades; improved work habits; increased involvement in community affairs; improved self-image; positive peer interactions; and greater self-confidence. Health and Life Skills Development: As issues, such as drug dependency, childhood obesity and drunk driving continue to plague our country, it is important that healthy lifestyles and positive choices are promoted to Georgia�s youth. Two major programs that Clubs will utilize to measure impact are: SMART Moves: This Skills Mastery and Resistance Training program will use age-appropriate modules to help youth: develop positive self-esteem and social skills; learn how to resist negative peer pressures to avoid drug use; learn the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use as well as premature sexual activity; and learn how to make positive lifestyle choices. Youth involved in SMART Moves programming will be learn about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, and premature sexual activity. Members will also be exposed to other related topics such as drunk driving or drug trafficking. Healthy Habits: This module of the Triple Play program, developed by Boys & Girls Clubs of America, will focus on the power of choice, calories, vitamins and minerals, the food pyramid and appropriate portion size. Participants should gain knowledge about nutrition, exercise and disease prevention. A pre- and post-test is included with this program module. In addition to ongoing programming, each organization participating in this project will conduct an annual health fair. This will provide an opportunity for community organizations, such as the local health department, nutritionists, educators and others to provide information and services to Club members and their families. Free health screenings will be included, when possible. Sports, Fitness and Recreations: Physical fitness has always been a cornerstone of Boys & Girls Clubs. From their inception, games and sports were utilized as a way to attract kids from the streets into the Club, and into positive pursuits. Boys & Girls Clubs in Florida will use gymnasiums, pools and outdoor fields to promote daily physical fitness through exercise, sports and programs. Clubs will utilize Boys & Girls Clubs of America�s national Triple Play Program to promote exercise and healthy sports competition. Triple Play has a fitness module that helps youth increase the number of hours per day that they are participating in physical activities. Daily Fitness Challenges will give youth at every age the chance to play longer and harder at different games-from jumping rope to basketball and creating games of their own. Games include a Basketball Challenge; Jump Rope Challenge; Get Fit Challenge; Walk/Run Challenge; Home Run Challenge; and Invent-a-Sport Challenge. The program also includes staff training, guidance on building sports leagues, community service sports clubs, sports leadership camps on college campuses, and inter-Club competitions. |
| |
| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: |
$1,000,000 |
| |
| Total cost of the project: |
$1,000,000 |
| |
| Request has been made to fund: |
Operations |
| |
| What type of match exists for this project? |
Local |
| |
Cash Amount |
$ |
|
| |
| Was this project previously funded by the state? |
|
No |
| |
| Is future-year funding likely to be requested? |
|
Yes |
|
Amount: |
$1,000,000 |
To Fund: |
Operations |
| |
| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? |
|
No |
| |
| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? |
No |
| |
| Is there a documented need for this project? |
Yes |
| |
Documentation: |
Columbia University's "Critical Hours Afterschool". |
| |
| Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)? |
|
Yes |
| |
Hearing Body: |
Blueprint Commission on Juv. Justice;DCF DOEA Public Hearing; various Delegation meetings statewide |
| |
| Is this a water project as described in Section 403.885, Laws of Florida? |
|
No |
