CARES Act Funds go to Boys & Girls Clubs
Published on December 18, 2020
The Board of County Commissioners has approved $55,000 in funding for Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County (BGCWC) to establish Remote Learning Centers for youth affected by school district shutdowns. The money will come from the county’s CARES Act funds and will help offset the cost of supporting Weld County youth who are currently learning remotely but need a supervised space to do so.
Following the announcement of several Weld County school districts converting to remote learning, many parents may have worried about the logistics of supporting their children’s education while maintaining employment. In response to this situation, BGCWC is establishing their Clubhouses as Remote Learning Centers to offer the youth of Weld County a safe, familiar and educationally supportive place to be during their school day until they’re able to return to school in-person. This will not only help schools continue connecting with their students who may not otherwise have access to viable internet, but it will help bring relief to parents and allow them to continue working.
To accommodate remotely-learning youth and their working parents, BGCWC will be shifting their operating hours from traditional after-school hours to full-day hours of 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. on days when school is in session. While youth are attending the Remote Learning Center, they will be given academic support to meet the needs of their remote learning obligations. And, after remote learning time is over each day, youth will be offered extracurricular activities, away from screens, to keep their brains and bodies strong. Additionally, thanks to their strong partnership with the Weld Food Bank, BGCWC will offer all attending youth breakfast, lunch and a snack each day at no additional charge.
In order to remain socially distanced and limit exposure, BGCWC can serve a maximum of 200 young people in their Remote Learning Centers. BGCWC currently serves children in four school districts: Greeley-Evans (Weld-RE6), Milliken/Johnstown (Weld-RE5J), Fort Lupton (Weld-RE8) and Eaton (Weld-RE2). Club members come from all socio-economic, racial and ethnic backgrounds, but the majority experience volatile home lives, cope with language barriers and face food, housing and economic insecurity. BGCWC intends to offer the remote learning program to its members at no cost, allowing parents the peace of mind to focus on work and their own health and wellbeing at a time when it's needed more than ever.
Terry Adams, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County, stated, “We are very aware that our families are in great need of school-day support right now and we couldn’t be more thrilled to make the necessary adjustments to support each and every one of them. Our staff is poised and ready to guide our members through these ever-changing times. In addition, we are very grateful for the incredible support from Weld County! This meaningful funding that will launch our efforts in responding to the needs of youth throughout Weld County couldn’t come at a more important time.”