BGCofNL eyes continued relationship with 21st Century to continue serving youth at Jonesboro Unit

The Boys & Girls Club of North Louisiana in partnership with Jackson Parish School Board intend to submit an application to the Louisiana Department of Education for a 21st CCLC grant. The grant will support an academic-focused after school program for students at Jonesboro-Hodge Elementary and Middle Schools.

Our Jonesboro unit continues to benefit from the 21st Century Grant awarded in 2019 by bringing growth and prosperity to the Jackson Parish area through our high-quality, afterschool program.

With help from the community, Boys & Girls Clubs of North Louisiana was able to provide more services to more students in the area. The grant allowed us to hire certified teachers that will teach on subjects like science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Because the students received help outside of school hours, their Math and Language Arts grades improved, their homework completion and class participation increased, and their behavior became more positive. 

The 21st Century Grants are the only federal funding source dedicated to providing after school and summer learning opportunities for children and youth. Those who get this grant are generally school districts, very few are organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Louisiana. With the opportunities now available, our biggest goal is to help the kids in the Jonesboro schools who need it most.

If you have any comments on the proposed program, please contact Eldontá Osborne at eosborne@bgcofnl.org. A copy of the application will be available for public review after submittal at the Memorial Unit in Ruston LA.