Nearly 7,000 students in Atlanta will receive the benefits of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta’s (BGCMA) Academic Acceleration Program thanks to a $500,000 donation by Peach Bowl, Inc. This donation will benefit more than 40 academic coaches at 25 Boys & Girls Club sites around 10 Metro Atlanta counties.
Over the past two years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia students lost more than four months of math learning and two months of reading learning, setting them back the equivalent of nearly a full grade level.
In response, Governor Kemp directed funding from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) to help after-school time providers like Boys & Girls Clubs, who established additional academic support programs for their members. However, those funds were exhausted in September 2023 with nearly eight months left in the academic year.
“This was a clear and obvious opportunity for us to step in and help Atlanta students in a time of need,” said Gary Stokan, Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and president. “Supporting education at all levels has always been a priority for us, and we were not going to miss this chance to help our students catch up in their educational growth.”
The half a million dollars in funding will support the Academic Acceleration Program that includes staffing, program implementation and materials. The donation from Peach Bowl, Inc. will sustain efforts of the program through the end of the current academic year in May 2024.
“I am deeply grateful to Peach Bowl, Inc. for their generous and impactful contribution of $500,000 to support our Academic Acceleration Program,” said BGCMA President & CEO David Jernigan. “This partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration between organizations committed to igniting the unlimited potential of our youth. With their support, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta will continue to provide critical resources to help close learning gaps exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, we are making a profound difference in the lives of Atlanta’s future leaders.”
Two years into program implementation, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta has tracked early outcomes highlighting notable progress of the program. Results of benchmark testing showed that 65% of youth below grade level at the beginning of the academic term returned to grade level by the end of the term. An additional 35% showed an increase in progress toward grade level achievement.