Impact100 grant – in action at Boys & Girls Clubs

Last June, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley was awarded a $100,000 grant from Impact100 Sonoma – the first of its kind from the philanthropic organization. Since then, the club has put the funds to good use, augmenting a fledgling program for teens with staff and program ideas. Today, the teen program is growing weekly with students between ninth and 12th grades stepping in to find out what’s going on.
With some 60 participants, the teen program combines fun classes and field trips with information and support that encourage teens to take the important steps toward continuing their education. This portion of the program is called College Bound and according to Teen Services Director Robin Eurgubian, there are 30 committed club members who are actively taking part in the activities. That number is growing steadily.
“We received the Impact100 grant based on the scope of the entire teen program, however, the emphasis of the program is College Bound. But that program cannot exist alone. We need a hook – access points of interest that bring the kids into the club and keep them coming back,” said Eurgubian.
In addition to adding staff – at this point, one part-time teen services program assistant – the grant has enabled the club to beef up its activities for teens, giving them a reason to stop by, hang around and participate further. Bringing a friend is highly encouraged. Some recent classes have included cooking, pottery, breakdancing, yoga and a Keystone Club that emphasizes community service. Two recent field trips have helped broaden the teens’ horizons – the San Francisco Academy of Sciences and a visit to the campus of USF.

Eurgubian was hired in April, two months before the grant was awarded. She’s got a great rapport with the teens and works hard to make sure she’s relevant and on their level, using Facebook and texting to communicate. She’s not afraid to pull rank when necessary and has been known to keep a student in her office doing homework just to be sure it gets done.

She and her new assistant, Lisa Dal Porto who, like Eurgubian, has a Masters degree in school counseling, work with students every day, walking them through the potentially daunting steps to college bit by bit. From help with SATs to college and scholarship applications, the team works together to make sure the teens get what they need to succeed. And with two people splitting the case management load, there are fewer chances for things to fall through the cracks. The grant money has even helped some students pay for their college application fees. “We do anything necessary to remove the obstacles for kids to apply,” said Eurgubian.

One teen taking advantage of the College Bound program is Sonoma Valley High School student Jeremiah Zelaya. A member of the club when he was young, Zelaya returned in his junior year after visiting and realizing how many new programs were available for teens. Now in his senior year, he is applying to 10 colleges throughout California hoping to become a doctor one day. He admitted that without Robin’s help, he probably wouldn’t be as on top of his college applications. “The resources at the club allow me to get done with a lot of my college stuff. With Robin I get a lot of one-on-one time. She is really knowledgeable and she emails me and reminds me so I stay on track.”

“What we are doing with College Bound is in addition to the work being done through the high school’s counseling office. The club serves kids that don’t all fall into the college category and we’re working in conjunction with the high school to serve that need, basically reaching out to kids that wouldn’t otherwise walk into the counselor’s office,” said David Pier, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs.

According to Pier, response from high school administration and the general public has been overwhelmingly positive. “The need identified by the club resonates with both community members and the club members we are serving,” said Pier. “The school district is appreciative and supportive of our efforts. Parents have also expressed appreciation for the College Bound program and have brought their children to the club because of it.

“The rapid evolution of College Bound is an obvious success with significantly more teens involved than our goals projected. We expect this will continue, and our goal is to get 90 students on board by year’s end. Next, we plan to draw a link to middle schoolers. The earlier we start the conversation the easier it is to create a realistic vision for them and really grow this program,” said Pier.