Boys & Girls Clubs Rally For Academic Excellence

MT. KISCO, N.Y. — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Westchester will be hosting Goals for Graduation’s “I Can Achieve” Pledge Rally on Saturday, September 29, from 1 to 3 pm, at the Danbury Fair Mall. Goals for Graduation is a new program from Boys & Girls Clubs of America that introduces Club members ages six to 15 to the concept of academic goal setting. Sponsored by J.C. Penney Afterschool, the program helps youth make connections between their future aspirations and concrete actions they can take today.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Northern Westchester is one of only 250 Clubs selected from across the country to receive a $1,000 grant from J.C. Penney Afterschool to organize and host one of the motivational academic pledge rallies. J.C. Penney Afterschool, a multifaceted educational enhancement initiative sponsored by the J.C. Penney Company, Inc, is funding Goals for Graduation as part of its three-year, $7.5 million sponsorship of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s overall educational enhancement program, Project Learn.

“We’re very excited about the opportunity to call attention to such an important initiative,” said Brian Skanes, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Westchester. “We know from research and first hand experience that many of our Club members are apt to accept low standards of academic achievement that lower their aspirations for higher education. More importantly, low achievement in school leads to unrealized potential, locking youngsters into limited options for employment and life in general.”

Boys & Girls Clubs from Anchorage to Atlanta will host “I Can Achieve” Pledge Rallies consisting of speeches from local mayors and school superintendents. The rally will also include a formal signing of the pledge cards by members promising to do their best in school every day. Barbara Cutri, director of operations, Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Westchester, will sign the pledge cards at the rally, as the Clubs representative, to demonstrate the Clubs’ commitment to supporting members to meet their goals. The academic pledge cards are based on a five-step process in which youngsters are guided to set goals, supported to achieve them, and counseled to understand the relationship between small steps today and bigger results for the future.

This academic goal setting program provides members with a variety of one-on-one, small-group, and large group activities to support academic goal setting, learning, and success in school. Working with the Boys & Girls Clubs staff, members set achievable “Know-I-Can” goals, more challenging “Think-I-Can” goals, and yearly “Believe-I-Can” goals. Participants create an action plan with daily and weekly goals leading to both short-term and long-term gains. A comprehensive guidance strategy helps members connect their smallest results to their highest dreams. Goal-setting activities are the core of Goals for Graduation. Setting and achieving goals help young people develop educational competence and a positive self-identity about school and learning.

“We want every young person in our community to achieve their dreams and that’s why we’re thrilled to be sponsoring the pledge rally,” said Ms Cutri. 

The Rally will be held in the food court of the Danbury Fair Mall at the indoor entrance of J.C. Penney. For additional information about the J.C. Penney Afterschool Pledge Rally, contact Barbara Cutri at 914-666-8069.