Doing whatever it takes to ensure great futures for Tennessee’s Youth. Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee Funding Request.
Collectively, Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee request $10,875,000 in recurring state funds to support critical programs for youth statewide. Clubs propose to serve 7,500 new and existing youth considered at risk across the state of Tennessee. Clubs would receive funds to serve these young people with a cap of $1,450 annually per child. Clubs will continue to raise private funds to bolster programs and create a true public-private partnership with the State, corporations, individuals, and others.
Meeting the needs of Tennessee Families
The funding provided to Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee from the State will include specific deliverables that are directly aligned to the needs of Tennessee children and their families:
Clubs only receive funding for youth who attend regularly
- Research has repeatedly shown that students who attend an out-of-school program at least twice a week experience more positive social and academic outcomes.
- With funding to Clubs contingent on mutually-agreed upon attendance targets, the State ensures they receive appropriate levels of service and youth outcomes.
Members to receive weekly academic enrichment experience
- Only approximately 33% of Tennessee fourth-graders are proficient in English language arts and mathematics, with 25% of eighth-graders proficient at math.
- Among participants in Tennessee Club’s summer enrichment programs, 87% of kindergarten through 3rd graders maintained or improved their benchmark status for early literacy skills.
95% of Club members will maintain 95% school attendance
- Chronic absenteeism (missing 10% or more of school) is a leading indicator of students dropping out of high school – in 2022, 20% of Tennessee students were chronically absent from school.
- Clubs in Tennessee are well-positioned to improve graduation rates among groups lagging behind the state’s overall rate of 90% – including low-income youth (84%), youth experiencing homelessness (74%), and youth in foster care (60%)
- 98% of high school seniors attending a Boys & Girls Club in Tennessee graduated on time, 8% points higher than Tennessee’s overall graduation rate
- 77% of Boys & Girls Club seniors enrolled in a postsecondary program of study, nearly 20% higher than Tennessee’s rate in 2022.
Club dues to remain affordable for ALL Tennessee Families
- The average cost of after-school care in Tennessee is $4,368 – for a single parent with one child living at the poverty line, that would be 20% of their income.
- For that same family, the average cost of after-school care at a Boys & Girls Club in Tennessee would be 0.4% of their income, or an average annual cost of $85, even before factoring in the financial assistance offered by most Clubs in the state
- 61% of Tennessee caregivers reported after-school programs being too expensive.
- Of all Tennessee’s children not currently enrolled in an after-school, 31% would be likely to participate if one were available and affordable in their community.
Members to receive monthly social-emotional development
- In 2022, 42% of Tennessee youth under 18 experienced an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs), a rate above the national average of 40%.
- 87% of Club youth surveyed can identify a caring and stable adult to talk to about their problems, a mitigating factor of trauma and ACEs.
- Mental Health America ranked Tennessee 46th in overall youth mental health, noting the state is doing worse than the national average on 6 of their 7 measures.
- In 2021, 23% of Tennessee youth seriously considered attempting suicide and 13% actually attempted suicide, above the national average of 10%.
- Among Club youth, 95% surveyed say the adults in their Club care about them and7 9% said the kids in the Club can count on each other.
The services offered by our Clubs meet the needs of our local communities.
Academic Support
Daily enrichment and small group tutoring to achieve academic proficiency.
Health & Wellness
Preventative and intervention strategies and activities to promote positive self-worth.
Workforce Readiness
Providing hands-on career exploration and job skill development.
Boys & Girls Clubs in Tennessee provide each young person they serve with quality, data-driven programming for as many as 1,500 hours each year. The total cost to each Club for this level of service is $4,200 per child.
The requested state support of $10,875,000 would provide Clubs with a maximum of $1,450 annually per low-income youth – less than 35% of its total costs – necessitating continued private funding.