The Boys & Girls Club – BE GREAT: Graduate Program

Each year, in the United States, 1.2 million students drop out of high school. That’s one student every 26 seconds, or 3,288 students a day. By the end of third grade, children are placed into achievement trajectories that they follow for the rest of their school years. School and parenting play a major factor to a children’s success, but the third crucial factor is a community based organization that can serve as partners in providing resources for youth and families. That is why the SAF-HOLLAND Corporate Social Responsibility team partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore’s BE GREAY: Graduate program.

BE GREAT: Graduate is a very successful dropout prevention program that was implemented by the Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore. The program uses mentors to observe warning signs of withdrawal from school and work to create a plan to address roadblocks and celebrate successes. BE GREAT: Graduate helps steer youth towards academic success, by pairing them with dedicated mentors. Mentors also play a large role in the home and with school collaborations that play a crucial part of academic achievement.