Local Teens Helped Toward Academic Success

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands – Riverside today announced it has been selected to receive a $8,000 grant as part of the Restaurant Community Grants program from the Darden Restaurants Foundation, Inc., the charitable arm of Darden Restaurants. The grants program, now in its third year, empowers each restaurant in the Darden family of brands to help award a $1,000 grant to support local community programs. The donation will benefit Boys & Girls Club of America's (BGCA) project Diplomas to Degrees (DD). DD is a college-readiness, access and success program for 50 teens which provides a range of services to help guide teens through high school and plan for post-secondary education and career success. The program helps youth develop short, intermediate and long-term goals. It also provides experiences such as college tours to familiarize youth with the post-secondary educational lifestyle; assist youth in pursuing and securing essential financial aid; and fosters supportive relationships between program participants and adults who can provide ongoing support for the young person’s college experience all the way through college graduation. Only 70 percent of all students in the public school system graduate high school, and only 32 percent of all students leave high school qualified to attend a four-year college. “Our goal for the program is to create a college-bound culture in the BGCA and to prepare youth to matriculate to and successfully complete post-secondary training”, says Mark Davis, Vice President of BGCA. Eddie Hernandez, Kamryn Coleson's DD case manager said of Coleson, "Kamryn was one of the many who struggled with school. When DD was introduced to the Teen Center we discovered that during the 2012 Spring semester Kamryn had failed most her classes and carried a GPA of 1.16." Hernandez went on to say that through developing new school habits and and tutoring, Coleson was able to boost her GPA and her self esteem. Currently, Coleson is receiving all A's and B's. “We strive to make a positive impact in all the communities our restaurants serve,” said Gene Lee, Darden’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “Our employees are incredibly passionate about getting directly involved in their local communities, and our Restaurant Community Grants program enables each of our restaurant teams to make a difference right in their own backyard.” [END] Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands – Riverside today announced it has been selected to receive a $8,000 grant as part of the Restaurant Community Grants program from the Darden Restaurants Foundation, Inc., the charitable arm of Darden Restaurants. The grants program, now in its third year, empowers each restaurant in the Darden family of brands to help award a $1,000 grant to support local community programs. The donation will enable Boys & Girls Clubs project Diplomas to Degrees. Diplomas to Degrees is a college readiness, access and success program for 50 teens which provides a range of services to help guide teens through high school and plan for post-secondary education and career success. The program helps youth develop short-, intermediate- and long term goals. Provides experiences such as college tours to familiarize Club youth with the post-secondary educational lifestyle; assist youth in pursuing and securing essential financial aid; and fosters supportive relationships between program participants and adults who can provide ongoing support throughout the young person’s college experience, even until college graduation. The statistics for teens who graduate high school and for those who are college-ready are startling; only 70 percent of all students in public high schools graduate, and only 32 percent of all students leave high school qualified to attend a four-year college. “Our goal of the program is to create a college bound culture in the Boys & Girls Club and to prepare youth to matriculate to and successfully complete post-secondary training”, says Mark Davis, Vice President of Boys & Girls Clubs. “In my many years with the Movement I may have never experienced such great and speedy impact like with Kamryn Coleson. Kamryn was one of the many who struggle with school. When Diplomas to Degree’s was introduced to the Teen Center we went over all members transcripts. We discovered that during the 2012 Spring semester Kamryn had failed most her classes and carried a GPA of 1.16”, says Eddie Hernandez, Site Director of the Hansberger Clubhouse. “As her Diplomas to Degree’s case manager I helped her to develop new school habits including going to bed earlier, keeping her backpack clean and organized, focusing on completing her homework, and required tutoring through Jasper’s Corner”, says Hernandez. “With hard work, commitment, and the Diplomas to Degree’s program Kamryn has been extremely focused on her studies. As a result Kamryn is receiving all A’s and B’s in her semester grades and progress reports; not only boosting her GPA but also her self esteem. It truly was one of my most memorable days in the Movement when Kamryn came running to the Club with a smile ear to ear waving her report for me to see.” Darden’s Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s and Yard House brands participated in the program. Many restaurants and brands worked together to award one nonprofit organization with a larger grant and make a greater impact in their community. Nonprofits receiving grants support one of Darden’s three key focus areas: education, preservation of natural resources and hunger relief. “We strive to make a positive impact in all the communities our restaurants serve,” said Gene Lee, Darden’s president and chief operating officer. “Our employees are incredibly passionate about getting directly involved in their local communities, and our Restaurant Community Grants program enables each of our restaurant teams to make a difference right in their own backyard.” For more information about the Darden Foundation, please visit www.dardenfoundation.com. For additional information on Boys & Girls Clubs, please visit www.BeGreatIE.org