Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota is pleased to announce that, in the spirit of back to school, The Norman C. Skalicky Foundation is awarding Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota $250,000.00 to support academic success programs provided year-round.
Funds will specifically support Project Learn, an educational strategy provided at all three Clubs and 15 KIDSTOP sites in all areas of programming. This strategy is a multi-pronged approach to help kids learn, whether they are in the gym playing basketball, in the art room painting, playing strategy board games, making music or dancing. Project Learn enhances the skills and knowledge young people learn during school hours using the following components: Power Hour homework help and tutoring; high-yield learning activities; school partnerships; incentives, and; parent/volunteer involvement. Staff will use funds to purchase enticing incentives for youth as they complete their homework and tutoring throughout the year. They will also boost STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) programming as a result of this support.
In addition, funding will support a partnership with the St. Cloud Area School District’s Apollo High School, assigning Roosevelt Boys & Girls Club as an official site for students who need technology support on the days they are not reporting to Apollo this fall. Students will be reporting to school every other day through October while cleanup takes place, due to a fire that took place this summer which caused smoke damage to 40 classrooms.
“At Stearns Bank, we find needs and fill them,” said Norm Skalicky, CEO of Stearns Bank, N.A. “We are proud to support Boys & Girls Club’s back-to-school efforts that will help kids be successful all year long, and we hope to make a big impact on the youth in this community through this gift.”
“We are overjoyed by this serendipitous gift to the Boys & Girls Club,” said Development Director Deb Nebosis. “We plan to be good stewards of Norm’s generosity and help the youth who need us most achieve academic success.”
“I was elated to receive the call from Avis Jacobson about this amazingly generous gift from The Norman C. Skalicky Foundation,” said Executive Director Mark Sakry. “Norm does so much for the Boys & Girls Club and the community at large. Stearns Bank has a history of supporting our school supplies drive, and this support multiplies those efforts. This gift will give Boys & Girls Club the momentum we need to ensure that all kids we serve not only have a great first day of school, but that they can continue that success throughout the school year. Thank you, Norm Skalicky!”
About the Norman C. Skalicky Foundation
Norman C. Skalicky, CEO and Chairman of Stearns Bank, N.A. has issued a number of challenges since the Foundation was formed in 2001 with the help of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation. By issuing these challenges, the NCSF and the community have raised more than $3 million to benefit those in need. Other recipients of this great community resource include Catholic Charities, The Salvation Army, the St. Joseph Community Food Shelf and several disaster relief efforts.