CAIRO, Ga. (WTXL) — Bridging the gap in education during the pandemic with a $15 million dollar boost to Georgia's Boys & Girls Clubs statewide to benefit kids.
$100,000 is coming to the Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Club of Cairo-Grady County to help kids get back on track after the pandemic.
Yazlin, a young member of the club, exclaimed "I'm very excited!"
With COVID-19 pulling kids out of the classroom, Georgia Governor's Office of Emergency Education Relief Funds, also known as GEER, is coming to the rescue to fill in the gaps for kids falling behind in school.
Stephen Francis, Unit Director of the Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Club, said "all the kids here need is the opportunity."
The Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Club will get $100,000 to spend through September of 2022. That money going to new computers, educational programs, and up to five new teachers to tutor kids and help with homework...preparing them for what's next. Coach Gibson, a Youth Coordinator at the Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Club, said "we're actually getting kids prepared for college and doing college trips."
An amount of money this size… the Director says he has never seen so much at one time. He added, "the kids can have what they need in order to become these successful productive citizens that our club's goal is for them to be."
The club is working with the Grady County Schools superintendent since they're used to seeing this kind of academic funding. Their partnership is to make sure they're doing what's best for the kids at the Boys & Girls Club. Malayah, a member of the club, told ABC 27 "I'm happy to have new computers to help us with our work."
The Boys & Girls Club is still working out exactly when everything will be ready but they're in the process of hiring new teachers now.
The GEER funding is only allowed for academic spending and the Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Clubis always in need of donations to support their many programs.
