TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — Boys and Girls Club of Greater Tampa Bay is opening up to serve more families this summer.
The Children's Board of Hillsborough County awarded nearly $500,000 to the organization. The extra money will provide an additional 422 summer slots across nine standalone locations: Belmont, Brandon, Dover, Freddie Solomon, Garcia Salesian, Riverview, Temple Terrace, West Plant City, and Wimauma.
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Brandon Evans is preparing to welcome students to the Garcia Salesian Center.
He'll be the new director this summer. He says this is a full-circle moment for him. He was a member of the Boy and Girls Club growing up. He says his mentors back then molded him.
"It definitely played a big role in making a decision to be as impactful as I can, to leave a leave the next generation," he said.
Dr. Diana Morello-DeSerio, the Vice President of Educational Programming at the Boys and Girls Club, emphasized the importance of integrating literacy and math skills into various enhancement programs through the club.
“We are a preventative program,” she explained, detailing the goal of reducing the risks associated with learning loss.
The club’s “Summer Brain Game” initiative, developed by the Boys and Girls Club of America, is a cornerstone of this effort, incorporating engaging reading materials and hands-on activities designed to foster critical thinking.
“Not only are students advancing using the program, but they are also maintaining what they learn,” Dr. Morello-DeSerio said, adding that the program has proven especially beneficial for English language learners.
The Boys and Girls Club’s approach complements school districts' efforts, providing a nurturing and safe environment where students can build confidence and improve academically.
Dr. Morello attributed the drive to expand programming to extensive research indicating the harsh reality that children from low-income families often lose significant academic ground during summer months without adequate support.
“The research is clear,” she said. “Students who come from low-income families need assistance during the summertime; otherwise, they risk losing a month or two of their academic learning.”
Rebecca Bacon, the Executive Director at the Children's Board, tells us the board saw a direct need for more openings.
“We know that there's increased need for lots of reasons. We know that children need safe places to go while their parents work, but also to have recreational opportunities, team building, social skill development, and also really work on some of the educational areas to prevent that summer slide that happens from being out of school," she said.
Jason Jenkins, Chief of Staff at the Boys and Girls Club, says the standalone facilities already have more than 3,000 children.
"We're not a babysitting service," he said. "Your child's gonna do activities, but they're gonna learn also. And so we do what we can to try to prevent summer learning loss. We know how important that is, and we know, you know, that there's a high percentage of kids that go back to school that are not prepared for the actual next grade."
The Boys and Girls Clubs’ structured eight-week summer program will offer a range of educational activities, recreation, and social-emotional development opportunities designed to keep children safe while school is out. Summer camp slots will be based on availability at each of the nine locations.
Summer programs are scheduled to begin June 2, running from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Families interested in enrolling their children can visit the Boys & Girls Clubs website at bgctampa.org.
For more information about the Children's Board and the various other services they offer, visit childrensboard.org.
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