Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee: Milwaukee teen girl named Wisconsin youth of the year as Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee celebrates 30 years of serving girls

Contact: Kristin Paltzer, on behalf of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
Phone: 414-319-5700
kristinpaltzer@zizzogroup.com

Milwaukee – April 7, 2014 – Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM), one of the first clubs in the country to extend full membership to girls, announced that BGCGM member Shantelle Williams has been named the Wisconsin State Youth of the Year by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA).

Youth of the Year, BGCA’s premier youth recognition program, encourages Club members to reach their full potential through achieving academic success, leading healthy lifestyles and contributing to their community. Youth of the Year recipients have made outstanding contributions to their families, schools and communities, while also overcoming personal challenges and obstacles.

The announcement comes as BGCGM celebrates its Year of the G.I.R.L. (Growing Inspirational & Responsible Leaders) to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its formal inclusion of girls as members and the organization’s name change.
Prior to 1984, the organization was known as the Busy Boys Life Club. Today, girls make up 43 percent of the organization’s overall membership. Over the last thirty years, BGCGM has been a local leader in programming for girls, serving more than 18,128 girls last year alone with more than 2,000 girls accessing their neighborhood Club on an average day. Along with members like Williams, BGCGM now engages more than 600 middle and high school girls in activities designed to develop self-confidence and leadership skills, addressing issues that relate uniquely to their needs as young women.

Annually more than 4,070 girls receive homework help at BGCGM during Power Hour – the first hour spent at the Clubs after school. In 2013, 84 teen girls helped at various club sites and held internships at prominent local businesses. Additionally, during the 2012 – 2013 school year, 513 girls participated in Keystone Club and Torch Club, which teach young people about community service.

“We are committed to providing girls with opportunities to succeed,” said Vincent Lyles, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. “We recognize that many Club members face difficult circumstances as young women in our community, and our mission is to inspire and empower all Club members to reach their fullest potential.”

A senior at Rufus King International Baccalaureate High School, Williams has been a club member since she was 9 years old and involved in a variety of programming, including Money Matters, Stein Scholars, as well as Torch Club and Keystone Club. In addition, she has been actively involved in Sista Pride, a program developed specifically for young women to encourage leadership, self-advocacy and the need for healthy relationships.

“The Club felt like home to me because I always felt safe and protected from what my neighborhood had to offer,” said Williams. “To me, I find refuge in the Club because it saved my life. If I never joined Boys & Girls Clubs, I don’t know where I’d be.”

In celebration of Year of the G.I.R.L., BGCGM will offer a variety of events for members and their families throughout the year. These events will include quarterly table talks, which will bring together members and businesswomen for open discussions, a town hall meeting about human trafficking hosted at Mt. Mary College, a holistic wellness summit, a service project and a signature event to be held in November. In addition, BGCGM has selected 30 young women members to serve as Year of the G.I.R.L. ambassadors, giving them opportunities to utilize the leadership and etiquette training they have received as they represent the Clubs at public events.

Williams will continue her own momentous year as she graduates from high school this spring and competes in the Regional Youth of the Year competition in Chicago in July.

“I will be the first person in my family to go to college and the first person in my family to complete high school on time,” said Williams. “The Club has molded me and shaped me into the woman I aspire to be and because of that, success is calling my name.”

About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM), one of the largest and longest youth-serving agencies in Milwaukee, offers high-quality programming and has been instrumental in positively influencing the lives of Milwaukee’s most disadvantaged youth. BGCGM operates 38 club locations, as well as Camp Whitcomb/Mason, a year-round camp/conference center located in Hartland, Wis. With an emphasis on academic success, good character and healthy lifestyles, the Clubs provide a safe place and positive role models for the more than 4,600 young people each day.

More than 86 percent of the organization’s annual budget goes toward youth programming. Charity Navigator, America’s largest and most-utilized charity evaluator, has given BGCGM its highest rating five years in a row. For more information, please visit www.boysgirlsclubs.org