AT&T Wisconsin: Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington County receive $5,000 AT&T contribution to help more teens graduate high school

Contact:

Jessica Erickson

AT&T Wisconsin

608-692-5340 (cell)

jessica.erickson@att.com

‘Be Ready’ Program Prepares Students for College, Careers

WEST BEND, Monday, March 24, 2014 — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington County were presented with a $5,000 AT&T contribution today to support the Club’s graduation initiative and help more teens graduate high school.

The funding through AT&T’s Aspire program will support the Club’s “Be Ready” program. The program is dedicated to helping Washington County teens remain engaged in school, succeed academically and graduate high school ready to pursue higher education.

“Through our ‘Be Ready’ program, we are committed to helping all teens successfully complete high school prepared for college and the workforce,” said Jay Fisher, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington County. “We are grateful for AT&T’s support to help us offer this successful program to area teens.”

The “Be Ready” program provides college access programming, educational experiences, pre-collegiate support and individualized guidance to help students complete high school and prepare for college.

“The Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington County are doing fantastic work to help our students succeed in the classroom and graduate high school,” said State Rep. Patricia Strachota (R-West Bend). “The ‘Be Ready’ program helps youth improve academic performance, stay in school and graduate ready for the world.”

Three courses are offered through the “Be Ready” program. The Money Matters course promotes financial responsibility and independence among Club members ages 13-18 by building their basic money management skills. Career Launch prepares teens ages 13-18 for the working world by helping them explore careers, apply for jobs and internships, and job shadow. The College Readiness course assesses students’ career interests and helps them research schools that offer their program of interest.

In the United States, one student drops out of school every 26 seconds. Nationally, students from low-income families drop out at a rate four times higher than students from higher income families.

“As a company, AT&T is committed to not only helping our teenagers stay in high school, but also preparing them for success after graduation,” said Scott T. VanderSanden, president of AT&T Wisconsin. “The Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington County have a graduation strategy that is helping at-risk youth stay in school and succeed academically. We are very proud to support their ‘Be Ready’ program.”

As a company, AT&T has a long-standing commitment to helping advance education. The AT&T Aspire program is one of the nation’s largest corporate initiatives committed to helping more students graduate from high school ready for college and careers.