Local Teens Helped Toward Academic Success

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands – Riverside today announced it has been selected to receive a $8,000 grant as part of the Restaurant Community Grants program from the Darden Restaurants Foundation, Inc., the charitable arm of Darden Restaurants. The grants program, now in its third year, empowers each restaurant in the Darden family of brands to help award a $1,000 grant to support local community programs. The donation will benefit Boys & Girls Club of America's (BGCA) project Diplomas to Degrees (DD). DD is a college-readiness, access and success program for 50 teens which provides a range of services to help guide teens through high school and plan for post-secondary education and career success. The program helps youth develop short, intermediate and long-term goals. It also provides experiences such as college tours to familiarize youth with the post-secondary educational lifestyle; assist youth in pursuing and securing essential financial aid; and fosters supportive relationships between program participants and adults who can provide ongoing support for the young person’s college experience all the way through college graduation. Only 70 percent of all students in the public school system graduate high school, and only 32 percent of all students leave high school qualified to attend a four-year college. “Our goal for the program is to create a college-bound culture in the BGCA and to prepare youth to matriculate to and successfully complete post-secondary training”, says Mark Davis, Vice President of BGCA. Eddie Hernandez, Kamryn Coleson's DD case manager said of Coleson, "Kamryn was one of the many who struggled with school. When DD was introduced to the Teen Center we discovered that during the 2012 Spring semester Kamryn had failed most her classes and carried a GPA of 1.16." Hernandez went on to say that through developing new school habits and and tutoring, Coleson was able to boost her GPA and her self esteem. Currently, Coleson is receiving all A's and B's. “We strive to make a positive impact in all the communities our restaurants serve,” said Gene Lee, Darden’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “Our employees are incredibly passionate about getting directly involved in their local communities, and our Restaurant Community Grants program enables each of our restaurant teams to make a difference right in their own backyard.”