Astro Bug

FORT MYERS, Fla. - AstroBug -- Bank of America has provided Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County with a $30,000 grant to support summer programs and provide employment experiences for local youth.

Boys & Girls Clubs' Summer Enrichment Camp offers project-based learning activities, reading programs, health and wellness classes, service-learning projects, field trips, guest speakers and athletic activities. The bank's grant will help fund projects and initiatives that reduce summer learning loss.

The funding also supports Boys & Girls Clubs' youth employment program, which provides high school students with job opportunities to earn an income while obtaining valuable experience as they prepare to advance to college or the workforce.

"Our programs can only be successful with support from generous partners like Bank of America, which recognizes the potential impact that just one summer can have on children and teens," said Denise Gergley, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County. "Our Summer Enrichment Camp and the youth employment program are entirely focused on preparing club members for the future, whatever that might be."

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Club programs are designed for youth ages six through 18 and focus on five core areas: education and career, service and leadership, health and wellness, the arts, and sports and recreation. Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County offers after-school and summer programs at eight school-based, neighborhood and community club locations.

Youth workers and club members in Lee County also have benefited from Bank of America's acclaimed Better Money Habits curriculum, a financial education platform that offers practical, easy-to-understand knowledge about money with topics such as budgeting, saving, retirement planning, owning a home, credit recovery and more, allowing participants to make smarter, more-confident financial decisions. Additionally, Bank of America offered Boys & Girls Clubs access to "The Academy," which offers sessions for youth employment program participants that cover time management, workplace conduct, communications, customer interactions and other topics to help prepare individuals for a career, foster economic mobility, build skills and inspire confidence.

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Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County is just one of 15 Southwest Florida nonprofits the bank is supporting with economic mobility grants awarded to local nonprofits throughout the year to help tackle society's biggest challenges. This first round of grants is focused on improving the lives of individuals and families by investing in health and jobs.

"Partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County to address important issues like workforce development is part of our commitment to creating real change in Southwest Florida," said Gerri Moll, president, Bank of America Southwest Florida. "Investing in our region's nonprofits demonstrates how we're taking action to provide the resources and support needed to help build thriving communities long-term."