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County Commits $100K To Bring Boys & Girls Club To City Of Poughkeepsie

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Students and children in the City of Poughkeepsie will soon be able to take part in a new after-school Boys & Girls Club program at the New Hope Community Center thanks to a $100,000 grant from Dutchess County.

Dutchess County will be bringing the boys & Girls Clubs to Poughkeepsie.

Dutchess County will be bringing the boys & Girls Clubs to Poughkeepsie.

Photo Credit: Contributed

The monies, provided to the Boys & Girls Club of Newburgh through the county's Agency Partner Grant program, will be used to develop the program aimed at targeting the academic, social and behavioral development of city youth, county officials said.

“Dutchess County continues to make an investment in our children, providing programs and services to help our youth, particularly those who are at-risk, grow in self-worth, enhance their confidence and reach their fullest potential," said County Executive Marc Molinaro. 

The Afterschool Project (TAP) is a comprehensive after-school education initiative designed to provide 90 students in kindergarten through eighth grade with the academic, social and emotional skills they need to successfully graduate high school, enroll in college and enter the workforce. 

TAP will partner with Dutchess County, the City of Poughkeepsie, the Poughkeepsie City School District, New Hope Community Center, the Poughkeepsie Housing Authority and other community-based organizations to establish the program. 

The program will run from September to June, Monday through Friday from 2 to 6 p.m., the hours when young people are most likely to engage in harmful, negative activities if left unsupervised, officials said.

In addition to one to two hours of academic work each day, students will also take part in in a wide-variety of classes including science and technology, sports and recreation, and arts and culture. Classes include leadership development, photography, computer-based graphic design, film making, instrumental music, dance, martial arts, intramural sports, and chess.

Kevin White, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Newburgh, said, “We look forward to bringing the same evidence-based programs to Dutchess County that have proved so successful for us in the past. We thank County Executive Molinaro for his vision and dedication to local youth, and we are eager to work with our community partners in Dutchess County to bring about real change in the City of Poughkeepsie.”

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