College Tour Program Helps Kids  Stay in School and Focus on Future

Bobby Lee Smith, President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee (BGCMT) gets excited when he talks about his organization's  College Tour Program, and   he should. The  program, which is designed to help kids stay in school and introduce them to higher level learning opportunities, has grown in member participation every year since its inception seven years ago. More importantly, it's working! Last year, seven seniors were involved in the program. All seven graduated from high school and enrolled in universities.

“It’s really amazing the way this program has taken off ,” says Smith. “I would have never expected it to grow into something this big with this type of impact.”

Jim Williamson, director of Club Services with BGCMT, works with Smith and says a key element of the College Tour Program is that it targets youth ages 13 years and older. “We know through research that the transition for kids from middle school to high school is the toughest, and it is during this time that they are most likely to drop out,” says Williamson.

The program includes classroom sessions and a week-long tour of college campuses in Tennessee as well as neighboring states. The classroom sessions cover a variety of topics including college enrollment, applying for financial aid, resume writing, and interviewing skills. All of the classroom subjects are geared towards helping students prepare for college and the years beyond. Kids must attend at least six of the eight classroom sessions in order to qualify for the campus tour. This past year, more than half (42) of the kids who started the program participated in the campus tour.

Funding for the program has been growing with its success. In fact, BGCMT recently received a $100,000 grant to fund the program and other initiatives. Both Smith and Williamson agree that using KidTrax has made a difference. “The reports we generate from KidTrax have allowed us to present the information to the foundations we work with in a way that shows our programs are making a difference,” says Smith.