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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
Boys & Girls Clubs – Marjorie S. Fisher Middle School Program
Children Achieving & Reaching Educational Success (CARES Program)
5.1 Project Abstract:
At the Marjorie S. Fisher Boys & Girls Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, the Boys & Girls Clubs
of Palm Beach County (BGCPBC) will provide the free 21st CCLC Children Achieving and
Reaching Educational Success (CARES) to 50 children in grades 6-8 from two Title I middle
schools, meeting for 2.5 hours (M-F, 4:00p-6:30pm and 4:15-6:45pm depending on target
school times for 34 weeks-170 days), during the school year and 30 students for 6 hours (M–F,
8:00a–2:00p for 7 weeks-37 days) during the summer break. Children will receive a variety of
reading/language arts, math, science, and enrichment programs that complement the regular
school day. Students will be provided 60 minutes of PBL programming in a 1:15 ratio. Family
services will target community needs.
5.2 Continuing Improvement
Now in its first year of funding for grant #5PCC6 the BGCPBC’s 21st CCLC program at the
Marjorie S. Fisher Boys & Girls Club has not yet undergone a formative or summative
evaluation. A February 2015 site visit by the 21st CCLC Senior Program Development Specialist
highlighted core strengths, including the variety of enrichment and academic classes offered
and the fact that students seemed comfortable, fully engaged, well-behaved, and positively
acknowledge for their contributions by their instructors. Recommendations included the need to
refine daily schedules to reflect current activities, room, teacher, grade level and times of the
program, increase enrollment and attendance through targeted recruitment, and increase
participants’’ participation for the entire daily program. The 21st CCLC project administrator and
project directors, in partnership with Club Director at the Marjorie S. Fisher Club will initiate
intensive recruitment efforts to increase enrollment at the beginning of the funding period, in
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
anticipation of the beginning of the 2015-16 school year. As recommended, these efforts will
include building rapport with target school administrators. Year-round recruitment will maintain
maximum enrollment and increase average daily attendance (ADA) over current and previous
rates. Efforts will heighten in the spring for summer 2016 enrollment. Scheduling adjustments
will also be made to increase the likelihood of participants choosing to stay through the end of
the daily program and staff will develop PBLs based on participant interest. By virtue of hosting
six or more meaningful educational sessions for adult family members throughout the funding
period, project directors, Club Directors, and Family Service Coordinators will confer with family
members to determine and mitigate attendance barriers and immerse them in their child’s 21st
CCLC CARE program.
5.3 Evaluation
5.3.a Evaluation Plan
Independent Evaluator and Qualifications: The BGCPBC has enlisted the services of an
external evaluator for each of its 21st CCLC grant projects. Since the 2012-2013 program year,
the external evaluation for BGCPBC 21st CCLC grant projects has been conducted by The
Center for Assessment, Strategic Planning, Evaluation and Research (CASPER), a highly
experienced firm specializing in evaluation of out-of-school programs using a continuous
improvement and developmental evaluation model to assess progress towards the stated
objectives. CASPER will continue to oversee all aspects of program evaluation, including
formative, summative, and data reporting to both the Florida Department of Education and the
US Department of Education. The evaluator fully understands the 21st CCLC program and will
personally conduct all evaluation tasks. The lead evaluator for the BGCPBC grant projects is the
Vice President of CASPER, who is a former Director of Evaluation for the Statewide Florida 21st
CCLC Administrative Team. Led by a professional evaluator and licensed psychologist,
CASPER has overseen the evaluation of over 400 educational programs. An active member of
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
the American Evaluation Association and American Psychological Association, the lead
evaluator will conduct all evaluations according to the ethical codes and established procedures
of these professional organizations.
Evaluation Activities: The evaluator will provide any necessary data analysis, interim reports,
professional services, and assistance in training staff on collecting appropriate data which is
reasonable and necessary. Formal reports will include a review of accomplishments and
challenges, while also providing recommendations for program refinement based on both
quantitative and qualitative data. Individual and/or group interviews with providers, staff,
students, and parents will be conducted to collect additional qualitative data to help inform
evaluations. Objective performance data will be collected an estimated minimum of four times
per year (summer, baseline, mid-year, end-of-year). Specifically, the following activities will be
included in the evaluation of the program:
Continuous Improvement: The evaluator will provide assistance and oversight of the
ongoing evaluation using the Continuous Improvement Model (CIM). This will include
individualized assessment using both formal (e.g., surveys) and informal (e.g., meetings)
techniques to guide incremental changes within ongoing services, adopt new ways to
improve and measure outcomes, discontinue or adapt activities that have no value, and
increase emphasis on objectives and outcomes. The immediate and individualized
feedback provided through CIM is particularly important for implementation of this 21st
CCLC model to help guide and ensure the highest impact for each student. The overall
evaluation process is designed to provide a structure to (1) generate information for
ongoing program/activity refinement, (2) assess progress in meeting outcomes, (3)
document/analyze how the model works in practice, and (4) document/analyze changes
in targeted students’ actions, attitudes, knowledge, and performance.
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
Evaluation Support: The evaluator will provide evaluation training and assistance
regarding baseline and follow-up data collection, selection of data elements, data
storage, evaluation planning, development of recommendations under CIM, and use of
evaluation findings for planning and revising program activities.
On-Site Visits: As part of the developmental evaluation model, the evaluator will provide
at least two multiday, agency-wide visits during which each site of each BGCPBC 21st
CCLC grant project will be visited at least once and many will be visited twice,
depending upon the need of each individual site. Feedback will be provided to program-
level and site-level staff as appropriate, and a formative site visit report will be completed
for each grant project within 30 days of its initial on-site visit based on observations and
data gathered during the project’s visit.
Formative Evaluation: The evaluator will provide either a formative evaluation report
and/or the mid-year evaluation objective assessment tool (currently utilized by the
FLDOE for 21st CCLC programs), depending on what is specifically required by the
FLDOE. Regardless of whether the program is required to submit a formative report or
assessment tool, the evaluator will assist and ensure all mid-year data reporting
requirements are met as part of the evaluation process (e.g., initial objective tool
development, summary of formative findings, formative recommendations, and
responses to recommendations).
Summative Evaluation: The evaluator will provide an end-of-year summative
evaluation report and/or annual evaluation summary (depending on specific
requirements from the FLDOE). The summative evaluation report will be focused on
program operations and program outcomes at the end of the operational year based on
the current US Department of Education and FLDOE operational year (prior summer and
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
current academic year). The purpose of the summative evaluation is aimed at recording
and developing a model that can be applied in other settings.
Annual Data Reporting: The evaluator will provide assistance and oversight of the
federal online submission of 21st CCLC data. The evaluator will also provide assistance
in submitting any necessary data to the Florida Department of Education, if required.
Using and Sharing Evaluation Results: The process for sharing evaluation findings is
integral to a strong evaluation method and overall evaluation plan, as it is the primary method
for using results to refine, improve, and strengthen program outcomes. Sharing and distributing
information will occur at three levels: (1) administrators, (2) staff members, and (3) stakeholders.
Feedback will include written evaluation reports (as above), as well as teleconferences, when
requested, with the evaluator, program director, and any staff wishing to participate. During
these meetings, current data trends and operations will be reviewed with a focus on program
improvement and immediate refinement. The evaluator will assist in refining and addressing any
identified concerns. The evaluator will also assist, if requested, with revisions of objectives
based on future needs assessments and proposed activities aligned to objectives and student
needs.
Data will be utilized by the program director and teachers to help tailor program offerings to the
needs and progress of individual students. For formative and summative evaluations, the
evaluator will provide written reports to the program director and will help guide BGCPBC in
refining and addressing any identified recommendations. In addition, on-site feedback will be
provided to 21st CCLC staff to: (1) engage staff in addressing challenges; (2) promote “buy-in”
into evaluation as a “living” process; and (3) promote discussion, cross-training, and support.
Finally, evaluations will be shared electronically with all stakeholders (e.g., administrators,
parents, and partners) to share information about the program and encourage feedback.
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
Reporting Outcomes: As detailed above, the evaluation process includes all elements of the
required Reporting Outcomes detailed in the Request for Application. The Evaluator will submit
and validate all data to the US Department of Education. The program and the external
evaluator are aware there could be changes to the online method of collecting data through the
US Department of Education, as well as changes with data collection by the FLDOE. The
program and evaluator are committed to submitting all required data as instructed and through
whatever system required.
Assessment of Progress/Performance Measures/Data Sources and Timeline: Each
objective is fully explored within a continuous improvement model. For each program objective,
a series of specific evaluation questions will be answered to enable project leaders to assess
progress toward goals, objectives, and benchmarks. The evaluation questions have been
tailored to each objective, but limited space necessitates more general questions herein.
Questions will include: (1) Was the objective met? (2) Were the baseline and quarterly data
sufficient to show change? (3) Did the program follow the planned interventions and activities?
(4) Which activities provided the highest impact? (5) Which strategies did not have impact
(should they be removed, revised, or strengthened)? (6) How can the program improve general
operations to meet this objective?
Measures and data sources include a combination of quantitative data (e.g., test scores),
stakeholder perceptual data (e.g., parent surveys), and qualitative data (e.g., student
interviews). Objective performance data will be collected an estimated five times per year:
baseline from the prior year and/or immediately upon enrollment in the program, and then once
each quarter of the academic year. In addition to quarterly assessments, the program will
implement a series of pre-post knowledge assessments for project-based units and lessons. All
data will be analyzed with research-based statistical procedures, such as t-tests, MANCOVAs,
and multiple regression.
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
5.3. b Measurable Objectives and Assessments (online table)
5.4 Partnerships, Collaboration & Sustainability
5.4. a Community Notice
While the 21st CCLC CARES program at the Marjorie S. Fisher Club is now in its first year of
the current grant, the program was funded by the 21st CCLC program during the previous five
years. Consequently the local community is aware of the program and supportive of the
BGCPBC’s intention to vie for year-two funding to sustain the program. To ensure that
constituents were informed about its intention to submit this application, BGCPBC posted a
notice on its website and that which has been created specifically to present BGCPBC’s 21st
CCLC program highlights, both of which will provide a link to a pdf of the submitted application
until notice of an award is received. Within 30 days of receiving notice of funding, both
websites will be updated to include details of each 21st CCLC grant, including program
description, address, list of feeder schools, hours of operation, contact information for the site
coordinator, and a copy of the approved grant narrative. The website will be updated at least
once a month to highlight student progress and special projects.
5.4. b 21st CCLC Advisory Board
The 21st CCLC Advisory Board is comprised of at least two parents, two students, one school-
day teacher from each feeder school, and members of nonprofit, private sector or governmental
agencies that either partner with the BGCPBC in the fulfillment of the grant or have an interest
in supporting the ongoing development of the program. Upon notice of funding award, the
BGCPBC 21st Century Project Administration, project director, and Family Service Coordinator
will work together to recruit new advisory board members and solicit a commitment for
continued participation from existing members. The advisory boards meet at least twice yearly
to review formative or summative evaluation reports, status of outcome fulfillment, and
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
programming highlights, and recommend adjustments to the program, if indicated. Minutes are
taken and attendance is recorded.
5.4.c Collaboration with Private Schools
Private schools within the service area of this program have been provided information by email,
personal visits by the site coordinators, in print by way of flyers delivered to them for distribution.
The program as described herein is made available to them. The family program is made
available to the families of private school students and their teachers and other school
personnel as well, by the same methods. On-going community discussions, including
discussion of 21st CCLC applications include private school administrators and teachers.
5.4.d Partnerships
BGCPBC is a long-standing fixture in Palm Beach County’s human service and youth
development community, and enjoys strong relationships with organizations and funders across
the county. BGCPBC’s nonprofit community partners offer students a broad array of in-kind
activities which are aligned to at least one of the personal enrichment objectives and designed
to support the academic achievement of students. Recent partners have included the Palm
Beach County Sheriff’s Office (prevention programs), the PBC Health Department (health
promotion and wellness classes), the Center for Creative Education (a variety of free art
classes), Prime Time (afterschool accreditation, quality improvement systems, and staff
professional development), the Juvenile Transition Center (summer and afterschool food
programs), and the Legal Aid Society of Palm Bach County (workshops about medical
insurance, fair housing, immigration domestic violence prevention, and parenting skills).
BGCPBC has a long history of support from these partners and, through regular engagement at
all organizational levels, will continue to meet and strengthen the relationships so that the
services provided to students will be as powerful and effective as possible. The value of the in-
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
kind services provided by these agencies throughout the year varies but all in-kind donations
are captured throughout the year and reported in year-end financial reports. Palm Beach County
donated the land for the Marjorie M. Fisher facility in 2009 when it was valued at $460,000. The
county also provides a $26,000 ad valorem exemption each year.
5.4 e Collaborations with the Regular School Day
BGCPBC’s 21st CCLC programs are the catalyst for the very strong working relationship with
the School District of Palm Beach County (District) with which it maintains an inter-local
agreement allowing for the sharing of student data, including report card grades, standardized
test scores, and behavior and attendance records. Over the past 12 years of operating its 21st
CCLC program, BGCPBC has successfully collaborated with the principals and teachers of
feeder schools and will maintain the same level of communication in the proposed year.
Whenever possible, BGCPBC hires teachers who are also employed by feeder schools as
regular school-day teachers and bring a good deal of knowledge of students and their needs.
At the beginning of the school year, 21st CCLC teachers review the grades, standardized test
scores from the prior spring, and behavior and attendance records of students. They identify
and group students as ‘gainers’ or ‘sliders’ and assess their particular academic and social
needs. As the year progresses, 21st CCLC teachers and regular school day teachers meet to
compare and discuss student progress, demonstrate and discuss lessons and develop
strategies to further engage their students in academic enrichment.
21st CCLC staff, including the project director and site coordinator, meet monthly to discuss
PBL implementation, clarify barriers to implementing services, find solutions to behavioral and
academic challenges presented by students, and design special plans for individual and groups
of students. Individual 21st CCLC team members, including enrichment instructors, will be
assigned to support the same student or several students in specific ways.
5.4.f Sustainability:
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
Through its strong connections with a broad range of community service providers, the
BGCPBC is well-established and involved in key dialogue with stakeholders across the county.
A member of the Palm Beach County Infant, Child, Youth, and Young Adult Symposium, the
BGCPBC has a voice on the panel that is working to coordinate and align youth services in the
county.
By working with stakeholders from the public sector, such as Children’s Services Council, Palm
Beach County Community Services Department, Palm Beach County Juvenile Justice
Commission; the private sector, including private schools, and the nonprofit sector including the
United Way, and Workforce Alliance, the BGCPBC is positioned and involved in major initiatives
around youth services throughout the county. The “Youth Symposium” has a clearly defined
core mission of advocating for youth and youth services throughout the service area, including
streamlining services and aligning them to mitigate the most urgent threats and risks faced by
the children in Palm Beach County, many of whom are served by the Boys & Girls Clubs. This
process of ensuring an “economies of scale” in the youth services sector and preventing
duplication of services provides assurance to funders that grant dollars are being used
efficiently, heightening fundability of local organizations, including the BGCPBC.
The BGCPBC has undertaken strategic action in the form of an internal re-alignment to bring
more clarity to its programs, align outcomes across programs and sites, and bring more
transparency to its program budgets and program design. The organization’s existing 21st CCLC
programs are intrinsic to this process, and lessons learned from years of operating after school
academic enrichment programs have informed the overhaul of the programmatic operation. In
short, existing 21st CCLC programs, and the lessons gleaned from prior years have informed the
Clubs’ overall core academic enrichment programs.
BGCPBC is in the process of fully integrating the resources from public and private programs
across clubs and leveraging available private funding to maximize public funds so that the 21st
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
CCLC program approach serves as the foundation of the Clubs’ overall academic enrichment
programs. In addition to the 21st CCLC program, the BGCPBC operates programs with pass-
through funds from the US Department of Education, US Department of Juvenile Justice and
the Office of Juvenile Programs of the Department of Justice.
In addition to leveraging other public funding, BGCPBC has secured significant first-time grant
funding from private foundations to support and maintain the academic enrichment and teen
employability programs. The Clubs have developed a professional development plan to
improve the capacity of staff to provide effective youth development services, to implement
evidence-based programs with fidelity and to understand the importance of capturing and
maintaining accurate activity, outcome and performance data.
5.5 Program Plan
5.5 a Recruitment and Retention
The recruitment and retention of the most at-risk students and those most in need of 21st CCLC
services is a primary goal of the BGCPBC program. For more than 12 years, BGCPBC has
operated a 21st CCLC program and successfully targeted the students most in need of the
services. The typical student we serve is unprepared to pass standardized tests, is reading far
below his or her grade level, is in jeopardy of falling victim to crime, is likely to drop out of school
before graduation, have some English language challenges, and is living in a home in which
the household income is at or below poverty level.
The primary strategies to be used to recruit and retain targeted students for enrollment and to
achieve consistent, long-term participation in the 21st CCLC program are activated across three
dimensions: the first involving students, the second involving parents, and the third involving
school principals and teachers from the school. Specific recruitment and retention strategies
along these dimensions include:
Recruitment Strategies for Students:
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
Invite the most satisfied students (identified pursuant to an informal survey) to assist in the
identification and recruitment of other students, siblings, classmates, and friends
Ask the advisory committee to assist with the identification and recruitment of other students
and their families
21st CCLC staff recruit potential students directly at school events
21st CCLC include activities designed according to the expressed interests of youth to
increase and maintain appeal of the program.
Retention strategies for students:
Poll students to determine their preferences for enrichment activities and provide them with
their choice of activities
Solicit students’ feedback on the program
Communicate with parents to follow-up student absences of more than two days in the 21st
CCLC program. Help to parents to solve attendance barriers.
School principals and teachers:
Refer students, especially those in need of the supports that 21st CCLC offers, to BGCPBC
staff during regular monthly meetings.
Provide a list of school events to which 21st CCLC staff are welcome to attend to recruit
new students (open houses, assemblies, sporting events)
Receive highlights of 21st CCLC student progress from BGCPBC staff to encourage
referrals.
Parent Engagement in Student Recruitment:
Parents of existing 21st CCLC students are asked their opinion about program benefits.
Parents attending parent-teacher conferences at the school are informed parents about the
21st CCLC program at BGCPBC.
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
BGCPBC staff share information about the 21st CCLC program as part of adult-serving
workshops or events held at the BGCPBC sites.
5.5 b Student Program Activities
A day in the afterschool program at BGCPBC –
Children are picked up by BGCPBC operated bus transportation at school at dismissal time.
Upon arrival at the club, children sign in and enjoy a snack for the first 15 minutes.
Children are then provided one hour of homework help.
Children are then provided one hour of PBL time.
After the PBL hour, children are rotated through enrichment activities, such as STEAM, art,
dance, music, and physical fitness.
BGCPBC’s free 21st CCLC Children Achieving and Reaching Education Success (CARES)
program will offer the following components:
Part A: MindWorks Resources, an all-inclusive, evidence-based program is designed to
support the dynamic needs of after school programs, the 21st CCLC Learning Model, Florida’s
State Standards, the different learning styles of children and the implementation of Project
Based Learning (PBL). This FDOE certified teacher-lead creative after school curriculum
provides four unique units throughout the school year. Each unit is comprised of a nine-week
curriculum combining core subjects including reading, language arts, math and science, as well
as social studies and art culminating with a publicly exhibited project such as products,
publications, presentations, plays, or games.
Going To Extremes and X Marks the Spot are samples of the planned PBL activities. Going
To Extremes: By exploring the bizarre, unbelievable and unthinkable, students experience how
truly extreme the earth and its inhabitance can be! X Marks The Spot: Students adventure
through little-known history that has left a mark on the world!
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
Part B: BGCPBC has chosen to build its 21st CCLC program around the PBL component of
MindWorks 2015-2016 Far-Out Curriculum. The theme connects core academics with fun,
hands-on, student-centered learning. For all of the following reading/language arts/math and
science activities on a daily basis, only students who receive 60 minutes of the academic
components provided or supervised by an FDOE certified teacher, as well as additional
enrichment activities will be considered program participants. The student to teacher ratio for all
of the reading/language arts, math and science programs and activities is no more than 1:15.
The supplementary activities will be delivered through some of BGCPBC’s academic
enrichment programs, including: Reader’s Theater, which meets the State’s Standards, using
fun interactive and meaningful plays, gives youth the opportunity to make words come to life as
they read and create their roles, evaluate the events taking place in the story, and catch
mistakes that do not make sense. This FDOE certified teacher-led program includes tool kits
and age appropriate content covering subjects such as health, sharing, and the importance of
math, while improving reading and language arts skills. There is an abundance of research such
as Dr. Timothy Rasinski's research and numerous texts including his book, The Fluent Reader,
which supports the use of “Repeated Guided Oral Reading” to improve students reading fluency
and comprehension. According to the National Reading Panel, “oral reading fluency is one of
the five major components of a researched based reading program.” The study found that
“Repeated Guided Oral Reading” is effective with both proficient and struggling readers. By
using plays to engage the students, they are more responsive to multiple readings and more
engaged in the interpretation.
Homework Help: Through interest inventories, teacher surveys, and parent contact, a strong
focus on homework help has driven the Homework Help and Tutoring program at the Boys &
Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. Homework Help is offered one hour a day, five days a week,
throughout the school year to all participating 21st CCLC students in 21st CCLC classrooms in
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
the club. Homework Help will be provided by qualified staff who either hold, or are working
toward, their Associate of Arts degree or higher, and who have experience working with youth.
These staff will attend a three day internal training session to enhance their skills in homework
guidance. Our members’ regular school day teachers and 21st CCLC staff will meet monthly
during the year to ensure proper alignment with regular school day needs are being met.
BGCPBC will also recruit volunteers to assist with one-on-one or group tutoring for our
members who require additional assistance.
STEAM: BGCPBC’s STEAM program (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math), is a
multi-disciplinary academic enrichment program that applies technology to an array of academic
concepts in modules that align with the 21st CCLC Projects. STEAM differs from traditional
pedagogy in its applied approach. It orients members to basic STEM-related occupations as
well as introducing them to basic scientific precepts such as methodical approaches to problem-
solving, developing hypotheses, and record-keeping. Activities including robotics, rocketry,
roller-coaster building, the ImageMakers national photography competition, studio music
education, and visual arts are included in STEAM modules and designed around the topics of
21st CCLC Projects. STEAM is offered twice each week for one hour to all participating 21st
CCLC members as an academic enrichment.
Cultural Arts: BGCPBC’s Cultural Arts program provides quality arts education that is fun and
interactive, offering two areas of focus including: Visual Arts and Theatre Arts. Programs such
as “Meet the Masters” introduce participants to basic art elements and concepts including line,
shape, form, space, texture, value and color. They compare abstract and realistic, and discover
balance, pattern and repetition, comprehend color theory, perspective and viewpoint, explore
concepts of form, unity and movement, and experiment with a variety of media to produce
original artwork relevant to their community. The program is supplemented with drop-in
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
activities and field trips offered by our community partners including the Center for Creative
Education, Norton Museum of Art, and others.
Theatre Arts are explored through project-based learning, Readers Theatre, BGCA Step
program, dance classes, and other community partner based programs and field trips. Theatre
programs allow members to create characters and environments, express a feeling or emotion,
retell a short story or scene through dramatic play, demonstrate movement based on stage
directions, provide opportunities for public performances, and identify key aspects of theatre.
Courses are rotated throughout the year by qualified instructors and presented in age
appropriate curricula and activities. Through the Cultural Arts programs, members learn that
artists express themselves using ideas and stories from the world around them.
Healthy Lifestyles - The Healthy Lifestyles Program will be available to students two to three
times a week, for one hour, during the grant period. It will concentrate on healthy eating,
learning from food labels, planning healthy meals, the food pyramid, and portion control. In
accordance with the Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) standards and CATCH Kids
Club (CKC) will run throughout the year. CKC is a physical activity and nutrition education
program for elementary and middle school aged children. Participants will be served healthy
food choices that mirror HEPA best practices, and offered education classes with evidence-
based materials delivered by qualified personnel. 21st CCLC/BGCPBC Staff will attend internal
monthly ongoing training sessions to increase their HEPA and CKC skills, as well as commit to
modeling healthy eating habits as an inspiration to our children. 21st CCLC students will
participate daily in a cardio program which will help students maintain cardiovascular activity
and build up endurance. Cardio program activities will consist of activities such as, Double
Dutch Jump Rope, a jump rope challenge, as well as organized individual and team sports.
BGCPBC has several organized sports teams which are offered at all of the stand-alone BGC
sites. Sports programs include the Football League, beginning late September, and the
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
Basketball league, beginning early January, plus a Golf program. In both football and basketball,
teams will practice for the two weeks prior to each of the 8 planned games. All teams are
organized according to age. The Golf Program, which features instructors from the First Tee,
will include instruction in chipping, pitching, and putting, as well as the Nine Core Values of the
First Tee.
Character Education & Mentoring- Character Education and Dropout Prevention are
connected to persistence and progression in school, consistent attendance, reduction in
suspensions and disciplinary actions and overall connectedness. The BGCPBC offers the Boys
& Girls Clubs of America’s evidence-based “SMART Suites” modules that promote drug
prevention, positive self-image, strong morals and ethics, and individuality. Each course targets
age or gender-specific risk factors, and provides our members with the confidence, capabilities,
and resources necessary to complete their high school education and promote secondary
educational opportunities. Community partnership with the Juvenile Transition Center,
Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Office of Justice Programs Mentoring grant,
supplement BGCPBC prevention and intervention programs.
5.5. c Adult Family Member Program Activities
Family programs to be offered on-site will be designed according to the needs implied by the
demographics of the families served by the 21st CCLC program and to the family members’
responses to interest inventories. According to Perkins, Christner, Hoy, Webster and Mock
(2004), parent involvement in afterschool programs provides the same benefits to children and
families as parental involvement in the regular school day. The 21st CCLC Family Educational
Program is coordinated by a Club-specific family services coordinator who engages adult family
members of 21st CCLC participants in educational programs and provides them with the skills to
support their child’s literacy and educational development. The family services coordinator
confers regularly with adult family members, the 21st CCLC FDOE certified teacher, Club staff,
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
and school partners to insure that the monthly family programs are aligned with the specific
school activities and the Club’s PBL activities. The adult family member programs to be offered
include:
Financial Literacy provided by local banking institutions
Workshops presenting information about medical insurance, fair housing, immigration
domestic violence prevention, and parenting skills by the Legal Aid Society
Computer literacy and internet safety provided by the BGCPBC’s technology department
staff
Workforce readiness provided by CareerSource Palm Beach County
Health and nutrition programs presented by the Florida Department of Health-Palm
Beach County
The Family Programs are offered during convenient hours when most parents are available to
attend. The activities offered are fun, interactive, and skill based to help parents become active
participants in their child’s academic performance and social development. Parents are
surveyed to determine their satisfaction and learning gains. Survey results, ongoing dialogue
with family members, findings associated the quarterly evaluations conducted by the external
evaluator, and other feedback sources are reviewed with action steps taken for continuous
improvement and program development.
5.5.d Staffing Plan and Professional Development
The BGCPBC’s 21st CCLC program is operated from the organization’s Resource Development
and Program Department. The BGCPBC’s vice president of resource development & programs
holds a Ph.D. in research methodology, and oversees the program’s pedagogy, ensures that
evidence-based practices are implemented with fidelity and develops the internal staff
competencies and training. She is also responsible for the Clubs’ internal program evaluation,
measurement, and research design.
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
The 21st CCLC project administrator, who holds a BA degree, is responsible for much of the
program’s success as an innovative model. In 2013, the project administrator was the recipient
of the Florida After School Alliance Award of Excellence as a Multi-Site Supervisor. She served
as a member of the Florida 21st CCLC Statewide Task Force, serves as a mentor and trainer
for staff, and works closely with program evaluators to ensure successful outcomes. The
project administrator is responsible for the direct management of the project, including the
selection and hiring of project director, site coordinator, data coordinator, curriculum
implementation and oversight, staff training, and professional development. The project director
supports the project administrator with the selection and development of PBL academic and
enrichment curricula, and oversees the daily program implementation. The data coordinator,
experienced in using automated reporting systems, will be responsible for the assembly and
analysis of project data, the project invoicing and submitting monthly deliverables.
The academic components will be provided or supervised by FDOE certified teachers.
Enrichment activities will be organized and provided by instructors, trained in their respective
areas including, STEAM, cultural arts, technology, health and fitness (HEPA) and character and
citizenship. The family services coordinator, under the supervision of the project director, is
responsible for implementing adult family member programs. Staff selection and certification will
be accomplished by the BGCPBC’s human resource department.
Professional Development: All 21st CCLC teachers, program instructors, and other Club staff
are trained on all elements of the grant including the funding priorities and the provision of
Project Based Learning (PBL) and enrichment activities in culturally appropriate ways. Staff will
gain a sound understanding of the program design, need, and effective teaching methodology of
the 21st CCLC program, and the measurable objectives and activities to be offered to the youth
and their adult family members to ensure that the offerings address community needs.
Curriculum experts, such as trainers with MindWorks and other PBL activities will be scheduled
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
to train the teachers and program staff in all elements of the service delivery model. Workshops
for the family services coordinator, the 21st CCLC teachers and program staff are offered on a
wide variety of program-based subjects. Appropriate 21st CCLC staff will attend the FDOE
statewide training for 21st CCLC recipients in August 2015, including the evaluator, project
director and one program staff. Staff also routinely attend the 21st CCLC Florida After School
Alliance (FASA) state conference. All 21st CCLC staff will meet all of the required certification
requirements and possess all of the necessary licenses required by BGCPBC, the School
District, and 21st CCLC.
5.5.e Program Site
The 21st CCLC Marjorie S. Fisher Boys & Girls Club program is located 905 Drexel Rd., West
Palm Beach, FL 33413. The facility is approximately 22,000 square feet and incudes amenities
such as age appropriate classrooms, technology center, library, kitchen, cafeteria, guidance/
leadership room, science lab, gymnasium, dance studio, music room, and a large outdoor play
area that is approximately the size of a football field and can accommodate soccer, football and
track and field programs. Playground equipment is available for elementary school-aged
children and there is ample room for a garden, a proposed program for 2015-16 school year.
Members enrolled in the 21st CCLC program at “the Marjorie” attend Bear Lakes and Jeaga
middle schools, both Title I schools, that range from .2 to 5 miles from the Club, with the
average distance from the schools to the site being 2.84 miles. Members reside within the
feeder school catchment area. Nearly all of the participants are picked up at the end of the
program by a parent, guardian, or approved individual. If necessary, BGCPBC is prepared to
transport members to their homes at the end of the day.
5.5.f Safety and Student Transportation
All 21st CCLC staff meet all required certifications and possess all the necessary licenses as set
forth by BGCPBC, the Palm Beach County School District and 21st CCLC. All staff/volunteers
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
with repetitive (more than once) contact with youth are required to pass a FDLE Level II
background screening as described in Section 1012.32 Florida Statues prior to employment
/volunteering. Pre-employment and pre-volunteering drug testing for prospective employees and
volunteers, and random drug tests and background checks are conducted annually after hire.
Staff undergoes screening as required by the Jessica Lunsford Act. The BGCPBC adheres to all
district safety and hiring regulations.
Upon enrollment, the parent/guardian is required to complete an application outlining all the
pertinent contact/emergency information, the authorized mode of pick-up/release as well as a
list of individuals authorized to pick up their child. The individuals will be required to show proof
of identity before a child is released to their care. Parents/authorized individuals are required to
enter the Club at the end of each day to sign out and retrieve their child. All youth attending the
21st CCLC program are issued identification cards which are presented to the Club’s
membership clerk upon arrival. The cards are swiped through an electronic scanner, which
records daily attendance. 21st CCLC students can be identified by an indicator in their electronic
record. Students are supervised as they go from program to program. 21st CCLC teachers take
daily class attendance and provide the data coordinator with a monthly record. All visitors to
the Club must report directly to the reception area where they sign the visitor log, and verify
identity. The Club is fully staffed and the teacher/student ratio is 1:15 for academics and 1:25 for
personal enrichment activities with program assistants. BGCPBC has a detailed operations and
procedures manual outlining all safety procedures covering a myriad of potential safety hazards
and the appropriate response. All staff is provided with CPR, First Aid and ongoing in-house and
other trainings. The Club meets the district’s facility safety requirements as well as the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
Transportation: BGCPBC maintains a vehicle fleet of buses and vans used to transport 21st
CCLC youth to offsite activities and from the targeted schools to the Club. If transportation home
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
from the Club is a barrier for participation, the Club will provide it. All Club vehicles are
inspected regularly and equipped with the required safety alarm that alerts drivers in the event a
child remains in a parked Club vehicle. All Club bus drivers have Commercial Driver’s Licenses
(CDL-B with appropriate endorsements). Bus drivers maintain a log of all youth transported with
a roll call procedure upon departure and return from any offsite activity including the schools. All
offsite activities are supervised by qualified Club staff with a 1:15 staff to youth ratio. The Club
also uses a field-trip buddy system.
5.5.g Dissemination Plan
Disseminations and Debriefings: The process for sharing evaluation findings is an integral part
of the BGCPBC’s evaluation plan, as it represents the primary method for using results to refine,
improve, and strengthen program outcomes. Distribution will occur at four levels: (1)
administrators, (2) staff members, (3) stakeholders, and (4) national implementers. The
evaluator will conduct at least two site visits, providing interim written reports when necessary to
help strengthen specific activities. Formative (mid-year) and summative (end-of-year)
evaluations are comprehensive written reports focused on providing specific recommendations
to refine the program. In addition to written reports, on-site debriefings and training will be
provided to: (1) engage staff in addressing challenges; (2) promote “buy-in” into evaluation as a
“living” process; and (3) promote discussion, cross-training, and support. Evaluations will be
provided to all stakeholders (e.g., school administrators, parents, and partners) to share
information about the program and encourage feedback about ways to improve. The
evaluations will also be placed online on the BGCPBC’s website that is dedicated exclusively for
21st CCLC news and programmatic highlights. The website is updated monthly.
The BGCPBC employs a Marketing Coordinator responsible for maintaining the organization’s
website, www.bgcpbc.org, which highlights the 21st CCLC program. The BGCPBC also has a
website specifically dedicated to its 21st CCLC program at
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Project Narrative – Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County – Marjorie S. Fisher Club-Middle School – RFA 2015-2016
(https://bgcpbc21stcclc.wordpress.com/), which includes the existing hours, location of services,
class presentations, special events, family programs, flyers, and calendar of activities to keep
community members and stakeholders informed about the program at each of BGCPBC ‘s 21st
CCLC sites. A copy of the proposed project and approved grant narrative and the outcomes
such as the formative and summative evaluations are uploaded to the website for review. The
website is updated (date stamped) monthly and showcases the work of the 21st CCLC
students. Parents will be encouraged to check the website as well as the BGCPBC’s Facebook
and the clubs’ bulletin boards for information about and continuous updates on 21st CCLC
program activity. Staff will be informed about the 21st CCLC program through in-service
training, onsite technical assistance, and attendance at offsite training conferences. BGCPBC
will also utilize several additional forums to showcase its 21st CCLC program including press
releases, the organization’s Facebook page, newsletter, and at community events and forums.
During recruitment visits, BGCPBC staff will disseminate collateral materials with the 21st CCLC
logo to schools and community centers to inform eligible students and families about the 21st
CCLC program.