The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica will hold a grand-opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the club’s new branch at Olympic High School this Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m.
The new site will be situated in classroom 17 within the school’s campus, which is located at 721 Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica.
As the only continuation high school within the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, Olympic High School has been providing effective, alternative education to students for more than 40 years.
With nearly 140 students enrolled, the school offers individualized educational programs with a strong emphasis on project-based learning.
These programs are combined with intensive guidance and individual counseling for students who are behind on academic credits and thrive in a smaller learning environment.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica will enthuse Olympic High School students about learning by bringing in the tools and resources needed to enhance their interest & involvement in their hands-on learning environment.
The Club will also offer extra-curricular activities such as community service and leadership-focused clubs and programs.
“We are very excited to be serving this population, helping students to make-up credits while providing them with skills to use in their post-high school educations and future employment,” said Aaron Young, President and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Monica. “We are eager to introduce College Bound, a Club program which helps students to achieve their academic and life goals. Every aspect, from the colors of the walls to the computer applications available to them, was personalized to fit the needs and wishes of this specific group of students.”
All students enrolled in Olympic High School will also be members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica and will have access to all the educational resources and programs it offers, free of charge.
Focus groups were held by the Club prior to the opening of this branch in order to determine exactly what the students feel would help them to learn efficiently and productively.
The programs offered at this site will be continually tailored to fit the student’s needs and interests and keep them enthusiastic about their education.
Music composition, graphic design, web design, service learning projects and more will be accessible to students, while all programs will remain loyal to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica’s core focus on character and leadership, education and career, health and life skills, sports and fitness and the arts.
Unlike the other branches, this site will be open during lunch hours to provide a fun and safe outdoor area to socialize within a supervised setting, and will then re-open for normal after-school hours.
