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Students at the James J. Musso Boys & Girls Club construct a burger stand on Tuesday | Anna Tomes, LkldNow
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3-minute read
Peyton is 10 years old. He and his friends are building with Magnatiles, imagining that they’re running a burger joint.
For half his life, Peyton has spent summers and after school here, at the James J. Musso Boys & Girls Club, 950 Pinewood Ave., in Lakeland. He learns a lot at the club, he says, “even though we’re out of school.”
Peyton loves activities like field trips to Circle B Bar Reserve, the pool, and a virtual aquarium trip. Much of that is made possible by 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) grants from the U.S. Department of Education.
This year, the Boys & Girls Club doesn’t know when or if it will receive the funds.
On June 30, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it would not release 21st CCLC grants on July 1 as expected.
Seven out of 10 Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County sites, serving more than 600 students, were counting on the grants.
“These grants are the bulk of the operating costs,” says Ashley Ray, vice president of development at Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County — “your staff, your building, your supplies, certified teachers.”
Elementary students at the James J. Musso Boys & Girls Club on Tuesday learn about platypuses. | Anna Toms, LkldNow
The funds have made possible over 42,682 hours of academic and enrichment programming, Ray says. They’ve helped the organization reach more than 3,000 kids in Polk County.
Freezing 21st CCLC grants has taken an immediate toll on organizations around the country. According to Steve Giordano, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County, clubs in other areas have already closed.
In Polk, the organization says it will figure out how to do more with less.
“We have a mandate from the community, and we’re going to serve kids,” says Giordano.
They’ll use supplies on hand, they say, recruit more volunteers to tutor students and possibly consider consolidating locations.
“Then we appeal to our community partners,” Giordano says.
Middle school students at the James J. Musso Boys & Girls Club conduct an experiment on Tuesday. | Anna Toms, LkldNow
In the classrooms: In Polk County, 10 Boys & Girls Club locations like this one serve as many as 1,000 students daily in the summer and 865 students each day during the school year.
While Peyton and his friends continue their game, students and teachers are busy.
Elementary students have spent the week “traveling.” They’ve learned about different countries and tried food from around the world. A pizza in Italy became a lesson in fractions.
Middle schoolers next door are conducting an experiment and practicing statistical analysis. They take turns throwing a ball at a target on the wall.
A student explains their hypothesis: “If people cheer you on, then the accuracy on hitting the target will be more.”
After several trials, the students compare their data and conclude that positive support does indeed result in better accuracy.
How you can support Polk County Boys & Girls Clubs
Contact local Congressional representatives and encourage them to support timely distribution of 21st CCLC funds.
Make a donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County to help bridge the current funding gap and ensure uninterrupted services for local youth.
Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting is made possible by the United Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Anna Toms was born and raised in Kansas City, Mo., where she cultivated a love for writing and eventually earned her Ph.D. in literature and the humanities. She is an experienced educator who has taught students from middle school to college to think critically and express themselves clearly. Anna moved to Lakeland in June of 2020.
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