College Bound at Banning High School

For over a decade, we have coordinated after school programs at Banning High School in Wilmington. Recently, we expanded our program there as part of our LAUSD collaboration with the introduction of our College Bound Case Manager based at Banning High School, Karina Dorado.

College Bound Case Manager Karina Dorado is now based at Banning High School.

Previously, our College Bound team has coordinated workshops, "Cash 4 College" events, SAT prep and provided guidance support at Banning High School. However, the presence of a case manager on campus will enable our program to serve more youth and provide the crucial support necessary for students to prepare for their post-graduation plans.

We extend the photography and year book programs after school.

College Bound joins our already established programming at this Club site. The Club runs drill and cheer practice as well as after school band practice to expand students' opportunities to rehearse. Our driver's education program prepares students for the written portion of the DMV test. We also run the after school photography and year book programs allowing more students to participate in these classes. All Club members receive help with their homework and daily supper.

Drum line band practice at Banning High School as part of our after school Club activities.

Our Members Launch Their First Video Game

Thanks to generous support, our digital studio program offers our students the opportunity to work with professional tools and prepare for careers in the animation and video game industries. Over the summer, a group of middle and high school students completed their first video game and launched it to the general public.

In InfectDEAD, our students imagined a town where zombies run free. The central character, armed only with a spray bottle of household cleaner, must navigate through the town to defeat zombies and save mom. Led by Digital Studio Director Alex Monita, our students completed design work and coding for the 1080p game using free Blender and Unity development software.

The game is available for free to everyone with a OUYA device and will soon be available for Android devices. Check out our clip about the development of the game! Watch it HERE.

FOCUS on Athletics

Introducing a new standard for our athletics and healthy living programs. F.O.C.U.S. represents the factors that will guide our daily athletics activities, sports clinics, sports leagues, coaches and of course young athletes moving forward. To kick off the new program, Director of Athletics Phillip Redd and his team led our members through a series of activities on the fundamentals of sports during the first two weeks of school.

Soccer activity at our Port of L.A. Club during our F.O.C.U.S. kick off.

Fundamentals: Skill building and positive outlook on competitions.
Opportunities: Seeking options for the future in sports and academics.
Character: Building quality decision makers and overcoming failures.
Unity: Consistent teamwork and uniting athletic programming at our three Clubhouses.
Sportsmanship: Enjoying sports in its fairness and sense of fellowship.

College Bound Collegiate Tour

This summer, our College Bound students have been traveling to prepare for the next stage of their lives. From local community colleges like Long Beach City College and Los Angeles Harbor College to universities like USC, UC Santa Barbara and University of San Diego, we have been taking our members on a collegiate tour of Southern California.

During our visits, students are given the opportunity to go on a guided tour, sit in on a class, hang out at social spots like the dining hall, and visit the financial aid office to explore their options. For many of our youth, this is their first exposure to college life. Often a college campus visit will inspire a student to seriously consider his or her future plans. That is why we visit a variety of colleges to expose our students to all of the opportunities available to reach their full potential.

The college visits culminated with our Senior Retreat on July 30. CSU Dominguez Hills hosted our College Bound high school seniors in series workshops coordinated by our College Bound coordinators.

Our middle school youth members visiting CSULB. Our College Bound program starts
in the fourth grade to get our students an early start in considering their path to success.

Jr. Staff Developing the Skills to Succeed

In today’s highly competitive job market, we are committed to helping our youth reach their full potential as productive, responsible citizens. Our Jr. Staff program runs year round, but expands during the summer to provide more opportunities for our youth, ages 13 to 18, to develop skills valued by employers. This summer we worked with the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and LAUSD Work Experience which provided the salaries for 56 youth from low-income families to gain work experience at our Clubs. In addition, 30 of our high school members volunteered to serve as Jr. Staff for the summer.

The majority of our paid Jr. Staff members work at our Port of Los Angeles Club which is adjacent to the Rancho San Pedro public housing community. Many Jr. Staff are our own high school members from that community.

While working as a team to keep our elementary and middle school youth engaged, our Jr. Staff are also mentored on their communication and customer service skills. They develop these skills assisting at Club front desks, welcoming visitors, and interacting with Club families. Our Port Club Jr. Staff also completed a workshop on interviewing to prepare for future opportunities.

Jr. Staff training for new members. The object in the center of the strings represents a Club youth.
It is the responsibility of our Jr. Staff to support and help our youth rise up to their full potential.

LA Lakers Promote Healthy Living at our Clubs

As our summer programs are closing out for the season, we received a very special visit from the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation at our San Pedro and Wilmington Clubs. Team trainers visited our Clubs on July 30 and July 31 to give our students a taste of the same training that professional athletes receive. Our youth ran through drills that reeducated them on the fundamentals of sports and gave them new methods of training as our sports leagues start up again this fall.

The Lakers Youth Foundation is a member of the Active Alliance, a partnership with HealthCorps and The California Endowment, focused on improving health in children through exercise, nutrition and education.

Summer Adventures Through the L.A. Harbor

 

Our Port of L.A. Club kids have been on an adventure this summer through the rich history of the Los Angeles Harbor. The local community is full of historical sights that many of our youth had yet to visit until our field trips. We visited the Banning House, Drum Barracks Museum, Old Town San Pedro, the Korean Bell of Friendship and the Maritime Museum, just to name a few.

Our elementary school site coordinator, Harvie Contreras, organized the historical themed trips and served as an educational tour guide. Our youth have a lot more pride in their community now that they have an awareness of how the Los Angeles Harbor area developed.

Partner Spotlight - Tesoro

We support the replication efforts of our College Bound program at 14 other Boys & Girls Clubs in Los Angeles County. Thanks to Tesoro, the College Bound program at our Wilmington Club as well as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson will receive $100,000 collectively to expand.

Tesoro has been our partner since 2011. This most recent $100,000 grant to our collaborative College
Bound effort will assist in hiring additional case managers to serve more youth. The individual attention
is crucial in helping our youth graduate and accomplish their post high school plans.

In July, Tesoro Vice President of Refining and Marketing Dave Foster, Director of Public and Government Affairs Kenneth Dami, Manager of Government and Public Affairs Brissa Sotelo-Vargas, and Manager of Process Refining and BGCLAH Board member Michael DePasquale visited our Wilmington Club to announce the news to Club youth and donate ice cream to celebrate.

College Bound Graduates, The Journey Continues

After fours years of high school, we said thank you and congratulations to our College Bound graduating seniors at the College Bound Celebration on May 29 at the Warner Grand Theatre.

Argelia Atilano addresses our graduating seniors.

For many of the students, going to college seems like a very difficult dream to accomplish. The rising cost of tuition, strict application requirements and distractions students face in high school push that dream further away. However, when students enter our College Bound centers at our San Pedro, Wilmington and Port of LA Clubs, they are provided with the resources and support they need to accomplish their dreams.

College Bound Celebration keynote speaker, Argelia Atilano of KLove Radio and Univision TV, has roots in our local community. She told attendees of seeing a young girl standing outside of an apartment building on Pacific Avenue in San Pedro near the apartment where she once lived. In that girl, Argelia said that she saw, "Argelia the dreamer," who had no idea that she would one day be awarded a scholarship to Loyola Marymount University and develop a successful career as a radio and TV personality. It was a great reminder to our youth of how far they have come and all they will soon accomplish.

Cathy Choi of the Eisner Foundation receives an

artistic token of appreciation from our youth.

Executive Director Mike Lansing started the College Bound program in 2002 and has watched it grow into the program it is today, with over 300 high school seniors being honored at this year's celebration. When addressing our graduating youth, he reminded them to "work harder and work smarter," as they enter the next stage of their lives.

Congratulations College Bound graduates, class of 2014!

College Bound volunteer Kathy Logan (far right) is honored by

Mike Lansing, Board President Yvonne Bogdanovich and
College Bound Director Yesenia Aguilar.

The College Bound Celebration also gives us the opportunity to thank supporters of the program. The Eisner Foundation which has provided funds essential to the expansion of College Bound through the years was given special recognition during the celebration. College Bound volunteer Kathy Logan was also honored for her dedication to our youth.

Thanks to our generous supporters, during the celebration we awarded $122,000 in scholarships to 46 graduating seniors making a significant impact in the lives of our graduates. Scholarships were donated by:

Charles Abbott Family Foundation

College Access Foundation

College Bound Alumni

Herb and Arlene Zimmer

Joe Rich Family Foundation

John Gogian Family Foundation

Palos Verdes Junior Women's Club

Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Club 

San Pedro Rotary Club

Board member, Suzy Zimmerman of State Farm

Board member Suzy Zimmerman presented her own scholarship as well as scholarships from the 

Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary where she serves as president.

San Pedro Rotary incoming president Arlene Dickey presents a scholarship.

College Bound Director Yesenia Aguilar with one of our scholarship recipients.

Herb and Arlene Zimmer present their scholarship.

For the first time, two of our College Bound alumni raised funds for a scholarship. Christian Velasquez, currently attending LMU, and David Rosales, currently attending CSU Stanislaus, with their scholarship recipient.

PVG Group 4th Annual Bike Giveaway

Last month, Board member Alan Goldstein as well as Cengiz Volkan and Larry Prutch of the PVG Group, a wealth management advisory team based in Rolling Hills Estates, held their 4th annual bike giveaway event. They teamed up with Jay Wolff of Helen’s Cycles and Michael Shafer of The Depot Restaurant in Torrance to give new bicycles to 100 Boys & Girls Club youth.

The lucky youth from San Pedro, Wilmington and Carson who received new bikes participated in an essay competition hosted by our organization. Essay judges read works by children wanting to learn how to ride a bike, teens anticipating taking a bike to college and many youth hoping for a bike that would help their families with limited transportation options.

Former Los Angeles Lakers star, Rick Fox attended and shared what he told his son when he taught him how to ride a bike. “As long as you get up and try again, your journey continues.”

Actor Anthony LaPaglia was also in attendance and shared that, of the winning essays he read, his favorite was by a child hoping for a bicycle to help his family with chores and errands.

Executive Director Mike Lansing thanked the PVG Foundation for their generosity and explained that the Boys & Girls Club was selected for this opportunity because of its impact. He reminded the children that the programs offered at the Club help them mature into responsible, productive citizens so that they can one day take care of their communities.

Bicycles were handed out by members of the Torrance Fire Department and Torrance Police Department who taught some of the children how to safely ride and bike.

World Cup Championships at the Boys & Girls Club

Head Coach Thomas McKenzie with minor league all-star players.

The World Cup is in full swing in Brazil, but our Wilmington Club World Cup tournament just ended with a celebration for our athletes. This past season, our Wilmington Club soccer league program took inspiration from the World Cup for the biddy (ages 7 - 9) and minor (ages 10 - 13) leagues.

Over 100 young athletes participated and were assigned into different national teams. Greece won the biddy division and Holland won the minor division. On June 14, players and their families celebrated at an awards banquet where parent volunteers served lunch and all of our athletes received a trophy.

ILWU / PMA Luncheon 2014

Mike Lansing with ILWU Local 13 President Robert Olvera Jr. 

Our San Pedro Boys & Girls Club alumni, Harbor Commissioner

Anthony Pirozzi and Councilman Joe Buscaino.

On June 6, we held our 9th Annual ILWU / PMA Luncheon at our Port of LA Boys & Girls Club. Amidst current high-stakes contract negotiations between the two organizations, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) once again came together to break bread and raise funds for Los Angeles Harbor youth.

Our Arts Academy jazz band entertained guests in the lobby which had been turned into a fine arts gallery, showcasing some of our students' best work from the previous semester. The band from Harry Bridges Span School opened the luncheon for over 350 attendees. The band practices after school in our Club programming at that site thanks to a grant and brand new instruments from the ILWU Local 13.

Harbor Commissioner Anthony Pirozzi served as guest speaker and addressed the attendees about the importance of supporting Club youth. He reminded them that, "together we are their inspiration," and that the purpose of the luncheon is to, "take our kids to an even greater level than our own."

Executive Director Mike Lansing thanked the unions and the shippers for coming together every year and raising funds that allow the Club to serve even more community youth. "We need to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow," he said in closing.

Thanks to our in-kind sponsors for serving up a delicious feast for our guests - Mike's BBQ and Ports O'Call Restaurant.

Mike Lansing presenting PMA Area Manager Ron Merical with a

token of appreciation from our youth. All sponsors of the

luncheon received a work of art from our Arts Academy.

Our Arts Academy jazz band entertaining the guests in our fine arts gallery.

Harry Bridges Span School Boys & Girls Club band.

Wilmington Club Teens Celebrate Mother's Day

Alma de Oro Ballet Folklorico of Carson which some of our younger

Club members are part of, performed at our Mother's Day Celebration.

We often have celebrations at our Clubs to honor the accomplishments of our youth, but it's a very special day when our youth honor the people who support them. On May 9, our Wilmington Club High School Center members, part of the Keystone leadership group, held their annual Mother's Day Celebration. They raised funds to host a special banquet and live show for their families including entertainment by Mariachi Mendez and Alma de Oro Ballet Folklorico.

Our Wilmington teens decided to extend Cinco de Mayo festivities with a "Fiesta" theme for this year's Mother's Day Celebration which 150 attended. When the live mariachi performers surprised the families midway through dinner, youth members approached their mothers with a rose to express their love and appreciation. Some youth, whose mothers could not attend, honored a mentor, friend or one of the staff members at our Club, like Director Hilda Chacon, who has made a difference in their lives.

One of our Wilmington Club teens presents her mother with a rose.

Our teens arranged for Mariachi Mendez to surprise their families midway through dinner.

Partner Spotlight - ILWU

From union executives to workers, all ILWU members help in developing our community for the next generation.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor has had a long standing partnership with the ILWU. Many union members who have grown up in the Harbor area attended our Club through the years and send their children to participate in enrichment programming in the same nurturing environment that they experienced. Together, our organizations work for a brighter future in the harbor area for our youth.

One such collaboration took place recently with the newest addition to our Club sites, Harry Bridges Span School in Wilmington with a very generous grant from the ILWU. We coordinate after school programming at 11 school sites in San Pedro, Wilmington and Lomita and we are proud to add one of the newest schools in the Heart of the Harbor to that list. Our free programs for youth at Harry Bridges Span School, including music education, cheer team, drill team and College Bound, are made possible thanks to the ILWU.

ILWU and PMA leaders receive art work created by our youth at the 2013 ILWU / PMA Luncheon.

Palos Verdes Young Professionals Exposing our College Bound Teens to Career Paths

Every year, the Palos Verdes Young Professionals of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce select a Nonprofit of the Year from Chamber members. This year, we have the honor of being that nonprofit organization.

As their first project for our Clubs, the PVYP coordinated a career fair for our high school students at the Wilmington Boys & Girls Club on May 8 with close to 100 high school students attending.

Often when youth attend career fairs, they tend to gravitate toward just one industry without learning about the opportunities in a different field. The PVYP Committee planned for the event to expose youth to several different career paths. They recruited volunteers for a multi-panel event where high school students attended three panel sessions representing different industries. 

College Bound students at the Wilmington and San Pedro Clubs prepared with career assessment tests to alert them to different industries they should be exploring. The whole experience really opened our high school members' eyes to different career and educational opportunities as they enter the next stage of their lives.

Special thanks to our PVYP volunteers who helped the event run smoothly and volunteer panelists who shared their experiences in the fields of Business, Engineering, Health & Wellness, Hospitality, Entertainment and Film Production.

Jordan Baronfeld, Miyako Hybrid Hotel

College Bound youth speaking with an Engineering panelist

during the mixer of our PVYP Career Fair.

Deena Knight, Daily Breeze
Mark J. Doddy, RPVtv
Mike Merell, Disney/Pixar
Sinisa Straser, GlenAir
Deep Patel, GigaWatt
Robert Castellanos, Nano H2O
George Walker, Vistage
Lauren Spiglanin, The Remedy Pharm
Dr. Dave Pommerenck, Pommerenck Chiropractic


*Photos courtesy of PVYP.

PVYP Committee, PVYP volunteers and BGCLAH staff celebrating their collaboration for our youth.

Honoring our College Bound Graduating Seniors

On May 29 at 6:00 pm at the Warner Grand Theatre, we will honor our College Bound graduating seniors from San Pedro and Wilmington at our 8th Annual College Bound Celebration.

Many high school students devote their time and energy on pursuing their dreams of going to college. With all of the obstacles youth face - including financial barriers, strict application requirements, balancing extracurricular activities, unsafe environments, peer pressure, and family obligations - it's always cause to celebrate when they have successfully navigated their way to high school graduation. Our College Bound program provides students with the resources and attention they need to overcome these obstacles. 

Elizabeth Machado is one of the graduating seniors from our San Pedro Club who will be honored at the Celebration as one of our highest achieving students. Elizabeth is a San Pedro High School senior and was accepted into several top universities including an Ivy League school before choosing to go to UCLA in the fall. She is a first generation Mexican American and her family has experienced much success thanks to College Bound. Her cousin and brother both completed the program and will return to San Pedro from their four-year universities to celebrate with Elizabeth. Her younger brother is working hard with College Bound case managers to match his sister’s accomplishments in a couple of years.

"The College Bound program gave me the support I needed as I applied to rigorous schools and countless scholarships. I am thankful that the staff gave me the "push" I needed to get them completed within deadlines." - Elizabeth

Francisco Hinojosa is a Banning High School graduate from the Wilmington Club who has overcome social and financial struggles to accomplish his dreams. He will attend UC Santa Barbara in the fall as the first in his family to go to college. He was raised in a low income household by parents who each work two jobs to support their family which required Francisco to take on a part-time job to help. Despite these hardships, Francisco was able to balance school, extra-curricular activities, community service and his job to get good grades. Thanks to the support of the College Bound program in helping him keep up his grades and complete his applications, Francisco earned the financial aid and scholarships to make his dreams a reality.

"I can honestly say that if I would've never joined the Club and the College Bound program, I would be lost. I would've never known my full potential as a person and abilities to go to college,” - Francisco.

Kimberly Melendez is a senior at Banning High School, attends our Wilmington Club and will attend UC Berkeley in the fall. As she was preparing her college applications with the guidance of our College Bound case managers, she spoke of the many challenges she faced when she entered high school. Many of the youth in her neighborhood fell into gang life or dealt with teen pregnancy. The Boys & Girls Club became a place that she could escape and make friends with peers who shared similar goals. Despite seeing her friends succumb to distractions, Kimberly focused on her school work and will graduate as an AP scholar for her high marks on multiple Advanced Placement exams.

"The College Bound Program has provided me with the foundation and fundamentals I needed to go onto my dream college. The staff here are like family to me. - Kimberly

Joshua Villanueva attends our San Pedro Club and will graduate from San Pedro High School to attend San Jose State University in the fall. For Joshua, the Club has been like a second home for many years. He joined the College Bound program in 6th grade which helped him keep his grades up in middle school to take college ready classes in high school. Joshua's parents worked very hard to support their family and, as a result, were not very present at home. However, they did encourage him to participate in extracurricular activities and join Boys & Girls Club programs to stay on the right track. He will graduate with a San Pedro Pirate Boosters scholarship for his accomplishments as a student athlete on the basketball team.

“Honestly if I didn't have College Bound I would not be going to college. You guys made the process of picking schools easy and made my experience of high school more fun filled.” - Joshua