Partnership signed with Boys and Girls Club

On September 27, 2018 an agreement was signed between King’s and the Boys and Girls Club of London, aimed at strengthening opportunities for youth in the London-Middlesex community. Dean of Students Joe Henry and Marilyn Mason, Vice-Principal, Enrolment Services and Strategic Partnerships, represented King’s. CEO Chris Harvey and Manager of Program Services – Child & Youth Arden McClean represented the Boys and Girls Club of London.

 “This partnership is a deeper commitment to working with the Boys and Girls Club,” Henry says. “It formalizes and expands the relationship between us.”

The partnership, set to last at least the next three years, offers plenty of opportunities for local youth involved with the Boys and Girls Club, including increasing awareness of post-secondary options, offering leadership and personal development, encouraging youth to visit the campus and offering access to King’s facilities as part of Boys and Girls Club events.

King’s students, especially those on pathways toward teaching and social work, will also benefit from the partnership, as there will be occasions for students to become mentors and tutors to the youth at the Boys and Girls Club.

“This is a tremendous opportunity,” Henry says, adding the partnership between King’s and the Boys and Girls Club is “a critical part of who we are and commitment to social infrastructure in London.”

King’s has worked with the Boys and Girls Club for a number of years. Last May, 20 high school students, part of the Boys and Girls Club’s My Action Plan (M.A.P.) program spent an evening at Wemple residence to give them a taste of university life.  In 2009, The Boys’ and Girls’ Club of London Foundation Entrance Award was established for students who have been involved with the M.A.P. Program and are accepted at King’s.

As Canada's largest child- and youth-serving organization, Boys and Girls Clubs provide vital programs and services to over 200,000 young people in 700 communities across Canada.