Boys and Girls Club Executive Board Member Beth Tevis and McDaniel College President Dr. Roger Casey hold up copies of a signed contract announcing the official establishment of the partnership between McDaniel College and the Boys and Girls Club of Westminster at a special ceremony at the club on November 4th, 2010.
Gregory Nolen
Staff Reporter
On November 4, 2010, McDaniel College faculty members, alumni, college media services, and other Westminster officials were at the Boys and Girls Club of Westminster to watch Club Executive Board member Beth Tevis and McDaniel College President Dr. Roger Casey sign a piece of paper that announced the formation of an official partnership between the club and the college.
The partnership came about when McDaniel students started to volunteer their time at the club, according to Tiffany Gill, Executive Director of the club.
“Over the past few years, McDaniel students have been a tremendous source of support for the Club, serving as mentors, academic tutors and program facilitators. With the Club in such close proximity to the college, we thought now was a good time to leverage the relationship and make the experience more enriching for our Club members and McDaniel students,” Gill said.
Gill also pointed out some advantages that the partnership gives the club. “In addition to providing the Club with valuable mentors, the partnership will afford BGC (Boys and Girls Club) members access to the college campus including the writing lab, library, other college facilities, cultural activities and sporting events.”
Program Director Sean Davis also expressed excitement about the new partnership and the advantages for club members. “It’s great because it is a win-win situation. McDaniel Students can take advantage of this opportunity and so can our kids. It exposes them to a variety of different things that they normally wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of,” said Davis.
Boys and Girls Club President Richard Raley provided a club member’s view of the benefits of the partnership. “We’ll know what college is like. It can help us expand and get more students involved in Boys and Girls Club,” said Raley.
Gill mentioned an upcoming Boys and Girls Club event on campus that he is looking forward to. “We’re especially excited about a College Shadow Day planned for 2011 – providing the opportunity for Club members to shadow college students. This experience will go a long way towards acclimating members to the college environment, especially important for our Club members who consider higher education an unrealistic or unattainable goal,” said Gill.
According to Gill, McDaniel students started working with the club in 2007, by volunteering their time there to help the kids.
Student volunteer Nell Boley explained how McDaniel students help kids at the club. “At the club, the McDaniel students help the kids with their homework and we promote their education with different programs like Money Matters and Youth for Unity,” said Boley.
Casey sees the partnership as being an important asset for the college. “I think it’s very important for us to be good neighbors to our neighbors, and to expand the community of the college into the outside community,” said Casey.
Gill expressed how important the McDaniel students are to the club and hopes the new partnership will last a long time.
Said Gill, “McDaniel students play a significant role in helping our Club members explore their potential by providing a first-hand example of what it means to be college ready and all that is required. McDaniel College has such a diverse and unique blend of students who bring a variety of experiences and perspectives to our Club members. All of the relationships our members develop with the students and staff at McDaniel will help our members gain early exposure to college expectations and help promote college enrollment. The most important goal however, is that this partnership is a mutually beneficial one that lasts for a very long time.”
