IMPACT OF BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE of SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Nationally...

Nearly 1.3 million American children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level ($20,000/year for a family of four).  (National Council on Children in Poverty)

Young adults between the ages of 17-24 without a high school diploma are three times more likely to be unemployed, underemployed or working for very low wages than those with a college degree. (Kids Count, 2004)

Cost to the economy associated with high school dropouts reachs $260 billion each year. (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development)

How Boys Hope Girls Hope meets that need:

• 80% of the youth we serve are in the racial minority.
• The majority of youth in our care have no immediate family member with a college degree.
• Almost all of the youth we serve come from dangerous neighborhoods and experienced a lack of supervision.

We set high expectations for our scholars, and we give them the tools and support to meet those standards. As a result:

• In the past ten years, 85% of the youth who came to us remained in our homes through graduation and went on to pursue higher education. Since the program's inception, over 90% of our high school graduates have gone on to college. Boys Hope Girls Hope of Southern California alumni hold bachelors and masters degrees in such disciplines as biomedical engineering, mathematics, chemistry, education, business, social work, psychology and theology. During the 2006/7 school year, the average GPA for our grade school and high school students approached 3.0.  Our Girls Hope home averaged 3.3 throughout the same year. Two of our three college students during the past two academic years each had GPA’s of over 3.7.

Boys Hope Girls Hope of Southern California scholars also distinguish themselves as “persons for others” in giving back to the community in service leadership.

• Each home engages in at least one group service project each month.

• Our high schoolers collectively log hundreds of hours of individual service each year.

• Over 80% of our scholars are involved in more than one extra-curricular activity at their school.