On July 30th Techdren donated 12 computers
In September of 2020, we set up a virtual interview with Dan Kearney to have him share the story of the Boys and Girls Club of Burlington. Below are the questions we asked Dan to help our Techdren community get to know the wonderful program receiving our technology.
Who is Dan Kearney and what is his role?
I am the Education Director at The Boys and Girls Club of Burlington. I facilitate our entire education program, which encompasses a range of duties. In short, I am a combination of special service coordinator for elementary school students, a tutor for grades k-senior in college, a director of an afterschool program, a guidance counselor for high school students, a financial aid officer for college students, a scholarship facilitator, a mental health counselor, and most importantly, a mentor.
What is the Boys and Girls Club?
The Boys and Girls Club of Burlington is a charitable organization located in the Old North End of Burlington. It is part of the Boys and Girls Club of America, but we have a large amount of independence to accomplish local community goals. We support kids in an afterschool setting from grades k-8 and run a summer camp with a pool during the school break. We also have a teen night program that serves students in grades 7-12. Students in grades 7 & 8 can choose which program to attend. We also have our Early Promise program, which runs in tandem with our afterschool program. It is designed to provide educational support to grades k – senior year of college. In this program, we offer services such as a scholarship, financial aid assistance (navigating the FAFSA, planning student bills, facilitating outside grants ECT) tutoring, and career counseling. If you can think of a single service that a college offers to their students, we likely offer the same services, but with a focus on students who grew up coming to our afterschool program. We also feed everyone who comes to a hot meal every single day and often have leftovers from kids to take home to their families. Because the Old North encompasses the largest population of Burlington that lives below the poverty line, many families rely on us for these services. Every single member, except one, of our early promise students, is a new American or refugee or was born to parents that were New Americans/refugees (most are the former).
How did the Boys and Girls club start?
The Boys and Girls Club has been around for close to 70 years, but our education program was started by my old boss, Dottie Dearborn. When she left in 2018, she had worked here for 13 years and built the program from afterschool homework support into a pipeline from k-college support with a scholarship. No one in the EP program would be in the position they are in without her dedication of over a decade-plus. When she left, there were already 11 students in the program, with 16 more entering the month after she began working in financial aid at Johnson College.
What will the Boys and Girls club do with the donated technology?
We are helping our college Early Promise participants (45 students) get a laptop for college. We often can help out with technology needs with our scholarship, but we prioritize paying off an outstanding school bill and buying books before a laptop. Some students who need our full scholarship (max of $2,000) to pay for school will receive these laptops to get them through college. Until we can give them all away, we are using them for our afterschool program.
What will the technology do for the community?
They help the community get an invaluable resource that is required to complete a college degree. Libraries are great, but if we are being realistic, it is nearly impossible to be successful in college without a laptop. Many of our EP students are from families that have between 6 and 10 members. On top of this, every single student, except one, has a parent that did not complete college (not a requirement, just the nature of being a refugee). As someone who looks over the finances of nearly every kid in this program (necessary to complete the FAFSA), I have yet to see a married couple that makes more than 60k a year. Many are single parents too.
Why is it important for these students to have access to this Tech?
Tech is the future and is frequently cited by critics of Vermont’s education system as not up to par with many other states. In the next few years, I believe there will be a big emphasis on STEM in public schools, and this is clearly necessary to compete in a global economy. It is important for students to have access to tech so that they do not get left behind and trapped in a cycle of poverty. We take a lot of pride in the fact that a majority of New Americans in this neighborhood end up successful, rather than stuck in the place that they are settled.
Want to help the Boys and Girls Club?
People can help by volunteering for the afterschool program (the best way to get involved!) Another way to support the program is by making financial or other types of donations. The program’s annual budget is 1.4 million, but the yearly membership fee is 5 dollars per student. Less than 1% of our budget is from membership fees, but this requires A LOT of fundraising. Check out their PayPal to donate directly!
