Latest news with #BoysandGirlsClub
Axios
3 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Tennessee child care costs lead the Southeast, report finds
The cost of child care in Tennessee and around the nation is skyrocketing, with a new report finding that it's outpacing overall inflation. Why it matters: Rising child care costs put a huge financial strain on families, Axios' Emily Peck reports. They can force some parents — typically women — to either ratchet back their working hours or leave the labor force entirely. For single parents, the calculus can be even more painful. Stunning stat: An annual report on Tennessee children found a year of infant care was more expensive than in-state tuition at all but one of the state's public universities. By the numbers: The average annual cost of daycare tuition in Tennessee for two children — one toddler and one infant — rose to about $24,000 last year, according to data from Child Care Aware, an advocacy group. That's the highest price tag for child care in the Southeast. It's also a third of Tennessee's median household annual income, based on census data released in 2024. What he's saying: Gov. Bill Lee acknowledged the burden in this year's State of the State address. "If we really want to create an environment for families to thrive, we have to find innovative ways to make child care more accessible and more affordable," Lee said. State of play: This year's budget included $10.9 million to bolster child care programs at Boys and Girls Club locations. Lee said that would help educate thousands of kids. About $7.2 million will go toward growing a state program that offers supplemental income to child care workers in an effort to reduce turnover. Nearly $6 million was added to expand child care support for low-income families. Zoom out: Federal grants help fund state support for kids from low-income families. The federal government also funds Head Start, the decades-old federal program that provides child care, nutrition assistance and other services to the nation's poorest families. There were worries that the White House would stop funding Head Start, but the administration has said that won't happen. Yes, but: President Trump's budget proposals look to keep federal funding levels for child care flat next year. That's a troubling sign given continued inflation, says Anne Hedgepeth, senior vice president of policy and research at Child Care Aware.
Chicago Tribune
12-05-2025
- Science
- Chicago Tribune
BP hosts event encouraging high school girls to work in STEM
Orlan Drummond has always been interested in a career in science, technology, engineering and math. When she was a child, she would help her dad with STEM-related events at the Boys and Girls Club, and Drummond has been interested in hands-on activities. 'I always had a fear that I'd be the only woman in the workforce, and I'd be discriminated against,' said Drummond, a junior at Highland High School who wants a career in welding. 'I just didn't want that fear of being alone. Seeing other women in a field like this, I know I won't be alone, and there will be people to support.' Drummond was one of about 25 high school students who took part in BP's annual Girls in STEM day at the Whiting refinery. Participants came from Hammond, Highland and East Chicago. 'I like to get my hands dirty, and I like to mess with stuff,' Drummond said. 'This has really helped me with that.' The refinery has hosted the event for high school girls since about 2016, said Gwen Miller, a BP process engineer. The event features presentations and interactive activities that teach participants about careers at the refinery. Students also participated in a tour of the facility, which Miller said she hoped gave students more of an idea of what it's like to work at BP. 'My favorite part is probably the tour,' she said. 'I worked at other places before, and until you're really at some place this large, you don't realize the scale.' Miller wishes she had a program like Girls in STEM Day when she was in high school. 'It's really exciting because I do love being in STEM so much,' Miller said. 'I really hope they find this valuable, especially some of the interactive activities. I didn't learn some of these things until college … so I'm hoping this inspires them to pursue careers in STEM because they might not have had exposure to this kind of thing before.' Kourtney Trotter, an operation specialist, said she was excited to teach high school students about STEM. She helped with a computer simulation that correlates with processes that Trotter and others might see at work. Trotter thought it was awesome to watch high school girls get so excited about STEM careers, she said. 'Representation absolutely matters,' Trotter said. 'I think it'll definitely have a positive impact on them going forward and will let them know that they can do it, too.' Julie Jones, a work-based learning coordinator at the Hammond Area Career Center, said she enjoyed watching how engaged students were with the presentations and activities. Jones believes it's helpful for students to see 'a more advanced version' of what's taught at the career center in the workplace. The career center brought eight students, including Drummond, to the STEM event Friday. As their teacher, Jones said she was proud to see her students thriving in a STEM environment. 'I love it,' she added. 'I'm having a blast because they're asking great questions, and it's really wonderful seeing them be so engaged.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nonprofits awarded funds through Bakersfield West Rotary Club's Cioppino Feed
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A legendary cioppino feed fundraiser has given back to Kern County nonprofits over the years and continued that tradition on Wednesday. Hundreds of people turned out for the Bakersfield West Rotary 30th annual Cioppino Feed in March, raising over $140,000. On Wednesday, half of the proceeds were awarded to various organizations at Stockdale Country Club. The Boys and Girls Club, Bakersfield Museum of Art and Police Activities League each received $23,500. 'We're going to be using this check to pay our water bill, keep the lights on for the program, implement new programs, and ultimately, we're a nonprofit organization, so what we do is…we live check to check,' said Officer Jose Lara, with the Bakersfield Police Department. The other half of the proceeds, which is $70,500 to be exact, was awarded to the 'Bakersfield West Rotary Stroope Family Foundation.' That's a non-profit focused on enhancing the lives of youth in Kern County through education, health and welfare programs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
05-05-2025
- CBC
Organizer hopes Red Dress Day event will put N.B. cases in 'spotlight'
Social Sharing Natasha Ward of Metepenagiag hopes a local commemoration of Red Dress Day will remind people of missing and murdered Indigenous women from right here in New Brunswick, including Erin Brooks. Ward has organized an event on Tuesday in Saint John at the Boys and Girls Club to commemorate the annual day of remembering missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Brooks of Sitansisk First Nation, also known as St. Mary's, has been missing for more than three years and her mother Laurie Brooks will attend this year's event. Ward said that she "wanted to get Erin's case back in the spotlight" and "give support back to Laurie." Police have said that Brooks was likely the victim of a homicide. "You read about it, you see it on TV, and you know, you feel bad for these people, but you don't truly understand until you have to go through it yourself," said Amy Paul, Brooks's sister. "It is awful." Brooks, a mother of four, would have celebrated her 40th birthday this year, said her mother. When asked about the case, Ward said it's heart-wrenching "but I just want her to know that we're here to support her and we'll be there with her." She said the case "seems like it's at a standstill" so she wants to "put her face out there, put the case out there," and try to get it back in the spotlight. The value of a life "When you see the red dresses hanging in the trees, it's very haunting, it catches your attention," Ward said. "It helps to call back the spirits of our loved ones." She also said the red handprint Indigenous women often wear on their faces represents the silencing they encounter. Ward was moved to get involved in Red Dress Day when a controversy about missing women erupted in Manitoba, she said. The provincial government and police initially refused to search a Winnipeg-area landfill after learning that a serial killer may have dumped the bodies of missing Indigenous women there. "Our lives are not put at the same value as others," Ward said. "When the landfill cases came out, it really affected me as an Indigenous woman to be disregarded like that and the fight that was put out there to not search for these women was insane," she said. "Mothers were begging to have this landfill search." When the landfill was searched, the remains of three women were found. Buffalo Woman, or Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, was an unknown victim until she was identified as Ashlee Shingoose of St. Theresa Point First Nation in March. Red Dress Day has been observed on May 5 since 2010 as a day to honour and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. Ward said that she wants people to "get familiar with the 231 calls to justice" and have a better understanding of the issues that Indigenous people face, such as inter-generational trauma. These calls for justice are laid out in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls report. The document outlining the calls for justice is available on the National Inquiry Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls website. When the inquiry issued the calls for justice, it included a demand for a national action plan to deal with violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQ+ people, and a system of annual reporting on the plan's progress. Ward said she organized Tuesday's event in Saint John to keep the issue on the front burner.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Organizer hopes Red Dress Day event will put N.B. cases in 'spotlight'
Natasha Ward of Metepenagiag hopes a local commemoration of Red Dress Day will remind people of missing and murdered Indigenous women from right here in New Brunswick, including Erin Brooks. Ward has organized an event on Tuesday in Saint John at the Boys and Girls Club to commemorate the annual day of remembering missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Brooks of Sitansisk First Nation, also known as St. Mary's, has been missing for more than three years and her mother Laurie Brooks will attend this year's event. Ward said that she "wanted to get Erin's case back in the spotlight" and "give support back to Laurie." Police have said that Brooks was likely the victim of a homicide. "You read about it, you see it on TV, and you know, you feel bad for these people, but you don't truly understand until you have to go through it yourself," said Amy Paul, Brooks's sister. "It is awful." Brooks, a mother of four, would have celebrated her 40th birthday this year, said her mother. When asked about the case, Ward said it's heart-wrenching "but I just want her to know that we're here to support her and we'll be there with her." She said the case "seems like it's at a standstill" so she wants to "put her face out there, put the case out there," and try to get it back in the spotlight. "When you see the red dresses hanging in the trees, it's very haunting, it catches your attention," Ward said. "It helps to call back the spirits of our loved ones." She also said the red handprint Indigenous women often wear on their faces represents the silencing they encounter. Ward was moved to get involved in Red Dress Day when a controversy about missing women erupted in Manitoba, she said. The provincial government and police initially refused to search a Winnipeg-area landfill after learning that a serial killer may have dumped the bodies of missing Indigenous women there. "Our lives are not put at the same value as others," Ward said. "When the landfill cases came out, it really affected me as an Indigenous woman to be disregarded like that and the fight that was put out there to not search for these women was insane," she said. "Mothers were begging to have this landfill search." When the landfill was searched, the remains of three women were found. Buffalo Woman, or Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, was an unknown victim until she was identified as Ashlee Shingoose of St. Theresa Point First Nation in March. Red Dress Day has been observed on May 5 since 2010 as a day to honour and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. Ward said that she wants people to "get familiar with the 231 calls to justice" and have a better understanding of the issues that Indigenous people face, such as inter-generational trauma. These calls for justice are laid out in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls report. The document outlining the calls for justice is available on the National Inquiry Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls website. When the inquiry issued the calls for justice, it included a demand for a national action plan to deal with violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQ+ people, and a system of annual reporting on the plan's progress. Ward said she organized Tuesday's event in Saint John to keep the issue on the front burner. "The more that we hold these awareness sessions and get the word out there and educate people, the bigger it will become," she said.
