Dynamic Learning Centers for California Youth

(File Photos – bgcpasadena.org)

Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Panda Cares Foundation plan to have 32 Panda Cares Centers of Hope at Boys & Girls Clubs by year end, serving nearly 12,000 young people in California.

By News Desk

Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Panda Cares Foundation are expanding efforts to bring safe and inspiring learning spaces to kids and teens across California. By the end of the year, 13 Boys & Girls Clubs will be granted a Center of Hope, one of which will be the 100^th Center nationwide – located at Boys & Girls Club of Estrada Courts in Los Angeles. These 13 will add to the 19 spaces that have already opened for California youth.

Panda Cares Centers of Hope are created within Boys & Girls Clubs to foster high yield learning and increase access to opportunities beyond high school. This joint initiative has already supported over 8,000 kids across California and will expand the learning experiences of nearly 4,000 more by the end of the year.

According to 2023 data gathered by EdSource, just 43% of California students were reading at grade level by third grade, with even fewer Black and Latino students meeting that standard. Each Center of Hope located inside a Boys & Girls Clubs engages in Project Learn – an evidence-informed, holistic strategy to support youth-centered learning. The strategy reinforces and enhances what young people learn during the school day through

• homework help,
• intentional learning activities,
• access to tools necessary to expand capabilities, and
• experiences that invite them to fall in love with their academic journey.

Since 2020, Panda Cares has funded more than $30M to provide nearly 2,000 Boys & Girls Clubs with grants to support academic success programming and the Project Learn strategy.

Local California Club sites with a Panda Cares Center of Hope include:

• Boys & Girls Club of Moorpark – Opened 6/12/2024
• Boys & Girls Club of La Habra – Opened 8/8/2024
• Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County (Lake Elsinore) – Opening 8/21/2024
• Neville & Helen Baker Family Branch – Opening 9/27/2024
• Boys & Girls Club of Estrada Courts – Opening 10/16/2024
• Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley – Opening late 2024
• Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club (DBA) – Opening late 2024
• Boys & Girls Club of Santa Ana – Opened 8/8/2023
• West San Gabriel Valley – Opened 10/12/2022

In honor of each Grand Opening, Boys & Girls Club staff members organize a ribbon cutting ceremony to introduce the academic space to the community. The celebration also includes Panda Express volunteers, food donations and fun giveaways for kids, parents and local community members.

“We are proud to expand our reach across our home state California with Boys & Girls Clubs of America!” said Monte Baier, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Panda Restaurant Group. And as a Club alumnus myself, it is my honor to be a part of this effort.”