Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) announces a new partnership with the Indiana Boys and Girls Clubs. The educational partnership aims to prepare their members, employees and volunteers to achieve their educational goals of earning a college degree.
“We are proud to partner with the Boys and Girls Clubs, as their leadership is committed to advancing the educational goals of not only their members, but their employees and volunteers,” said Dottie King, Ph.D., president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. “We welcome this new relationship and the opportunity to provide a Woods education to the broader community,” she added.
According to Lana Taylor, executive director of Boys & Girls Clubs in Indiana, the Clubs serve over 130,000 Hoosier children and teens each year. In addition, 15,273 staff and volunteers are working with those youth.
“Workforce readiness is a central component of what is taught and experienced at our Clubs. We feel a partnership with Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is right in line with helping our youth, staff and volunteers build knowledge, skills and learning experiences that will help prepare them for the 21st century workforce and economic potential over a lifetime,” explained Taylor.
The College is offering a full-tuition award for up to eight semesters for a member identified by the organization as Youth of the Year in Indiana. The recipient must meet the minimum requirements for admission to SMWC, enroll as a full-time student in a degree-seeking campus program and reside on campus. In addition, four awards will be offered to Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year runner-ups, in annual tuition scholarships for up to eight semesters.
Beyond this educational opportunity for students, Indiana Boys & Girls Club employees, volunteers and members can also qualify for scholarships. Those who wish to be a full-time student in a degree-seeking campus program can qualify for an annual tuition scholarship. Those who wish to pursue a degree in Woods Online, SMWC’s online program, can also qualify based on the number of credit hours they are pursuing. Similarly, those who wish to pursue a master’s degree in leadership development or a master’s degree in healthcare administration can qualify for scholarships.
Taylor noted, “Our Clubs equip youth with the soft and hard skills they need to succeed in the workforce and create access to partnerships for real-life experiences to explore career options. Ninety-seven percent of Indiana teens expect to graduate on time and 86 percent expect to attend college. This is key to our partnership with Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.”
For more information about these scholarships, visit smwc.edu/boysandgirlsclub.