Groundbreaking Ceremony for NEW Josh Norman Teen Center

Groundbreaking Ceremony for NEW Josh Norman Teen Center July 22, 2019

GREENWOOD, SC (July 15, 2019) – A groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Monday, July 22, 2019 at 1 PM to herald the beginning of renovations at the Brewer Community Center for the new Josh Norman Teen Center. Over 12,000 square feet of unused space in the former historic Brewer High School building will be transformed into a state of the art facility just for teens thanks to the support of Greenwood native, Josh Norman, and the newly formed Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lakeland Region. The new Teen Center will serve over 1,000 teen annually with dedicated space for creative arts, STEM programs, academic support, and health and wellness. Josh Norman, community supporters, local representatives, and Boys & Girls Club staff will be in attendance along with Sabrina Miller who will serve as Executive Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lakelands Region. Those interested in learning more about the project and opportunities to get involved are invited to attend.
Josh Norman, a Greenwood High School graduate, is a cornerback for the Washington Redskins and is passionate about giving back to his hometown through his foundation, Starz24. The mission of the Starz24 Foundation is to provide enrichment to children through community events & youth programs. With an emphasis on fitness & teamwork. The Starz24 Foundation challenges the youth to participate & excel in areas that help develop strong interpersonal skills, and awareness of the world around them. Josh has played an integral role in the Teen Center planning process and, together with Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lakelands Region, is working to generate additional support for the project.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lakelands Region is a non-profit, youth development organization who mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The organization seeks to ensure that every child and teen has access to a safe place after school and during the summer where they can build the knowledge, skills and behaviors to put them on the path for success. Boys & Girls Club members participate in evidence- based programs are designed to address the challenges facing our youth and teens and prepare them to live a productive adult life by changing their attitude, awareness, effort and life trajectory
The partnership between Boys & Girls Clubs of Lakelands Region and Josh Norman’s Starz24 Foundation has the potential to help thousands of kids in the Lakelands area become better equipped to excel in school and in life. Greenwood, SC was just named the 39th most dangerous city in America according to Alarms.org with a violent crimes rate of 13.58 per 1,000 residents (almost triple the state rate of 5.06). A key explanation for this is the lack of quality assessable programs for youth from high risk circumstances and/or communities. As the leader in out-of-school time programming, the Boys & Girls Clubs aim to provide the youth of Greenwood that safe space where they can have access to new experiences and where Youth Development Professionals can help them develop critical mindsets, skills and successful habits.
Leading the efforts locally for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lakelands Region will be Sabrina Miller who has more than 25 years of experience working with children and families. Sabrina is passionate in her quest to ensure that families have equitable access to the tools, resources and support needed for more prosperous lives. A transformative leader that has experience with public, corporate and nonprofit entities, she has worked with United Way, and served as a County Director with the Department of Social Services in South Carolina. She has also worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). She is a US Army Veteran, and holds both a Bachelors and Master’s Degree in Human Services from Springfield College. Sabrina’s passion for Boys & Girls Clubs is personal. She shares that “I’ve seen firsthand what impact the Boys & Girls Clubs has had on my own daughter and I want to ensure all of our community’s children can experience the same life enhancing programs.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lakelands Region will provide programming to local kids and teens when they need them most – during the critical out-of-school time hours. Programs for youth after school and during the summer months are designed to meet identified needs and interests of the participants. After school programming, known as the BE GREAT Academy, will be offered at area elementary and middles schools providing safe, affordable care when school is out. Daily Power Hour gives members an opportunity to get homework done so families can focus on quality time together. Summer camps will be offered as well and aim to keep kids engaged during summer months while preventing summer learning loss. Work-based learning opportunities will be available for to high school juniors or seniors (or working towards GED) by allowing them to work on site to receive job training and develop their professional skills. Additional programming and special events will be available throughout the program year opening the doors to the Lakelands community to get involved with their local Boys & Girls Clubs.
Want to get involved? Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lakelands Region is asking the public to help the organization reach more kids and put them on the path to a great future. The support of the Lakelands community is crucial to elevate the impact of out-of-school time for local youth. When school is out, no child should go unsafe or unguided. Through these efforts, we are advocating on behalf of kids and convening public, private and nonprofit partners around our goal of ensuring all kids have access to a safe, engaging and productive place to go between school and home.
For more information about supporting Lakelands area kids and teens, please contact Carter Clark at cclark@crescent.begreat.club or 803-231-3300. Visit us online at www.Lakeland.BeGreat.Club.