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Boys & Girls Club of Indian River County, Inc. — Sebastian Branch Grant Application to the Children's Services Advisory Committee Be PROGRAM NEED STATEMENT (Entire Section B not to exceed one page) 1 . a) What is the unacceptable condition requiring change? b) Who has the need ? c) Where do they live? d) Provide local, state, or national trend data, with reference source, that corroborates that this is an area of need. a. Limited access to affordable after school and summer programs for children 6 — 18 years of age, low economics, juvenile crime and below average academic achievement is the condition requiring change. b. We define those in need as children between the ages of 6 years old that have completed kindergarten through 18 years of age, with a special interest in working with disadvantaged youth. We define disadvantaged youth as children from low economic status, one-parent families and latch key kids. C* Through our Sebastian Branch, located at 250 Sebastian Blvd, we mainly serve children who live within close proximity or who attend Sebastian Elementary, Pelican Island Elementary, Sebastian River Middle, Sebastian Charter Junior High and Sebastian River High School. d According to the Indian River County School District 47% of the children that attend Sebastian Elementary, Pelican Island Elementary and Sebastian River Middle School are listed as economically disadvantaged. Additionally, Sebastian River High School is considered a "C" rated school according to the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) standards 2003 -2004. Indian River County statistics from the FL Department of Juvenile Justice Bureau of Data and research conclude that 10% (a 3% increase from 1999-2000 statistics) of all 10- 17 year olds have been referred to the juvenile justice System during 2001 -2002. 2. a) Identify similar programs that are currently serving the needs of your targeted population ; b) Explain how these existing programs are under-serving the targeted population of your program. a. No other program in Indian River County offers a dedicated youth facility, like the Boys & Girls Club, for children 6- 18 years of age with year round drop in services Monday — Friday . For every child the Boys & Girls Clubs serves, our youth development activities are designed to build the following traits : • Positive self-identity. A healthy self-concept, a strong belief in one ' s self-worth, and a sense of hope about one ' s future . • Educational, employment, social, emotional and cultural competencies . The knowledge , skills, strategies and attitudes necessary to have a positive foundation for success . • Community and civic involvement. A sense of belonging to community, family and/or group ; willingness to take civic responsibility. • Health and well-being . Living a healthy lifestyle, taking part in regular fitness activities , able to access health care resources and engage in positive behaviors . • Moral compass . Youth have values enabling them to develop positive relationships with others . b. Our target population is underserved by other programs for the following reasons : affordability, accessibility and scope of services . 5