Georgia Boys & Girls Clubs get $15M in COVID-19 relief funds

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia will receive $15 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds for camp and after-school programs, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday. The money comes from a pot of $3 billion set aside in a stimulus bill Congress passed last year for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER). In Georgia, the funds will be distributed among 34 Boys & Girls Clubs serving 9,000 young people at 141 sites in 62 counties.

“Throughout the COVID- 19 pandemic, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia have done a remarkable job serving the needs of youth across the Peach State,” Kemp said.

“With this GEER funding, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia will be able to further enhance student academic achievement by addressing educational gaps caused by the pandemic.”

The funds will be distributed through September of next year, supporting summer and winter camp programs and an afterschool program for youths between the ages of 5 and 18. The program’s goals include ensuring that 65% of students below grade level will return to grade level by the end of the program, with the other 35% showing progress toward gradelevel achievement.

The average cost of the programs is $1,550 per child.