MONTGOMERY— Members of the Boys & Girls Club of West Alabama are getting updated technology to further their education opportunities thanks in part to a $20,000 Appalachian Regional Commission grant announced by Gov. Robert Bentley.

The club will purchase 10 computers to be used by children and staff members at the Greensboro location in Hale County. The computers allow club members access to more resources and help staff be more effective in one-on-one after-school homework assistance.

“Many children lack access to a computer or the Internet for help with their homework,” Bentley said. “These computers give students and club staffers more effective access to information and assistance.”

The club offers homework help and provides after-school tutoring from positive adult role models while also allowing children to interact in a social environment. The club chapter began in September 2011 and currently has 130 members. According to club officials, 75 percent of those who attend regularly have reported improved test scores because of tutoring and homework assistance.
Matching funds of $5,000 will supplement the grant. 

Congress established the Appalachian Regional Commission in 1965 as a supplemental grant program to raise the standard of living, improve the quality of life and promote economic development in the Appalachian mountain region. The region includes 37 Alabama counties.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administers the ARC program in Alabama along with a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, workforce development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management.

 
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Contact: Russell Sellers, Larry Childers