BELL launched a new program in the summer of 2006: Boys of BELL. In partnership with the Charles Hayden Foundation, BELL developed a summer enrichment program, modeled from BELL Summer, to specifically address the interests and needs of Black and Latino boys, the most vulnerable student population. This program has been offered every summer since 2006 to Boston boys in grades K2 to 6.
BELL just completed its Summer 2009 BOYS of BELL Program in Boston. Visit us next year for information about 2010.
Why Boys?
According to standardized test results, 8 out of 10 Black and Latino boys living in low-income, urban communities fail to demonstrate proficiency in basic literacy or math skills.
Nationwide, Black boys represent 9% of public school enrollment, but account for 22% of all expulsions and 23% of all suspensions.
Graduation rates of Black and Latino males are significantly lower than the national average.
In 2000, 25% of all Black and Latino youths ages 16-19 were not in school nor employed, nearly twice the national average and six times the national unemployment rate.
Black and Latino males under 18 are 3.5 times more likely than White males to be incarcerated and are more likely to receive their GED in prison than graduate from college.
Goals
Develop a new comprehensive summer enrichment program specifically for Black and Latino boys.
Start with 500 boys in 2006 and grow to make the program available to every boy in Boston's low-income communities.
Ensure that every child in the program meets BELL's goals for academic gains and social development.
Create a "pipeline" of educational and enrichment opportunities for boys from kindergarten through college.
Establish a replicable model for positively impacting Black and Latino boys for policy makers and practitioners.
BELL'S IMPACT STUDY
The BELL Summer program is scientifically proven to increase children's reading skills and levels of parental involvement. READ MORE
2008 ANNUAL REPORT
BELL's 2008 annual report is now available for download! FULL REPORT
June 21, 2010 The Wallace Foundation annouces a 3-year $4 million grant to BELL as part of its
initiative to provide students with more time for high-quality learning! Read more
June 20, 2010
New England Patriots players wrote their own plays for a day, coaching teams in the third annual BELL Bowl at Gillette Stadium to support summer learning. Read More
May 13 , 2010 The New York Life Foundation announces a four-year, $1,000,000 grant to support BELL's core literacy and math programming nationwide. Read the press release here
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