Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme Receive Two National Awards for Program Excellence

    OXNARD, CA, July 08, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme proudly took home two National Merit Awards for Program Excellence from the Boys and Girls Clubs of America's 109th National Conference in Chicago. The National Merit Awards recognize clubs from throughout the United States for their achievements in outstanding local program development. BGCOP was the only club at the event to receive multiple awards. The Club was also named as one of the top three programs nationally.

The Club received the National Merit Award for Education and Career Development for its unique youth entrepreneurship program designed to teach young people, ages 16-21, the skills needed to start and operate their own small business. The Club also received the National Merit Award for Sports, Fitness and Recreation for its sailing program, provided free to Club members ages 9-12 through a partnership with the Fairwind Yacht Club.

Attending the event on behalf of BGCOP were Richard Duarte, BGCOP board chair; Erin Antrim, BGCOP chief executive officer; Omar Zapata, director of program services; Mariana Cazares, Youth Empowerment Program coordinator; and Tom Barber, BGCOP athletic director.

"We are extremely honored to have our programs recognized by the prestigious Merit Awards for Program Excellence," said Antrim. "This is especially meaningful for our Club because with the addition of these two Merit Awards for Program Excellence, BGCOP has now received awards for every core area of programs we offer."

Merit Awards for Program Excellence are sponsored by MetLife Foundation and presented annually for outstanding programs developed and implemented to lead youth to great futures at Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. Award-winning programs provide fun, demonstrate imagination and are linked to observable youth development outcome. Award recipients are selected from hundreds of entries submitted in the five core program areas: character and leadership development; education and career development; health and life skills; the arts; and sports, fitness and recreation. Each honoree also receives a $2,500 award.

As one of the top three Boys & Girls Clubs in the nation, BGCOP helps those most in need achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. BGCOP currently serves more than 9,200 local youth, providing a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours.

MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 to continue MetLife's longstanding tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Since it was established, MetLife Foundation has provided more than $570 million in grants to nonprofit organizations addressing issues that have a positive impact in their communities. For more information, visit http://www.metlife.org.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme exists to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. With three full-service clubs and 18 school program sites, the organization is one of the largest of its kind in California, serving more than 9,200 members annually. It's also the first Boys & Girls Club of its kind to open in the Juvenile Justice Center. Program areas offered to youth include character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts, technology and sports/fitness/recreation opportunities. For more information, visit http://www.positiveplace4kids.org.

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