About BHGH of [insert City]
One of 18 affiliates across the United States and Latin America, Boys Hope Girls Hope of [insert affilate name] helps academically motivated middle and high school students rise above disadvantaged backgrounds and become successful in college and beyond.
Our goal is to graduate young people who are physically, emotionally and academically prepared for post-secondary education and a productive life, breaking the cycle of poverty. BHGH of [insert affiliate name] utlizes the following elements to achieve our mission:
- Academic excellence
- Service and community engagement
- Family-like settings to cultivate youth empowerment
- Long-term and comprehensive programming
- Faith-based values
- Voluntary participant commitment
“[Insert quote from scholar, collegian, alumni, team member or parent].”
[Insert name and title/identifier]
OUR MISSION
Boys Hope Girls Hope helps academically capable and motivated children-in-need to meet their full potential and become men and women for others by providing value-centered, family-like homes, opportunities and education through college.
Vision
Our vision is that our scholars reach their full potential and become healthy, productive life-long learners who:
Adapt to an ever-changing world | Thrive in the face of obstacles | Generate a positive ripple effect in their families, work places, and communities
-
Academic Focus
We believe in the transformative power of education to develop lifelong learners using:
• Strengths-based, positive youth development approaches
• Practical preparation for careers to sustain one’s self and family
• Exposure to diverse opportunities that enrich one’s life and enhance learning
• Scholarship incentives encouraging and maximizing self-motivated learning -
Service and Community Engagement
We believe in the Jesuit-inspired, values-centered hallmark of building “persons for others” by:
• Developing character through service learning activities related to social justice and civic responsibility
• Educating those at every level of our organization in cultural competence
• Seeking collaborative partnerships to enhance our mission -
Family-like Settings to Create a Sense of Belonging
We believe youth derive their energy and sustenance from exposure to nurturing environments that provide:
• Inclusion in a loving community that meets youth where they are but sets high expectations
• A feeling of “being home,” with residential care as needed
• Strong and supportive developmental relationships with adult mentors and peers
• Stability, structure, and individualized guidance in small settings
• Modeling of positive values -
Long-term and Comprehensive Commitment
We believe an enduring relationship with youth holds the most promise for attaining positive outcomes by:
• Intervening early to support scholars from adolescence through college graduation and beyond
• Offering a holistic spectrum of programming that evolves with the age and needs of youth
• Providing ample opportunities for youth to develop social and emotional learning skills -
Faith-Based Values
We believe that a loving God cares about the life of every individual and we manifest this belief by:
• Focusing on those most in need of our services
• Respecting, serving and engaging people from all faith traditions
• Fostering spirituality and an active faith life as essential elements of healthy personal development
• Helping youth develop a moral compass based on universal principles -
Voluntary Participant Commitment
We believe in the motivational power of selfselection into the BHGH program because:
• Parents and Scholars share a vision for a better future
• Scholars elect to invest in themselves and are empowered to join
• Families value and trust in a working partnership with BHGH
• BHGH serves bright, capable young people who are motivated to overcome obstacles to reach their potential
Our Local Impact
Our History
Founded in 1977 by Jesuit priest Fr. Paul Sheridan, Boys Hope Girls Hope began with one goal: to help children break the cycle of poverty by offering them a stable and loving home, guidance, and access to quality education. The program set high expectations for participating scholars, and then provided the resources and opportunities necessary to meet those expecations. While living in the family-like home, scholars enrolled in college preparatory schools, participated in extracurricular activities, and engaged in volunteer work in their communities.
Since then Boys Hope Girls Hope has grown, rising to serve the needs of motivated and deserving scholars in fifteen U.S. cities and three Latin American locations. We continue to offer residential programs that include the family-like environment essential to the healthy development of our scholars, and we have expanded to include non-residential programs and after-school initiatives based on offering that same inclusive environment.
Boys Hope Girls Hope alumni have gone on to become healthcare professionals, attorneys, police officers, moms, dads, educators, and clergy. Our program gives scholars the tools they need to build their own success stories.
1977
BHGH of Founded in St. Louis
Fr. Paul Sheridan, S.J. founded Boys Hope Girls Hope in St. Louis, Missouri.
1993
BHGH of Colorado Founded
Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado was established in 1993 with the Boys Hope Residential Home
2010
Girls Hope Home Opened
Just 2 blocks away from the Boys Hope Home, the Girls Hope home opened its doors to serve 5 girls in need.
2013
Academy Program Opened
The non-residential Academy Program was launched at Aurora Central High School for the freshman and sophomore classes.
2016
First Academy Class Graduates from Aurora Central High School
9 scholars from the first BHGH Colorado Academy class graduated from Aurora Central High School. All 9 are still in college today.
2017
First Girls Hope Scholars Graduate College
Alexis and Aaliyah, the first Girls Hope scholars graduated from college! Alexis attended Fort Lewis College and Aaliyah graduated from the University of North Texas.
2018
Transition To Focus On Academy Program Exclusively
To serve more children-in-need, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado focuses exclusively on our Academy and Collegian Programs.
Leadership
The BHGH Board of Directors and staff leadership collaborate to ensure mission fidelity, financial stewardship and transparency. This team of professionals is committed to continuous learning, effective programming and improvement through impact evaluation and innovation.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John C. Vatterott, Chair
Founder and former President
Vatterott Educational Centers
Joseph G. Koenig, Vice Chair
President
World Wide Technology
John Wunderlich, Treasurer
Business Consultant
David O. Danis, Esq., Secretary
Retired
The David Danis Law Firm, P.C.
Gregg Kirchhoefer, Counsel
Partner
Kirkland & Ellis
Kristin Ostby de Barillas
President and CEO
Boys Hope Girls Hope
Jorge Arce
Director General
Santander Mexico
Richard Axilrod
Managing Director
Moore Capital Management LP
Richard Buhler, SJ
Rector, St. Louis University
Jesuit Community
Louis Carr
President, Broadcast Media Sales
BET Holdings, Inc.
Joseph P. Conran
Partner
Husch & Blackwell
Mike de Graffenried
Retired
Citigroup
Moir Donelson
CEO
Teinnovations, Inc.
Christopher Growe
Managing Director
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc.
Lisa Flavin
VP, Audit & Chief Compliance Office
Emerson
Jerry M. Hunter
Partner
Bryan Cave
Robert Lloyd
CEO
Hyperloop One
Jack Malloy
President
Arrow Box Co.
Mark Mantovani
Chairman of the Board,
Ansira Engagement Marketing
Suzanne Mondello
Business Consultant
Brian Moore
Vice President
PJM Advisors, LLC
Jeanne C. Olivier
Partner
Shearman & Sterling
Dave Schmitt
CEO
The Armor Group, Inc.
Greg Scruggs, Alumni
Celebrity Spokesperson
National Football League
Paul G. Sheridan, S.J.
Founder
Boys Hope Girls Hope
Patrick Sly
Executive Vice President
Emerson
Michele Thornton
Vice President, TV Ad Sales
CentricTV
Nick Varuso, Alumni
Performance & Capability Team Lead
Shell Oil
Jim Whims
Partner
Alsop Louie Partners
Mark Wilhelm
Chief Executive Officer
Safety National Casualty Corporation
The Need We Address
Prior to joining our program, our scholars’ circumstances include environmental barriers that make it difficult to concentrate on achieving their goals. In the United States, 72% of our scholars come from families whose household income is less than $30,000 (compared to the 2016 federal poverty level of $24,300 for a family of four). The dividing line for the lower 25th percentile of family income in the United Sates is approximately $30,000.
The relationship between educational failure and poverty creates a vicious cycle that affects too many children in our communities and negatively impacts our entire society.
- Twenty-one percent of children in the US live in poverty (Census Bureau, 2014)
- Children born into poverty are six times more likely to drop out of school (Cities in Crisis, 2008).
- The longer a child lives in poverty, the lower their overall level of academic achievement (Guo and Harris, 2000).
- Children from families in the highest income quartile are 8 times as likely to earn a college degree that those from the lowest income quartile (Pell Institute and Penn Ahead, 2015).
- In 1980, college graduates earned 29% more than those without. By 2007, that gap grew to 66% (Baum & Ma, 2007).
- The costs to United States society are significant in terms of economic productivity, tax revenue, health care over-utilization, parental attention to children’s educational development, civic engagement, and volunteerism (Baum & Ma, 2007).
- According to CEOs for Cities, every one percentage point increase in adult four-year college degree attainment adds an additional $763 to per capita income per year (One Student at a Time, 2013).
- Cohen and Piquero (2009) monetized the cost to society over the course of a “negative outcome” child’s lifetime as follows: High School Dropout = $390,000 - $580,000, Plus Heavy Drug User = $846,000 – $1.1 Million, Plus Career Criminal = $3.2 - $5.8 Million.