Aliquippa, PA, — The Family Life Center, Inc. (FLC), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, a municipality just outside of the City of Pittsburgh, was recently awarded a two-year, $50,000 grant from The Heinz Endowments to launch an innovative after-school program called Boys-2-Men.
This program will serve 20 African American boys ages 7-9 who live in single-parent households; are deemed at-risk because of economic, behavioral, and/or academic deficiencies; and have been referred by local schools and community-based organizations.
The Boy-2-Men program will use state-of-the-art computer-based learning platforms created by Khan Academy to develop a computer software coding academy coupled with intensive one-on-one mentoring and tutoring. The program launches in January 2016.
“Since its founding in 1995, The Family Life Center has worked tirelessly to support the good people of Aliquippa and Beaver County as they’ve endured the devastating impact of poverty and the severe economic decline due the closing of area steel mills,” said Bishop Melvin E. Clark, Founder of The Family Life Center; Presiding Prelate, Second Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania, Church of God in Christ; and Senior Pastor of The Church in The Round located in the Aliquippa.
“With the generous support of The Heinz Endowments, we believe that this can be the beginning of developing effective program models that have generational impact and that work to stem the tide of hopelessness, violence, and poverty. We strongly believe that education and positive intervention is the means through which our communities can thrive and excel.”
Bishop Bernard S. Wallace, Executive Director of The Family Life Center, explained that the Endowments grant “will enable the Family Life Center to establish a state-of-the-art computer lab with a high-speed Wi-Fi network and teleconference capability to teach boys coding and other skills.”
“The Family Life Center and its Board of Directors will partner with regional schools, non-profit organizations, institutions of higher learning and committed individuals to provide a life-changing learning and personal development experience that will endeavor to change the course of African American boys’ lives throughout the area,” Bishop Wallace said. “We are grateful for the visionary support of The Heinz Endowments and its very capable leadership in southwestern Pennsylvania.”
The Heinz Endowments support efforts to make southwestern Pennsylvania a premier place to live and work, a center for learning and educational excellence, and a region that embraces diversity and
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