Jason T. McClurg Named Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence 2008 Youth of the Year
Jason T. McClurg is a true example of an extraordinary young man. At age 18, and for the second year in a row, he has been selected as the 2008 Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence. McClurg is among hundreds of youth across the country that join the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) in celebrating the Youth of the Year program.
The program was founded over 60 years ago through the generosity of the Reader’s Digest Foundation. “The Reader’s Digest Foundation has been the proud sponsor of the Youth of the Year program since 1947,” said Susan Fraysse Russ, executive director, Reader’s Digest Foundation. “For more than 60 years, we have had the great honor of saluting amazing teens, like Jason McClurg, for their dedication to their families, Club and community, and helping them achieve their academic and career goals.”
A twelve-year member of the North Providence Clubhouse and a senior at North Providence High School, McClurg was evaluated by a panel of four judges including Michele L. Caprio of the Greater Providence Board of Realtors, Peg Meade of Sovereign Bank, Alison Svenningsen of Gilbane Building Company, and Katie Strumolo of Gilbane Building Company. The competitive process was based on an extensive application covering achievement in school, family, club and community service, life goals, and moral values, as well as written essays and a three-minute speech of what the Boys & Girls Clubs means to the finalists.
McClurg enjoys soccer and referees at soccer games for the North Providence Clubhouse. He will compete against other Boys & Girls Club members for the Rhode Island State Youth of the Year title and a $1,000 scholarship in April. If he wins at the state level, he will then compete for the title of North East Regional Youth of the Year and a $10,000 scholarship. The five regional winners will travel to Washington, D.C. in September 2008 to compete for the title of BGCA’s National Youth of the Year. The National Youth of the Year receives an additional $15,000 college scholarship and is installed by the President of the United States in an Oval Office ceremony.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence is the oldest Boys & Girls Club in the nation and the largest in Rhode Island. Clubhouses in Providence and North Providence house state-of-the-art computer labs, swimming pools, and gymnasiums as well as nationally accredited and licensed preschools and kindergartens. Camp Davis in Charlestown offers children year-round outdoor camping opportunities. Over 8,000 children and youth receive homework help, computer and Internet safety instruction, swim lessons, job/career development and training, and organized athletic leagues. For more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence, please contact Rebecca Ebeling at 401/444-0750, ext. 107.