Karina Garcia has joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica (BGCSM) as the director for the Clubs' College Bound program, an educational leadership program that provides awareness, education and support to teens. In this position, Garcia will be responsible for expanding the program to all clubhouses, targeting middle school and high school students to ensure they graduate high school and plan for the future, whether it's college or a career.
College Bound is a family-based program that encourages parents to become advocates for their children's education and actively engage with their teen's future planning. The program currently includes various summer field trips to colleges such as UCLA, Pepperdine University, UC Riverside, Cal State Northridge, OTIS and career exploration trips to the NFL Network and Lionsgate. Garcia also plans to create an alumni mentorship program to ensure college success.
"Our goal is to help our teens determine if they want to apply to a four-year college, community college or plan to go straight into the workforce," Tim Blaylock, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica, said.
"Karina's combined experience of teaching, mentoring and developing curriculum for a diverse low-income youth population brings a fresh perspective for innovative ways to equip our teens for success."
Prior to joining BGCSM, Garcia worked at UCLA'S Community Programs Office as a student development coordinator. She was responsible for evaluating the overall effectiveness of curriculums focused on developing leadership skills and school readiness. Garcia also brings experience as an education instructor for Neighborhood Youth Association, project coordinator for UCLA's Community Programs Office: Latinas Guiding Latinas; as well as assistant teaching and research experience with UCLA.
Garcia received her bachelor's degree in psychology from UCLA and master's degree in learning sciences from Northwestern University.
For more information, visit www.smbgc.org or follow them on Facebook (facebook.com/smbgcfan) and Twitter (twitter.com/SMBGC).
