Boys & Girls Club Blog

Eight Club teens took a special “Learning Journey,” to Washington D.C. earlier this month. The purpose of the trip was to learn about American government and history, visit institutions of higher education and develop important life-skills. All expenses for the trip including meals, lodging, exhibits and travel expenses were paid for by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and youth were required to visit at least one college or university during their trip.

Altogether, teens visited the Washington Monument, World War II, Lincoln, Vietnam Veteran, Korean War Veteran, Jefferson, FDR, MLK and Marine Corps War Memorials; Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Pentagon, George Washington University, the White House, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the Senate Office Building, the United States Capitol and George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate.

Over 680 kids from Boys & Girls Clubs across Wisconsin have Learning Journeys planned to visit Washington, D.C. this summer. Herb Kohl Philanthropies is donating $700,000 to over twenty individual Boys & Girls Clubs across the state to make these trips happen in 2018.

“We are pleased to support Boys & Girls Club youth around the state in this way.” said Herb Kohl. “We want young people to see history come alive, expand their horizons and imagine themselves as our future leaders, and most of all, be ready to take their place as responsible, productive citizens of this great nation. Whether it’s the trip of a lifetime or a life-changing trip, we encourage and support Boys & Girls Club kids in their Learning Journey.”

“Kohl Philanthropies prioritize youth who live in areas of poverty, or who qualify for reduced school lunch,” said Andy Gussert, State Director for Boys & Girls Clubs. “Our mission is to enable young people who need us most to reach their full potential, so this is a perfect match.” The trips are expected to continue in 2019.

For more information on Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh, please contact the Club at (920) 233-1414, visit the Club online at http://www.bgcosh.org or find the Club on Facebook, Twitter (@BGCOsh), YouTube, or LinkedIn. As always, the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh is a United Way agency.

About Herb Kohl Philanthropies

Herb Kohl Philanthropies focuses its work on three key areas that are important to our community, region and state’s well-being: Education, Economic Opportunity, and Quality of Life.  Herb Kohl Philanthropies prioritizes K-12 classroom support and youth development.  It also recognizes Wisconsin’s teachers, principals and their schools along with high school students through the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Scholarship and Fellowship award program and sponsors the state’s Teacher of the Year program.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Wisconsin

Local Clubs serve over 144,807 youth at 159 sites across 57 Wisconsin cities. Collectively, Clubs provide over two million meals and snacks for free each year, and raise over $69 Million dollars annually in the state. Every dollar invested in Wisconsin Clubs returns $12.42 in earnings and cost-savings to local communities.