Crown Castle and Boys & Girls Clubs of America Inspire the Next Generation Through a Nearly $2 Million National Partnership to Clean-Up Clubs and Promote STEM

Rhea-AI Summary

Crown Castle announced a partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to launch the 'Crown Castle Connects Youth to STEM Program'. This initiative aims to inspire youth in STEM fields and will support over 50 clubs across the U.S. over the next two years. The program includes a nearly $2 million investment through volunteer efforts and financial support. Notably, 52% of Boys & Girls Club members show interest in STEM careers, exceeding the national average of 27%. The program will feature events like clean-up days and STEM Inspiration Days in 2023.

Positive

• Partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs aims to inspire youth interest in STEM careers.
• Crown Castle will invest nearly $2 million over two years, enhancing community engagement.
• Higher interest in STEM careers among Boys & Girls Club members (52%) compared to the national average (27%).

Negative

• None.

Crown Castle will support over 50 Clubs across the country over the next two years through its Connected by Good program

HOUSTON, Nov. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE: CCI), the nation’s leading provider of shared communications infrastructure, as part of its Connected by Good initiative, announced today a national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America called “Crown Castle Connects Youth to STEM Program.” It aims to inspire the next generation of young people to envision a future in STEM and support the overall needs of over 50 Boys & Girls Clubs in communities across the country.  

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2029 jobs in the STEM field should grow 8% – more than double the growth expected for all occupations in the U.S.¹ However, diversity in STEM fields is not keeping pace with this growth. Today, too few elementary, middle and high school students are interested in or adequately prepared for STEM subjects.² This is especially true for youth of color and girls, who are already underrepresented in the STEM workplace. Members of the Boys & Girls Clubs on average show more interest in STEM careers than their peers nationally, with 52% of members showing interest compared to the national average of 27%.    

“Early exposure to STEM is a powerful way to inspire youth to get excited about learning and explore new ways of thinking. With the incredible reach and impact of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, we will be able to impact youth in our communities and ultimately expand their opportunities,” said Jay Brown, Crown Castle’s Chief Executive Officer. “At Crown Castle we know building a team of people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and points of view is key to our innovation and success.”

Over the next two years, Crown Castle will invest nearly $2 million in the partnership through hands-on employee volunteering and financial support. Crown Castle Connects Youth to STEM Program events include:

• Crown Castle Clean-Up Days will allow employees from across the country to volunteer to clean up and restore local Clubs the week of November 14-18, 2022.
• Crown Castle Holiday Giving program in December 2022.
• Crown Castle STEM Inspiration Days scheduled for the summer of 2023, where employee volunteers will guide Club youth through foundational and fun STEM activities at partner Clubs. 
  

“We are honored to have Crown Castle’s support as we continue to enhance STEM resources for all youth in Clubs nationwide,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "As our world becomes increasingly STEM-focused, partnerships like this are critical to inspire the next generation to develop the essential skills they need to succeed after high school and in the workforce." 

Full List of Crown Castle Connects Youth to STEM Program Cities Participating in Fall Clean-Up Days

State	City	Club Name
Alabama	Birmingham	A.G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club in Birmingham
Arizona	Phoenix	Spencer D & Mary Jane Stewart Branch
	Phoenix	Boys & Girls Club of Metro Phoenix - MLF Diamondbacks Branch
California	Laguna Beach	Boys and Girls Club of Laguna Beach
	Los Angeles	Variety Boys & Girls Club
	Oakland	Boys and Girls Club of Oakland - Anne Marie Whalen Branch
	Redlands	Boys and Girls Club of Greater Redlands Riverside
	San Diego	Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego - Poway
	Santa Ana	Boys & Girls Club of Santa Ana - Joe Macpherson
Florida	Miami	S.W. Langer/Kendall Unit
		Gwen Cherry Boys & Girls Club
	Orlando	Boys & Girls of Central Florida - Taft Branch
	West Palm Beach	Marjorie S. Fisher Boys & Girls Club
Georgia	Marietta	A. Worley Brown Boys & Girls Club & Community Center
	Norcross	James T. Anderson Boys and Girls Club
Illinois	Chicago	Union League Boys & Girls Club- Barreto Club
	Cicero	Boys and Girls Club of South Cicero
	Cicero	Boys and Girls Club of South Cicero - Drexel Hall
Indiana	Indianapolis	Wheeler - Dowe Boys & Girls Club
Kentucky	Louisville	Shawnee Boys and Girls Club
Maryland	Severn	Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County @ Meade Village
Massachusetts	Hudson	Argeo R. Cellucci Jr. Clubhouse
	Marlborough	Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro West Inc.
Michigan	Troy	Boys & Girls Club of Troy
Minnesota	Minneapolis	Jerry Gamble Boys & Girls Club
Missouri	St. Peters	O' Fallon Boys & Girls Club
New Hampshire	Manchester	Union Street Clubhouse
New Jersey	Hawthorne	Boys & Girls Club of Hawthorne, Inc.
	Union	Union Club
New York	Albany	Albany Boys and Girls Club at Griffen Memorial Elementary School
	Hicksville	Hicksville Youth Council's Boys & Girls Club
	New York City Area	Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club
	Newburgh	Boys & Girls Club of Newburgh
	Oyster Bay	Boys & Girls Club of Oyster Bay-East Norwich
	Rochester	Boys & Girls Club of Rochester, Inc.
	White Plains	Boys & Girls Clubs of New Rochelle – Mascaro Club
North Carolina	Charlotte	The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Charlotte-Starmount Academy
	Raleigh	Washington Elementary Boys & Girls Club
Ohio	Newark	Boy & Girls Club of Newark
Pennsylvania	Carnegie	Carnegie Boys & Girls Club
	Lansdale	North Penn Valley Boys & Girls Club
	Millvale	Millvale Boys & Girls Club
	Philadelphia	Wissahickon Boys & Girls Club
	Pittsburgh	Estelle S. Campbell Boys & Girls Club
	Pittsburgh	Shadyside Boys & Girls Club
	Souderton	Indian Valley Boys & Girls Club
Puerto Rico	Loíza	Boys & Girls Club of Loíza
Tennessee	Franklin	Franklin Club
Texas	Austin	Home Club - Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area
	Houston	John and Cissy Havard Boys & Girls Club
	Houston	The Women's Home
	Houston	Spring Branch Boys & Girls Club
	Irving	The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Irving
Virginia	Herndon	Ox Hill Boys & Girls Club
Washington	Seattle	Coe Boys & Girls Club

 
ABOUT CROWN CASTLE 
Crown Castle owns, operates and leases more than 40,000 cell towers and approximately 85,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber solutions across every major U.S. market. This nationwide portfolio of communications infrastructure connects cities and communities to essential data, technology and wireless service – bringing information, ideas and innovations to the people and businesses that need them. Connected by Good is Crown Castle’s initiative to work with community partners to improve spaces where people connect, promote public safety, and, in this case, advance access to education and technology. For more information on Crown Castle, please visit www.crowncastle.com.

ABOUT BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA 
For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. More than 4,900 Clubs serve over 4.3 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and Twitter. 

¹ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Beyond the Numbers (January 2021, volume 10, number 1).
² Pew Research Center. STEM Jobs See Uneven Progress in Increasing Gender, Racial and Ethnic Diversity (April 2021).

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a21ed46c-a64d-4a02-a519-d87b933fb0f7

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0cd4f9c2-5378-4b9c-8cc0-b9d7f97f44d5

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a6f90823-d8ba-4506-bc1d-91b215e9515d

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f8d425ed-7bd1-424f-b3a5-7b274da76961

FAQ

What is the Crown Castle Connects Youth to STEM Program?

It is an initiative by Crown Castle in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America aimed at inspiring youth to explore STEM careers.

How much is Crown Castle investing in the STEM program?

Crown Castle is investing nearly $2 million over the next two years.

How many Boys & Girls Clubs will be supported by the STEM program?

The program will support over 50 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.

What percentage of Boys & Girls Club members are interested in STEM careers?

52% of Boys & Girls Club members show interest in STEM careers.

When will the STEM Inspiration Days events take place?

The STEM Inspiration Days are scheduled for the summer of 2023.