Be Great: Graduate is a new initiative of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Barron County that is dedicated to supporting middle and high school students in Rice Lake and Cumberland. It is led by coordinator Tyler Sutton, who engages with students to set and monitor their academic goals, assist in graduation readiness and help create career plans.
“It is helping kids in our area schools to overcome obstacles and set goals to ensure they graduate,” explained Lori Zahrbock, CEO/executive director. “It is a pretty great concept that we offer to our local districts.
“Our club is one of the only ones in the state that was not utilizing this program,” Zahrbock added. “We are excited to be a part of the grant and we are especially excited to see how we can make a positive impact on our teen youth and their success.”
The Be Great: Graduate program is free for all youth who are enrolled in the Cumberland or Rice Lake Area school districts. The BGG coordinator travels to the schools to meet with youth each week to provide guidance for academic and graduation success.
“The program started in late December 2023,” Sutton said. “I started working with the Boys & Girls’ middle school club kids after winter break. I started in Rice Lake High School as our pilot school on Jan. 22, and in Cumberland with middle and high school youth on March 18.”
In this first year, he has 13 actively engaged students of which seven are middle school students and six are high school students.
“With increase dropout rates, more stress on school staff, and larger classroom sizes, some schools need the added resources of support staff, social workers, etc.,” the coordinator said. “Both the Rice Lake and Cumberland school districts were open to the idea of having added resources. The students had mixed reviews when we first started, but they’re thankful for the work we have done as a team to help them with goals.”
Students share experiences
“Be Great: Graduate has helped me with goal-setting and to stay on track with my classes,” said Ayden, a junior at Rice Lake High School. “My ultimate goal was passing grades, with ‘mini-goals’ along the way. It made me pay more attention to class, take more detailed notes, and I’m more confident in the classroom.
“Another thing about Be Great: Graduate is that it has helped me become more confident as a person,” he said. “I know coming into our meetings that I won’t be judged for who I am or what I say. It feels like a therapy session without all the awkwardness of actual therapy. It has also helped me focus on myself and make myself happy instead of making other people around me happy.”
Myla, a freshman from Cumberland High School, commented, “Be Great: Graduate helps me center myself every week. I get to get things off my chest and clear my head, and honestly, it calms me down. It also holds me accountable for my homework and makes me think of what needs to be accomplished for the next week.”
Be Great: Graduate goals
According to club materials, the program aims to:
• Guide students through the transition from middle school to high school, helping them understand credit systems, grade point average calculations and graduation requirements.
• Collaborate with students to set semester and weekly goals, conduct regular check-ins and monitor progress.
• Offer homework assistance to reinforce classroom learning.
• Conduct weekly grade checks to ensure academic performance remains on track.
• Advocate for students’ needs while empowering them to advocate for themselves effectively.
• Assist students in identifying and overcoming obstacles they may encounter on their academic journey.
• Facilitate career exploration through enriching experiences such as college and business tours, as well as other field trips.
Any interested in enrolling in the program are encouraged to contact the coordinator, whose preferred method of communication is email since he travels to different schools throughout the day. Sutton’s email is Tyler@bgcbarroncounty.org. Or reach out to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Barron County directly at 715-736-7445 to learn more about the program.
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