Experience

themselves in a new light and make them aware of endless possibilities for their future. The sky is the limit as far as what these children are able to accomplish. Every child at the Boys & Girls Club of Hamilton can have the opportunity to earn their experience by:
• consistent attendance in after school
educational programs
• active participation in the
homework/reading club
• demonstrating positive behavior

Experience helps to fund, organize, and create new adventures that plant seeds in the minds and hearts of children. We can all get involved with Experience by giving the gift of our time, talent, or donating to the Experience Fund through the Hamilton Community Foundation. For opportunities in which you can connect by volunteering, call Angela Pontious, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Hamilton, at 513-893-0071. To learn more about how to give to Experience please call Krista Parrish, Experience Co-founder, at 513-675-6128. Coming Together Through Experience. What encourages people to come together? What increases relatability, which in turn starts conversations and true relationships? Shared experiences promote feelings of unity that create common interests, build background knowledge, encourage friendships and strengthens feelings of connectedness. What if we felt more connected to those around us? What if, instead of looking at ourselves as ‘us’ and others as ‘them’, we started building the idea of ‘WE’? If we become involved with each other through shared experiences, similarities and differences may be celebrated and enjoyed. We begin to connect and relate to one another. Becoming connected to the children of our community is the idea behind the donor designated fund at the Hamilton Community Foundation called Experience. Experience was founded to expose children from the Boys & Girls Club of Hamilton to activities they otherwise would not have the opportunity to enjoy, such as:
• experiencing camp
• taking archery lessons
• learning how to canoe
• exploring the wilderness
• experiencing zip lining
• enjoying horseback riding
• going swimming
• sitting around a camp fire
• experiencing the theater
• taking a tennis lesson
• participating in an art class
• visiting the zoo
• going to watch a FC Cincinnati, Reds, or Bengals game
• touring a college campus

These Experiences build background knowledge that help to promote school success. Research shows that increased background knowledge helps students make connections in the classroom and puts them at an advantage. That is what we want for the children in our community.