Jackson Commits $600,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Lansing for New Teen Center
LANSING, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing today announced a $600,000 commitment
from Jackson National Life Insurance Company® (Jackson®)
to build a new teen center. The Jackson Teen Zone will include
2,700 square feet dedicated to the more than 1,500 teens who count on
the Boys & Girls Club of Lansing for after-school programs and summer
curriculum each year.
The new Jackson Teen Zone will have state-of-the art technology
and a space for teen educational programs including the Money Matters
financial literacy program and the Finding Inspiration in Literature &
Movies (FILM) program, as well as work and college readiness
opportunities to help ensure teens have a smooth transition into their
next life stage.
“The Jackson Teen Zone will enrich the lives of our kids through
skills that help them succeed in school and future careers in this
unique learning environment,” said Carmen Turner, president of the Boys
& Girls Club of Lansing. “We believe by supporting and empowering our
teens to succeed, we improve the entire community. We are incredibly
grateful for Jackson’s generosity and leadership in providing our teens
with a dedicated space they can be proud to call their own.”
Construction at the club’s existing location at 4315 Pleasant Grove Road
will begin in February 2016 and is expected to be completed by June 2016.
“We consider it a privilege to work alongside the Boys & Girls Club of
Lansing to help guide and train the leaders of tomorrow,” said James
Sopha, president of Jackson. “With 2,500 associates in our Lansing
office alone, we have the ability to really change lives and give back
to the community in a powerful way. Our associates are extremely
generous and the Jackson Teen Zone is the kind of community
project in which our associates can be proud to invest.”
In addition, renovations to the existing Boys & Girls Club building will
house the Makerspace, an area dedicated to real-world inventions where
students can create, invent, tinker, explore and discover using a
variety of tools and materials, including 3D printing, to bring their
work to life. The Makerspace will be led by Dr. Angela Calabrese-Barton
from Michigan State University.
Jackson’s initial donation toward the construction of the new site is a
$350,000 gift. Jackson associates have also pledged to support the Jackson
Teen Zone with a goal of donating the remaining $250,000 through the
company’s two-to-one dollar donation match program.
As part of the donation, $100,000 will be dedicated to enhancing
technology for the after-school tutoring programs. Jackson also plans to
donate computer equipment, laptops and a data server.
The Jackson National Community Fund (JNCF) has invested more than $16
million in programs that improve the lives of youth and seniors since
2007. In addition to grants and sponsorships, Jackson also offers a
generous two-to-one donation match for associate contributions to select
nonprofits focused on the needs of children and the elderly. Jackson
associates also volunteer more than 12,000 hours together annually
supporting numerous community initiatives.
The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing annually serves more than 5,200 at-risk
youth, aged seven to 18. For more information, visit www.bgclansing.org.
About the Boys & Girls Club of Lansing
The Boys & Girls Club of Lansing is an affiliate of Boys & Girls Clubs
of America, the national organization that has developed effective youth
programs for more than a century. It is a dedicated youth facility that
employs full-time staff to ensure optimum safety and the implementation
of structured youth development programs.
Structured activities include: Money Matters, Power Hour, Project LEARN,
Keystone Club, SMART Moves, Junior Staff, Triple Play, GET City (math,
science, and engineering) and Presidential Fitness initiatives. The Boys
& Girls Club of Lansing incorporates five core programs into its daily
activities: character & leadership development, education & career
development, health & life skills, arts & music, and sports &
recreation. Our membership fee ($10 per child annually), along with the
diversity of the activities the Club offers, attract a population of
youth that many other youth serving organizations cannot reach.
The Boys & Girls Club is open when kids need them most, during the
summer and after school, when they have too much free time and need a
positive environment in which to learn and grow. The Boys & Girls Club’s
youth development activities help prepare kids to become healthy and
productive adults by supporting the development of attitudes, behaviors,
and skills that enable them to succeed in the classroom, in the
workforce and in the world.
About Jackson
Jackson is a leading provider of retirement solutions for industry
professionals and their clients. The company offers a diverse range of
products including variable, fixed and fixed index annuities designed
for tax-efficient accumulation and distribution of retirement income for
retail customers, and fixed income products for institutional investors.
Jackson subsidiaries and affiliates provide specialized asset management
and retail brokerage services. With $218.9 billion in assets*, Jackson
prides itself on product innovation, sound corporate risk management
practices and strategic technology initiatives. Focused on thought
leadership and education, the company develops proprietary research,
industry insights and financial representative training on retirement
planning and alternative investment strategies. Jackson is also
dedicated to corporate social responsibility and supports charities
focused on helping children and seniors in the communities where its
employees live and work. For more information, visit www.jackson.com.
Jackson is the marketing name for Jackson National Life Insurance
Company (Home Office: Lansing, Michigan) and Jackson National Life
Insurance Company of New York® (Home Office: Purchase, New
York). Jackson National Life Distributors LLC.
*Jackson has $218.9 billion in total IFRS assets and $205.5 billion in
IFRS policy liabilities set aside to pay primarily future policy owner
benefits (as of 6/30/15). International Financial Reporting Standards
(IFRS) is a principles-based set of international accounting standards
for reporting financial information. IFRS is issued by the International
Accounting Standards Board in an effort to increase global comparability
of financial statements and results. IFRS is used by Jackson’s parent
company.
Jackson National Life Insurance Company is an indirect subsidiary of
Prudential plc, a company incorporated in England and Wales. Prudential
plc and its affiliated companies constitute one of the world’s leading
financial services groups. It has been in existence for over 165 years
and has $794.1 billion in assets under management (as of 6/30/15).
Prudential plc is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential
Financial, Inc., a company whose principal place of business is in the
United States of America.
Contacts
Boys & Girls Club of Lansing
Sandra Kowalk-Thompson, (517)
394-0455
skowalk@bgclansing.org
www.bgclansing.org
