About Boys Hope Girls Hope of Arizona
One of 18 affiliates across the United States and Latin America, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Arizona helps academically motivated middle and high school students rise above disadvantaged backgrounds and become successful in college and beyond.
Our goal is to graduate young people who are physically, emotionally and academically prepared for post-secondary education and a productive life, breaking the cycle of poverty. BHGH of Arizona utilizes the following elements to achieve our mission:
- Academic excellence
- Service and community engagement
- Family-like settings to cultivate youth empowerment
- Long-term and comprehensive programming
- Faith-based values
- Voluntary participant commitment
Boys Hope Girls Hope firmly believes that children have the power to overcome adversity, realize their potential, and help transform our world. Children create these successes when we remove obstacles, support and believe in them, and provide environments and opportunities that build on their strengths.
“To me, being a Boys Hope Girls Hope scholar has been defined by the environment I was fortunate to grow in during middle school and high school. One in which I was able to flourish despite adversities, passing the threshold to test my own limits, knowing that Boys Hope Girls Hope was with me every step of the way.".”
Aranzazu, BHGH Scholar
Our Mission
To nurture and guide motivated young people in need to become well-educated, career-ready men and women for others.
Our Vision
Our vision is that our scholars reach their full potential and become healthy, productive life-long learners who:
Adapt to an ever-changing world | Thrive in the face of obstacles | Generate a positive ripple effect in their families, work places, and communities
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ACADEMIC FOCUS
We believe in the transformative power of education to develop lifelong learners using:
• Strengths-based, positive youth development approaches
• Practical preparation for careers to sustain one’s self and family
• Exposure to diverse opportunities that enrich one’s life and enhance learning
• Scholarship incentives encouraging and maximizing self-motivated learning -
SERVICE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
We believe in the Jesuit-inspired, values-centered hallmark of building “persons for others” by:
• Developing character through service learning activities related to social justice and civic responsibility
• Educating those at every level of our organization in cultural competence
• Seeking collaborative partnerships to enhance our mission -
FAMILY-LIKE SETTINGS TO CREATE A SENSE OF BELONGING
We believe youth derive their energy and sustenance from exposure to nurturing environments that provide:
• Inclusion in a loving community that meets youth where they are but sets high expectations
• A feeling of “being home,” with residential care as needed
• Strong and supportive developmental relationships with adult mentors and peers
• Stability, structure, and individualized guidance in small settings
• Modeling of positive values -
LONG-TERM AND COMPREHENSIVE COMMITMENT
We believe an enduring relationship with youth holds the most promise for attaining positive outcomes by:
• Intervening early to support scholars from adolescence through college graduation and beyond
• Offering a holistic spectrum of programming that evolves with the age and needs of youth
• Providing ample opportunities for youth to develop social and emotional learning skills -
FAITH-BASED VALUES
We believe that a loving God cares about the life of every individual and we manifest this belief by:
• Focusing on those most in need of our services
• Respecting, serving and engaging people from all faith traditions
• Fostering spirituality and an active faith life as essential elements of healthy personal development
• Helping youth develop a moral compass based on universal principles -
VOLUNTARY PARTICIPANT COMMITMENT
We believe in the motivational power of selfselection into the BHGH program because:
• Parents and Scholars share a vision for a better future
• Scholars elect to invest in themselves and are empowered to join
• Families value and trust in a working partnership with BHGH
• BHGH serves bright, capable young people who are motivated to overcome obstacles to reach their potential
Our Local Impact
BHGH of Arizona History
1977
BHGH Founded
Fr. Paul Sheridan, SJ and the first board of directors welcome the inaugural class of scholars into their new organization known as “The Jesuit Program for Living and Learning.” This is the first residential site, located in St. Louis.
1989
BHGH of Arizona Founded
The opening of the Boys Hope Residential Home in Phoenix.
1998
Begin Serving Girls
The Girls Hope Home opened in Phoenix.
1999
First College Graduate
First BHGH of Arizona Scholar graduates college.
2004
Non-Residential Programs Launched
The non-residential Community-Based Program began to increase the number of children served.
2012
Ranked Top College Readiness Program
Boys Hope Girls Hope was named one of the top 10 college readiness programs in the United States by the Educational Policy Institute.
2017
40 Years!
Boys Hope Girls Hope celebrates its 40th anniversary!
2019
Today
BHGH of Arizona Celebrates 30th Anniversary!
Leadership
The Boys Hope Girls Hope of Arizona Board of Directors and staff leadership collaborate to ensure mission fidelity, financial stewardship and transparency. This team of professionals is committed to continuous learning, effective programming and improvement through impact evaluation and innovation.
Amy Pfeifer
Executive Director
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Julie Hancock, Chairman
Camelot Homes
Erin Goodnow, Secretary and Governance Chair
Going Ivy
Jackie Hutt, Development Chair
Playmakers
J.T. Vandegriff, Treasurer and Finance Chair
MRA Associates
Jose Leon, Program Chair
Leon Law, PLLC
Ken Borkan
KB Sports Consulting/UCLA
Lee Ann Fennessy
Volunteer Professional
Lisa Handley
US Bank
Lana Holmes
Community Volunteer
Chad Marston
Hensley Beverage Company
Maria Teresa Martinez
Arizona State University
Kyle McMillian
UMB
Kristin Ostby de Barillas (Ex Officio)
Boys Hope Girls Hope International
Adria Renke
Brophy College Preparatory
Anna Stewart
APS
Tucker Woodbury
Genuine Concepts
EMERITUS BOARD
William Bidwill †
Arizona Cardinals
Gerald Bisgrove
Stardust Foundation
William Catalonotte
Hensley & Co, Retired
Lee Cohn
Lee Cohn
Carla Consoli
Lewis Roca Rothgerber
Robert Delgado
Hensley Beverage Company
Philip Dion
Del Webb Corporation, Retired
John Eldean
Alliance Bank of Arizona
Bob Fessler
United States Air Force, Retired
F. Michael Geddes
Geddes and Company
Mark Hancock
Camelot Homes
William Hodges
Miller Russell & Assoc.
Dave Koeninger
Arizona Cardinals
Hope Levin
Johnson Bank
Donald Loback
Community Volunteer
Al Lorenzi
ABL Wealth Management
Rev. Robert Mathewson, SJ
Bellarmine College
Steven Matteucci
BMO Harris Bank
Don McFall
ADM Properties
Honorable Thomas W. O’Toole †
Maricopa County Superior Court, Retired
Tony Palumbo †
Palumbo, Wolfe & Palumbo
Richard J. Perry
Dibble & Associates, Retired
Rev. Edward Reese, SJ
St. Ignatius College Preparatory
Robert Russell
Russcor Financial, Inc.
J. Russell Skelton
Jones, Skelton & Hochuli
Cheryl Vogt
(Program Co-Chair)
Marsh, Inc
R.J. Williams, Sr.
Cadillac Products, Inc.
Bradley Wright
Squire Patton Boggs
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Amy Pfeifer
The Need We Address
Prior to joining our program, our scholars’ circumstances include environmental barriers that make it difficult to concentrate on achieving their goals. The relationship between educational failure and poverty creates a vicious cycle that affects too many children in our communities and negatively impacts our entire society.
- Twenty-one percent of children in the US live in poverty (Census Bureau, 2014)
- Children born into poverty are six times more likely to drop out of school (Cities in Crisis, 2008).
- The longer a child lives in poverty, the lower their overall level of academic achievement (Guo and Harris, 2000).
- Children from families in the highest income quartile are 8 times as likely to earn a college degree that those from the lowest income quartile (Pell Institute and Penn Ahead, 2015).
- In 1980, college graduates earned 29% more than those without. By 2007, that gap grew to 66% (Baum & Ma, 2007).
- The costs to United States society are significant in terms of economic productivity, tax revenue, health care over-utilization, parental attention to children’s educational development, civic engagement, and volunteerism (Baum & Ma, 2007).
- According to CEOs for Cities, every one percentage point increase in adult four-year college degree attainment adds an additional $763 to per capita income per year (One Student at a Time, 2013).
- Cohen and Piquero (2009) monetized the cost to society over the course of a “negative outcome” child’s lifetime as follows: High School Dropout = $390,000 - $580,000, Plus Heavy Drug User = $846,000 – $1.1 Million, Plus Career Criminal = $3.2 - $5.8 Million.