About Boys Hope Girls Hope of Illinois
One of 16 affiliates across the United States and Latin America, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Illinois helps academically motivated high school students rise above disadvantaged backgrounds and become college-educated, career-ready, community-minded leaders.
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 Illinois 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.
"We saw evidence of the powerful benefit of a safe environment and mentors who provide both structure and care. These young scholars are fortunate indeed to have the support of parents and the wise counsel of the program's advisors. Bravo, BHGH!"
Rebecca Sykes, President of The Oprah Winfrey Foundation, Dinner Guest
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
-
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:
• Respecting, serving and engaging people from all faith and non-faith traditions
• Focusing on those most in need of our services
• Fostering spirituality and an active spiritual 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 self-selection 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 Illinois History
1979
Volunteer board developed and Jesuit Program for Living and Learning Incorporated in Illinois.
1980
Home location identified, zoning approved by the City of Evanston, and home is purchased.
1981
First house-parents hired and scholars enter the program.
1982
1984
1985
1989
First alumnus becomes college graduate.
1990
From this year onward, all scholars who graduate from Boys Hope are accepted at 4-year colleges and universities.
1991
Boys Hope awarded first Northwestern University Evans Scholarship.
1993
Program mission altered to focus on leadership development model.
1994
Board commits to Girls Home in Chicago.
1995
Board authorizes name change and six months later first Girls Hope Scholars enter the program at a temporary facility.
1996
Girls Hope permanent home opens in Evanston.
1998
Boys Hope Girls Hope of Chicago Junior Board is founded
2004
2006
Began 2006-2007 school year with full houses and staff.
2007
BHGH of Illinois achieves the highest GPA of any affiliate in the country.
2009
First BHGH of Illinois Alumns joins the Junior Board.
2012
Women’s Board Dinner Dance sets funding-raising record.
Leadership
The Boys Hope Girls Hope of Illinois 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.
Karen Croteau
Executive Director
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
CHAIR
Christopher T. Tarzon
Savills Inc.
VICE CHAIR
Jeff Lundal
SQUAA LLC
TREASURER
Mike Halkitis
RSM US LLP
SECRETARY
George Sullivan
Chapman and Cutler (retired)
David Gibson
Nominations Chair
Goldman Sachs & Co.
Daniel J. Baker
At Large
KeyBank Real Estate Capital
Dave Bryla
Development Co-Chair
WasteZero
John Lafferty
At Large
Segall Bryant & Hamill
Jamie Baisley
At Large
Frontage Search Partners
Amy Ward/Christine Hjorth
Co-Presidents
Women’s Board
Loyola Academy
Byrne, Byrne & Company
Sheffield Strategies, LLC
Alamar Capital Management
Wildwood Publications
Artex
Reynolds Consumer Products
Bed Bath and Beyond
Wells Fargo & Co.
Civic Leader
AMCC, Inc
Summit Trail Advisors
Junior Board President
Civic Leader
Molson Coors
AJ Gallagher
Junior Board Treasurer
McNabola Law Group, P.C
Catalyst Inno Institute
North Shore Country Day School
Boys Hope Girls Hope Network Headquarters
Clover Lane Patrons
Twin Brook Capital Partners
Sargent Family Foundation
Regina Dominican High School
Ernst & Young
Wedgewood Investment Group, LLC
Windy City Ventures
Katten Muchin Rosenman
ADVISORY BOARD
Colette Allen
Civic Leader
John W. Amberg
Evanston Educational Consultants
William L. Bax
Pricewaterhouse Coopers, L.L.P.
J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Company
J. Jeffrey Geldermann
Civic Leader
Ralph Gilbert
Civic Leader
F. James Heider
Civic Leader
Scott K. Heitmann
Wintrust Financial Corporation
Michael S. Meyers
Civic Leader
Dave Morrison
William Blair (Retired)
J. Hobie Murnane
Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
Daniel J. O’Donovan
Metal Parts & Equipment Co.
WOMEN'S BOARD
Tracie M. Miller
Co-President
Catherine R. Giella
Co-President
Kathleen McCann
Gala Co-Chair
Elain Rucker
Gala Co-Chair
Donna M. Agnew
Kimberly A. Baker
Suzette Y. Bernstein
Jill Blabolil
Melissa T. Clary
Kandice Cole
Ana M. Couri
Erin Demakos
Kathleen Farrell
Joanne Fox
Marya Frankel
Leticia Guerra-Shinozaki
Helen Hallermann
Kathy I. Hartsig
Martha I. Idler
Mary Ellen Jobczynski
Nahraine Jonie Stone
Lindsey M. Kilsdonk
Carroll C. King
Jean Lin
Tammy Lundal
Rita M. Maltezos
Rachael L. Mann
Barbara Mawicke
Deb McMahon
Beth A. Miles
Marguerite T. O’Rourke
Jennifer Downs O’Shaughnessy
Marissa Perdkiri
Ann Ponzi
Lori Rago
Lisa M. Seymour
Holly A. Tamisiea
Carrie Tarzon
Amy Ward
Teresa Washington
Lisa Faremouth Weber
Sheila C. Weimer
Margaret Wohlfrom
Debbie Yapp
Maria E. Zacapa
Donna H. Zupancic
WOMEN'S BOARD SUSTAINING MEMBERS
Laura M. Ashley
Carol S. Bell
Susan K. Bordes
Iretta D. Brennan
Maureen K. Burke
Ellen G. Callahan
Trudy Cook
Barbara V. Davis
Susan J. Dunn
Kathleen T. Egan
Carol T. Fleming, O.P.
Judith M. Gurley
Vicki V. Hofstetter
Mimi Janian Lawless
Ellen Leydon
Ann Lynch
Mary L. O’Sullivan
Nancy L. Sullivan
Barbara F. Vender
Sheila N. Whalen
JUNIOR BOARD
Kelly Lomas
President
Michael McCarthy
Treasurer
Dylan Brennan
Kevin Ford
Emily Therese Geiger-Medina
Joe Jedlicka
Nichole Johnson
Brian Kucera
Brianna McNamee
Juanita Mendoza
Kelley Monzella
Larry Phillips, Jr.
Ryan Ring
Ryan Sexton
Andrew Seymour
Tom Truss
Jack T. Wambach
Erin Wehmer
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.