By Nathan Vine

“When children graduate high school, the Boys & Girls Club of Portage County wants to make sure they have the tools to be able to pursue their plans should they choose to go to college.

That’s why the club is developing the Portage County College Access Program, which allows students the opportunity to learn about college as well as visit campuses around the state.

‘Some of the older kids we deal with don’t have any intention of going to college, which is surprising,’ said Kevin Quevillon, executive director of the club. ‘We just want them to at least think about the possibility.’

The Boys & Girls Club recently received some help for the program from the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, which provided it a check for $3,030.

The Foundation, which focuses on helping teenagers graduate from high school, has a Graduate to Go initiative that provides teens with real-world experiences focused on college preparation, careers and community service.

Greg Tonn is owner of Tonn’s Inc., which includes Taco Bell restaurants in Stevens Point, Plover, Gree, Bay, Sturgeon Bay, New London, Shawano and Waupaca.

He said franchisees support the program, with his own contributing about $11,000 through donation and also through selling $1 decals, which are put up around the store.

‘Supporting the community is a passion of ours, and a lot of our customers supported this, as well,’ Tonn said. ‘We have a great program in the Boys & Girls Club, and we were glad to help.’

Carie Winn, director of development and marketing for the club, said they eventually would like to get funding of up to $10,000 to $20,000, so the. Club could hire. Someone specifically dedicated to the program.

She added that the club also would like to eventually pair with local businesses to expose kids to what they will need in the workforce.

‘The reality is not everyone will go to school, so we also want to help those kids with job readiness,’ Winn said.

Currently, students already are having some opportunities to visit schools. Danielle Schulta, director of teen services for the Boys & Girls Club, said teens have gone to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Ripon College and Fox Valley Technical College, among others.

Schulta said they would tour a school every other month, with the time in between used to talk about college-related issues such as filling out applications or living in a dorm. Staff members at the Boys & Girls Club also will talk to kids about their experiences.

‘That’s a big help, because they can see what an effect college can have,’ Schulta said.”