MADISON, WI – After accepting the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County’s 2023 Champion for Children Award, Representative Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) released the following statement:
“I am so honored to accept the designation of Champion for Children; as a legislator dedicated to making our community and state a safe and healthy place for all children to grow and thrive, I am committed to supporting all initiatives that advance that vision. I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to President and CEO Michael Johnson of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County for this award and for his hard work and dedication to inspiring and empowering our youth.
A community is only as successful as its children and families. As policymakers and community leaders, we must not forget the key elements necessary to our children’s development. Our children need stable housing, nutritious food, and well-funded public schools where they can learn and grow to their full potential. They need green space to play in, clean air to breathe, and clean water to drink. Our families need affordable childcare options, fair-paying jobs, and neighborhoods free from violence. Our children and families must be at the heart of our legislation if we are to build a stronger, more successful Wisconsin.
The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County supports the children and families of our community through initiatives meant to pave the way to greater achievement and opportunities for kids, especially those who belong to underserved populations. Their Teens of Promise (TOPS) program, in partnership with the Madison Metropolitan School District’s Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) initiative, is succeeding in closing opportunity and achievement gaps for young people by providing college and career readiness programming to hardworking youth.
Building further on this foundation of equitable access to opportunity, the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County has also helped create the McKenzie Regional Workforce Center, whose Skilled Trades Training Program will be instrumental in preparing our next generation of tradespeople for the workforce. By granting young people the necessary tools to get quality, good-paying jobs, the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County is helping to empower youth and their families as well as break cycles of poverty.
Community organizations like the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County are part of the solution in creating a safe and equitable future for our children, but they need our help. We as legislators have to use our voices and positions of power to advocate for the needs of our families and children. I am grateful for the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County’s recognition of my efforts in the Capitol. I must stress the importance of the work we have ahead of us to build a Wisconsin where all children have equal access to the resources they need to succeed. To have healthy, thriving communities, we need healthy, thriving children.”
