On Tuesday, Panda Express employee volunteers, joined by the Panda Express' mascot, served meals, passed out donated books and swag, and led youth in interactive activities and games at the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis, or B&GC, which sounds fun, but it was also for a purpose.
It was the grand opening of The Panda Cares Center of Hope space at the B&GC, and it's specially designed to provide a safe and nurturing environment for youth to excel academically. The center will encourage Club members to dream big, express themselves and pursue their educational passions. By implementing Project Learn, an evidence-based educational strategy, the Center of Hope will support youth-centered learning, character building, academic success and college readiness through activities like homework help, tutoring, and high-yield learning activities.
The new Center of Hope at Boys & Girls Clubs of Corvallis, which is in a nicely renovated learning space within the B&GC, was made possible by a $45,000 grant from the Panda Cares Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express.
The grand opening boasted a check presentation and ribbon cutting ceremony, a surprise book giveaway for youth, Club tours and a variety of fun and engaging activities - and of course, some tasty goodies from Panda Express.
After the removal of a wall, the newly remodeled space sports an open floor plan - and a new sink to help manage any mess issuing from the STEM activities that are now possible at the B&GC - and there's even new collaboration tables.
The grand opening offered a carnival atmosphere.
Panda Cares Centers of Hope are popping up across the country, and they use a practice called Project Learn, a Boys & Girls Clubs of America evidence-based, holistic strategy to support youth-centered learning in Clubs. The strategy reinforces and enhances what young people learn during the school day through things like homework help and tutoring and high yield learning activities while creating experiences that invite them to fall in love with their academic journey. Panda Cares Centers of Hope are designed to meet the needs of each Clubs' members and include specific updates and items for them to learn, engage, and grow.
And a fun fact, Panda co-founder Peggy Tsiang Cherng attended Oregon State University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics in 1970.