PHILADELPHIA – The Citizens Bank Foundation announced today that it has awarded a $30,000 grant to underwrite Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education after-school educational enrichment and physical fitness programs at two schools in Camden. The grant will support after-school programs at Camden’s Cooper’s Poynt School and Rafael Cordero Molina Elementary School. A total of 80 students will benefit from the after-school programs that run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“Because its programs have a positive effect on shaping the lives of potentially at-risk children, Citizens Bank has a strong, ongoing partnership with Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education,” said Henri G. Moore, senior vice president and director of public affairs for Citizens Bank and a member of the AAYTE Board of Directors. “The $30,000 Citizens Bank Foundation grant will help keep unsupervised children off the streets or at home alone for two afternoons every week throughout the school year and focus their energies on homework and learning the great sport of tennis.”

“We’re grateful for the ongoing participation and contributions from Citizens Bank,” said Kenny Holdsman, president of Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education. “We’ve reached many more children in recent years in large part because of Citizens Bank’s financial support. Our students are getting the chance to develop not only as student-athletes, but also as leaders and good citizens.”

The goal of the Camden program is to provide low-income children with the skills that are required to improve themselves both on and off the tennis court. The program seeks to create a positive and safe space for children to build their cardiovascular capacity, strengthen their educational and athletic achievement and develop a lifelong love of tennis. The program aims to lower the body-mass index in 90 percent of the program participants, while maintaining student attendance at 70 percent.

John McGinty, who oversees the Camden operation for AAYTE, believes that keeping an eye on children after school is important because violent juvenile crimes triple between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Parent-student tennis nights are held monthly to introduce parents to the game of tennis. In addition to watching their children play, parents are encouraged to pick up a racquet. Parents also learn about the benefits of physical exercise and the emotional discipline that organized sports, such as tennis, can provide.

About the Citizens Bank Foundation

Citizens Bank Foundation is a subsidiary of the Citizens Charitable Foundation, which is a charitable contributions vehicle of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., RBS Citizens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. The foundation’s support is focused on human services, affordable housing, and economic development. CFG’s website is citizensbank.com.