A grant from a J.C. Penney-founded nonprofit group will allow more Rocky Mount students to participate in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Nash/Edgecombe Counties’ after-school program.

The $7,500 grant from the JCPenney Afterschool Fund will pay for 25 scholarships for children.

It comes at the same time that the America After 3PM report by the Afterschool Alliance and the fund found that one out of four American children is on his or her own from 3 to 6 p.m. each school day. The report also says that a majority of parents want their children to work with adult role models who help foster their social, physical and academic development.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Nash/ Edgecombe Counties founded in 1966, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) group that serves almost 7,100 children through membership and outreach initiatives. To make a donation or to volunteer, call 977-9924 or go to bgcnec.org.

The JCPenney Afterschool Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group, has distributed more than $100 million to after-school programs in communities its namesake stores serve. For information, go to jcpenneyafterschool.org.

The results of the 2009 America After 3PM report are available at afterschoolalliance.org.