Our Mission
To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
Key Elements for Positive Youth Development
A Safe, Positive Environment: Club staff, facilities, program offering and age-appropriate settings create stability, consistency and a sense of physical and emotional safety for members. The Club
Fun: Clubs generate fun for members. Members develop a strong sense of belonging through connections they establish with staff and peers. Staff members make the Club feel like home, fostering a family atmosphere and creating a sense of ownership for members.
Supportive Relationships: Club youth develop meaningful relationships with peers and adults. Staff members actively cultivate such relationships to ensure that every member feels connected to one or more adults and peers. Staff members demonstrate warmth, caring, appreciation, acceptance and proper guidance in their interactions with members.
Opportunities and Expectations: Club youth acquire physical, social, technological, artistic and life skills. Clubs encourage members to develop moral character and behave ethically. Staff members establish and reinforce high expectations and help young people do well in school and pursue a post-secondary education.
Recognition: Clubs recognize and affirm young people’s self-worth and accomplishments. Staff members encourage youth and provide positive reinforcement as they make improvements and experience successes. The Club showcases young people’s achievements.
Five Core Program Areas
Club professionals can choose from a broad array of programs to help meet the needs and interests of Club members ages 6 to 18 and achieve positive outcome for them, their families and their communities. Programs focus on high-quality, developmentally appropriate, easy-to-use resources and materials in Five Core Program Areas:
- Character & Leadership Development
- Education & Career Development
- Health & Life Skills
- The Arts
- Sports, Fitness & Recreation
Character & Leadership Development
Programs in this core area empower youth to support and influence their Club and community, sustain meaningful relationships with other, develop a positive self-image and good character, participate in the democratic process, and respect their own and others’ cultural identities.
Keystone Clubs – Youth ages 14-18 are able to participate in small group leadership opportunities. Members elect officers, as well as choose, plan and implement community service projects along with other activities. A national charter entitles Keystone Clubs to participate in the National Keystone Conference. Each year, members from across the country gather to exchange ideas, discuss current issues, and make friends.
Torch Club – Chartered small group leadership and service clubs for ages 11-13. Torch Club members elect officers as well as plan and implement activities focusing on education, Club and community service, and health, fitness & social recreation.
Jr. Staff Program – Cultivating Tomorrow’s Club Professionals Today – Junior Staff is a practical, user-friendly, small-group program that assists Club members ages 13-18 in exploring a career in youth or human services, particularly Boy & Girls Clubs work. Young people prepare for future roles as human service professionals by participating in career development activities, discovering the importance of community service, building customer service skills and completing a Club apprenticeship. Clubs invest in youth members’ interpersonal skills, work ethic, and sense of community responsibility.
Youth of the Year – Local Clubs are given the opportunity to recognize individual members. This program has been in existence for more than 50 years. The Youth of the Year program recognizes achievers in academic excellence, Club and community service, and family/spiritual contribution. Local winners are chosen quarterly in each Club. State, regional, and national competitions are held as well. The Reader’s Digest Association sponsors the program.
Education & Career Development
Programs in this core area enable youth become proficient in basic educational disciplines, set goals, explore careers, prepare for employment and embrace technology to achieve success in a career.
Project Learn – Project Learn reinforces and enhances the knowledge gained from school through “high-yield” learning activities at the Club and at home. This includes leisure reading, writing activities, homework assistance and educational games.
Power Hour – Power Hour helps Club members ages 6-18 become self-directed learners by providing them with tutors and other forms of homework aid.
Club Tech – Club members ages 6-18 learn the safe approach to technology. Emphasis is placed on the use of computers and the basic skills that are increasingly necessary to excel in school and the workplace and to enrich and organize their personal lives.
Money Matters: Make it Count – Money Matters promotes financial responsibility and independence among Club members ages 13 to 18. Participants learn how to manage a checking account, budget, save and invest, start small businesses and pay for college.
CareerLaunch – CareerLaunch encourages Club members ages 13-18 to assess their sills and inters, explore careers, make sound educational decision and prepare to join our nation’s workforce. Club staff or volunteers use the Career Exploration Quick Reference Guide to work with teens individually or in small groups to build their job-search skills and job readiness.
Health & Life Skills
Programs in this core area develop young people’s capacity to engage in positive behaviors that nurture their own well-being, set personal goals and live successfully as self-sufficient adults.
SMART Moves – (Skills Mastery and Resistance Training) prevention and education program teaches ages 6-18 how to resist alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, as well as premature sexual activity. SMART Moves features engaging, interactive, small-group activities that increase participants’ peer support, enhance their life skills, build their resiliency and strengthen their leadership skills. This year-round program encourages collaborations among Club staff, youth, parents and representatives from other community organizations.
SMART Girls – SMART Girls is a small-group health, fitness, prevention/education and self-esteem enhancement program designed to meet the developmental needs of girls ages 8-12. This program is designed to encourage healthy attitudes and lifestyles. Club girls explore their own and societal attitudes and values as they build skills for eating right, staying physically fit, and developing positive relationships with peers and adults.
Passport to Manhood – This program promotes and teaches responsibility and reinforces positive behavior in male Club members ages 11-14. Passport to Manhood consists of fourteen interactive activities. Each participant is issued his own “Passport” to underscore the notion that he is on a personal journey of maturation and personal growth.
NetSmartz- NetSmartz teaches Internet safety skills through engaging multimedia activities and offline interaction with Club professionals in three age-appropriate modules: Clicky’s Web World, for 6 to 7; NetSmartz Rules, for 8 to 12; and I-360, for 13 to 18. Topics include personal safety, shopping safety and ethical use of the Internet.
The Arts
Program in this care area enable youth to develop their creativity and cultural awareness though knowledge and appreciation of the visual arts, crafts, performing arts and creative writing.
Fine Arts Exhibit – The curriculum encourages artistic expression among members through drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, mixed media and sculpture displayed at local and regional exhibits.
National Photography Contest – This year-round program encourages Club members ages 6-18 to learn and practice black-and-white, color, digital and alternative process photography. An annual photography contest is held that provides local, regional and national recognition.
General Arts Programs – The Fine Arts program exposes youth to using a variety of media as well as introducing them to concepts that naturally link to components in standard academic requirements such as math and science. Club members receive daily instruction from a dedicated staff member and participate in activities ranging from weekly crafts and visual arts activities to monthly opportunities to interact with professional artists.
Sports, Fitness, and Recreation
Programs in this care area develop fitness, positive use of leisure time, skills for stress management, appreciation for the environment and social skills.
Triple Play – Improves the overall health of Club members by increasing their daily physical activity, teaching them good nutrition and fitness habits, and encouraging them to develop healthy relationships.
Fitness Authority – Boys & Girls Clubs of America created this program to reverse the increasing rate of youth obesity and lack of regular physical activity among America’s children and teens. The program, supported by the Sports Authority, Inc., will help motivate even unfit Club members to set personal fitness goals and increase their activity levels. Members can explore skateboarding, jumping rope, cycling, hiking, dance and aerobics in special interest groups.
Skills Clinics and Camps – Provides youth the opportunity to develop positive sportsmanship, improve athletic skills, in a variety of sports and outdoor recreation. The Clubs have a climbing wall, mountain bikes; utilize local swimming pools, running clubs, and offer clinics in sports such as skiing, basketball, soccer, and baseball.
Open Gym Activities and Games Room – Open Gym activities and structured games are offered to all members each day. Supervised programs such as dodge-ball, tag, horse, parachute games, are a fun way to be active. Games room activities are the heart of open play and include billiards, bumper pool, air hockey, foosball, and board games.