You Can Change The Life of a Child
Boys & Girls Clubs of America has time-tested programs, trained professional staff and experience that has provided more than a century of hope and opportunity for youth, enabling them to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible adults.
No one knows the true value of Boys & Girls Clubs better than Club alumni. A 2007 survey of former Club kids found that despite challenges faced by some, many alumni thrive. In the United States, 30% of high school students do not graduate on time. In contrast:
- 90% of Club alumni graduate high school;
- 92% of alumni said their Club experience taught them that helping others is a priority; and;
- 57% of alumni said the Club saved their life.
All Boys & Girls Club programs are designed to support achievement and foster a sense of belonging, competence, usefulness, and influence that builds self-esteem and self-confidence. The Youth Development Outcomes are:
- A positive self-identity
- Specific educational, employment, emotional and cultural competencies
- Community and civic involvement
- Health and well-being
- A moral compass
Some of the programs we use to achieve these outcomes are:
Project Learn
a Boys & Girls Clubs of America design to improve grades. In an evaluation done by Dr. Steven Schinke of Columbia University, program participants were found to have increased their GPA nearly 8.5 points, an increase of 11%.
Homework Help/Tutoring
is offered daily and supplied by Unit Directors and their staff, along with volunteers from local high schools.
Smart Moves
a resistance training/social skills model that teaches young people to recognize and resist media influences and peer pressures to engage in alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use and early sexual involvement.
Torch Club
is designed for early adolescence as the children experience a growing independence. The skills, habits and attitude they develop at this juncture will determine whether they succeed or fail in school and in life and help to establish positive personal and career goals.
D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read!)
is a reading appreciation and comprehension program.
Success Makers
is a software based computer learning program. The Clubs are being assisted with this and other computer skills by volunteers from Best Buy’s Geek Squad.
Triple Play
demonstrates how eating right, keeping fit and maintaining positive relationships can add up to a healthy lifestyle. The use of sports and recreation also teaches the value of good sportsmanship and fair play.
Character Counts / Leadership Development
empowers youth to support and influence their community, sustain meaningful relationships, develop a positive image, participate in the democratic process and respect their own and others’ cultural identities.
