What is a Boys & Girls Club?
For over 100 years Boys & Girls Clubs have been providing youth a safe, structured, fun, and affordable place to go - after school and throughout the summer. Looking at the history of the Boys & Girls Club Movement, and our own history, you can the Boys & Girls Club Movement has a positive and long standing track record with service to youth. Boys & Girls Clubs have moved far beyond the "swim and gym" Clubhouse of days long gone by. Today, the Clubhouse provides members with Youth Development Programming designed to help the Club Member to become a productive, caring, and responsible citizen.
The Club provides:
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A safe, positive environment: The Club staff, facilities, program offerings, and setting produce continuity, predictability and a sense of physical and emotional safety for members. The Club sets clear boundaries and consequences for inappropriate behavior and are consistently enforced by staff.
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Fun: Clubs generate happiness, fun and enjoyment for members. Members develop a strong sense of belonging through personal connections they establish with staff and their peers. Young people have a sense that the Club is theirs when staff members make the Club feel like home, fostering a family atmosphere.
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Supportive relationships: Club youth develop meaningful relationships with peers and adults. Staff members actively cultivate and maintain such relationships to ensure that every member feels connected to one or more adults and can forge friendships with peers. Staff members demonstrate warmth, closeness, caring, appreciation, acceptance, and proper guidance in their ongoing interactions with members.
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Opportunities and Expectations: Club members acquire physical, social, technological, artistic and life skills. Club staff help members to develop a moral character that help them know right from wrong and behave ethically. Club staff help members prepare daily for school, establish better study habits and pursue a post-secondary education. Staff members consistently communicate and reinforce high expectations of youth.
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Recognition: Club staff use many methods to recognize and affirm Club Member's intrinsic worth and accomplishments. Staff members encourage youth and provide positive reinforcement as they make improvements and experience successes.