OUR PROGRAMS.
Our innovative programs are designed to empower youth to excel in school, become good citizens and lead healthy, productive lives. We offer these programs in six core areas of youth development.
Sports & Recreation
These programs help develop fitness, a positive use of leisure time, reduction of stress, appreciation for the environment and social and interpersonal skills.
Education
These programs are designed to ensure that all Club members graduate from high school on time, ready for a post-secondary education and a 21st-century career.
The Arts
These programs are designed to foster creativity in young people, and give them outlets for self-expression. From photography to hip-hop, our arts programs have something that will inspire everyone.
Health & Wellness
These programs develop young people’s capacity to engage in positive behaviors to nurture their well-being, set personal goals and grow into self-sufficient adults.
Workforce Readiness
These programs help to build tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and problem solvers! Millions of young people face an uncertain future and competitive job market. Boys & Girls Clubs help young people stay on track in the midst of change.
Character & Leadership
These programs help youth become responsible, caring citizens and acquire skills to participate the democratic process. Program participants also develop leadership skills and gain opportunities for planning, decision-making, contributing to Club and community and celebrating our national heritage.
Teen Program
Teen programs, designed specifically for ages 13-18, provide meaningful experiences today so teens are ready to chase their dreams tomorrow. Our teen program helps prepare teens and young adults for a successful future after high school.
Sports & Recreation
Triple Play: A Game Plan for the Mind, Body & Soul (All Ages)
Triple Play is BGCA’s proven health and wellness program co-sponsored by the Anthem Foundation and founding partner The Coca-Cola Company. Since launching in 2005, Triple Play has made more than 14.4 million connections with kids and teens, promoting the importance of physical activity and proper nutrition through the program’s three components: mind, body and soul.
Healthy Habits (Mind): Addresses the ways an individual’s health behaviors are influenced by personal beliefs and exposure to positive modeling. In addition to nutrition education, activities focus on helping youth assess, practice, identify, consider, and recognize health behaviors and messages.
Daily Challenges (Body): Intentional focus on physical literacy: Ability – Increasing capability in basic movement skills and overall fitness; Confidence -the knowledge of the ability to play sports or enjoy other physical activities and Motivation- the intrinsic enthusiasm for physical activity for members to be physically active for life.
Social Recreation (Soul): Emphasis on social and emotional development, or the social, cognitive, and behavioral skills that youth need to be healthy and productive. There is an explicit focus on emotional regulation, healthy relationships (with self and others), and responsible decision-making.
Education
Computer Science Pathway (All Ages)
The CS Pathway is designed to guide members through a series of increasingly challenging activities, including:
Hour of Code: Youth are exposed to computer science through accessible, drag and drop coding and games.
CS Unplugged: Youth gain a conceptual understanding of computer science through low-tech group activities.
App Lab: Youth work in teams to design, develop and present original ideas for Apps.
Project Learn (All Ages)
Project Learn reinforces the academic enrichment and school engagement of young people during the time they spend at the Club.
Students do much better in school when they spend their non-school hours engaged in fun, but academically beneficial, activities. Through Project Learn, Club staff use all the areas and programs in the Club to create opportunities for these high-yield learning activities, including leisure reading, writing activities, discussions with knowledgeable adults, helping others, homework help, tutoring and games that develop young people’s cognitive skills. Project Learn also emphasizes parent involvement as well as collaboration between Club and school professionals.
diplomas2Degrees (Age 13+)
diplomas2Degrees (d2D), a college readiness program, provides a range of services to guide Club members as they work toward high school graduation and prepare for post-secondary education and career success.
d2D helps teens develop both short- and long-term goals, while familiarizing them post-secondary education through experiences like college tours. It also assists youth in securing financial aid and fosters supportive relationships with adults who can provide support throughout the college experience.
Power Hour (Ages 6-18)
Power Hour: Making Minutes Count provides Club professionals with the strategies, activities, resources and information to create an engaging homework help and tutoring program that encourages Club members of every age to become self-directed learners.
Designed specifically to help kids and teens with homework, this program is available after school at Clubs. Dedicated youth development professionals and volunteers supervise each session and help youth members complete their assignments for the day. When they finish their work, they may choose to participate in a variety of other engaging and educational activities to develop their skills even further.
Power Hour is a great opportunity for kids and teens to get their homework completed in a quiet place with support from trained, caring staff at a Boys & Girls Club.
Money Matters: Make it Count (Age 13+)
Money Matters: Make it Count teaches teens how to set goals, budget, save and invest. In addition to staff-led financial literacy sessions, young people practice their financial decision-making skills through fun, engaging digital tools and games.
The financial decisions that young people make today will impact their future. That’s why Boys & Girls Clubs pair youth with supportive Club mentors and volunteers to develop the financial skills that can lead to workplace readiness, lifelong financial stability and overall success.
Summer Brain Gain (All Ages)
Summer Brain Gain is comprised of one-week modules with fun, themed activities for elementary school, middle school and high school students that are aligned with common core anchor standards. In addition, Summer Brain Gain: Read!, a literacy program, complements the larger Summer Brain Gain curriculum.
The Arts
ImageMakers (Age 6-18)
ImageMakers is a year-round program that helps Club members ages 6-18 learn the art and science of photography through multiple categories: Culture and Tradition, Portraits, Nature and Surroundings, Fashion and Style, and Editing and Filter. Photographs are displayed at local and regional exhibits around the world.
MusicMakers (All Ages)
MusicMakers inspires young people to produce music, and to create their life’s soundtrack.
National Fine Arts Exhibit (Age 6-18)
This year-round program encourages artistic expression among Club members ages 6 to 18 through drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, mixed media and sculpture displayed at local and regional exhibits.
Health & Wellness
Healthy Habits (Age 6-15)
Healthy Habits emphasizes good nutrition, regular physical activity and improved overall well-being. The program, for ages 6 to 15, is the Mind component of Triple Play: A Game Plan for the Mind, Body and Soul.
SMART Moves (Age 6-15)
SMART Moves is a prevention and education program addressing problems such as drug and alcohol use and premature sexual activity.
SMART Moves uses a team approach that involves Club staff, peer leaders, parents and community representatives. Young people ages 6 to 15 engage in discussion and role-playing, practicing resilience and refusal skills, developing assertiveness, strengthening decision-making skills and analyzing media and peer influence. The ultimate goal is to promote abstinence from substance abuse and adolescent sexual involvement through the practice of responsible behavior.
SMART Girls (Age 8-18)
SMART Girls provides health, fitness, prevention/education and self-esteem enhancement for girls ages 8 to 18.
Through dynamic sessions, participatory activities, field trips and mentoring opportunities with adult women, Club girls explore their own and societal attitudes and values as they build skills for eating right, staying physically fit, getting good health care and developing positive relationships with peers and adults.
Passport to Manhood (Age 11-14)
Passport to Manhood teaches responsibility to boys ages 11 to 14 with sessions that focus on a specific aspect of character and manhood through highly interactive activities.
Workforce Readiness
To help young people meet the workforce challenges of tomorrow, they need safe spaces, positive mentorship and work experiences today. At Boys & Girls Clubs, we allow kids and teens to:
Explore their interests and passions
Develop their employability skills
Apply their knowledge to real-world work experiences
Junior Staff (Ages 13-18)
Junior Staff is a small-group program that is both practical and user friendly.
Junior Staff assists Club members ages 13 to 18 in exploring a career in youth or human services, particularly Boys & Girls Club work. Young people prepare for future roles as human services professionals by participating in career development activities, discovering the importance of community service, building customer service skills and completing a Club apprenticeship. The program develops Club members’ interpersonal skills, work ethic and sense of community responsibility.
CareerLaunch (Ages 13-18)
CareerLaunch prepares teens for our nation’s workforce.
CareerLaunch encourages Club members ages 13 to 18 to assess their skills and interests, explore careers, make sound educational decisions and prepare to join our nation’s work force. Club staff or volunteers help teens build their job-search skills and job readiness by using the CareerLaunch Facilitator Guide and working with teens individually or in small groups. The CareerLaunch page provides Club teens, staff and volunteers with online career exploration, college and job search information and interactive activities. Mentoring, job shadowing and training opportunities round out the program.
Character & Leadership
Keystone Club (Age 14-18)
Keystoning is the Boys & Girls Club Movement’s ultimate teen program for youth ages 14 to 18. This unique program provides leadership development opportunities for youth to participate in activities, both in and out of the Club, in three focus areas: academic success, career preparation and community service. With the guidance of an adult advisor, Keystone Clubs aim to positively impact teens, their Club and local communities.
Youth of the Year (All Ages)
Youth of the Year is Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier recognition program. It is our signature effort to foster a new generation of leaders, fully prepared to live and lead in a diverse, global and integrated world economy. Learn more about our very own 2024 Youth of the Year honoree.
Youth of the Year has evolved into a comprehensive leadership development program, which includes:
Youth of the Month – Leadership Recognition Program
Junior Youth of the Year – Leadership Readiness Program, and
Youth of the Year – Leadership Development Program
Million Members, Million Hours of Service (All Ages)
Studies show that young people who engage in service do better in school, maintain positive relationships with adults and avoid risky behaviors. The Million Members, Million Hours of Service initiative aims to engage 1 million Boys & Girls Club youth in service projects each year, with each donating at least one hour of service.
Torch Club (Age 11-13)
Torch Clubs are chartered, small-group leadership and service clubs for boys and girls ages 11 to 13. A Torch Club is a powerful vehicle that helps Club staff meet the special character development needs of younger adolescents at a critical stage in their life.
Teen Program
Teen Program
Teens today have a lot on their minds — from school and what’s after graduation, to figuring out where they belong. Teens are not simply “older children” – they have reached a developmental stage that requires a different strategic approach to recruitment, retention, marketing, staff interaction, use of space and programming. In addition, the needs and developmental abilities of younger teens ages 13 to 15 vary from those of older teens ages 16 to 18.
