Boys And Girls Clubs Of Boston Inc

TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO NEED US MOST, BUILD STRONG CHARACTER AND REALIZE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AS RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS AND LEADERS. WE DO THIS BY PROVIDING A SAFE HAVEN FILLED WITH HOPE AND OPPORTUNITY, ONGOING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CARING ADULTS, AND LIFE-ENHANCING PROGRAMS.

FREESTANDING CLUBS - BGCB OFFERS ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE AFTER-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMMING TO CHILDREN AND TEENS IN OUR FREESTANDING CLUBS LOCATED IN CHARLESTOWN, CHELSEA, DORCHESTER, ROXBURY, AND SOUTH BOSTON. OUR CLUB FACILITIES AND AGE-APPROPRIATE SETTINGS CREATE A SENSE OF PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL SAFETY FOR OUR MEMBERS AND OUR STAFF MAKE THE CLUB FEEL LIKE HOME - FOSTERING A FAMILY ATMOSPHERE. THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF, INCLUDING LICENSED SOCIAL WORKERS, ACTIVELY CULTIVATE RELATIONSHIPS WITH MEMBERS TO ENSURE THEY FEEL CONNECTED AND HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF STABILITY AND BELONGING AS WELL AS HAVE FUN! MEMBERS DEVELOP CRITICAL THINKING, PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, TECHNOLOGICAL, ARTISTIC AND LIFE SKILLS BY PARTICIPATING IN INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND OVERALL WELL-BEING IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: EDUCATION, MUSIC & ARTS, SPORTS, FITNESS, AND RECREATION, TECHNOLOGY, LEADERSHIP, LIFE SKILLS, EXPERIENTIAL TRAVEL AND THE READY TO WORK PROGRAM. SUMMER CAMPS - OUR FULL-DAY FUN-FILLED CAMPS FOR CHILDREN AGES 6-12 ARE DESIGNED TO KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS, EDUCATE THEM DURING THE NON-SCHOOL MONTHS TO HELP PREVENT SUMMER LEARNING LOSS, AND PROVIDE RECREATIONAL EXPERIENCES TO WHICH THEY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE ACCESS. CAMPERS PARTICIPATE IN A DIVERSE ROSTER OF ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING ARTS AND CRAFTS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS, SPORTS, FIELD TRIPS, AND, LOTS OF SWIMMING! MANY OF OUR TEEN MEMBERS WORK AT OUR CLUBS AS JUNIOR STAFF, ASSISTING WITH CAMP ACTIVITIES, OR AS LIFEGUARDS AT THE POOL, WHILE OTHER TEENS ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN CORPORATE OFFICES OR PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS IN BOSTON. WHATEVER THEIR SUMMER EMPLOYMENT, CLUB MEMBERS GAIN VALUABLE EXPERIENCE AND EARN MONEY WHILE KEEPING THEM OFF THE STREETS AND OUT OF TROUBLE WHEN THE SCHOOL YEAR ENDS.

SHARED SPACE AND DEDICATED SITE CLUBS - BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF BOSTON HAS OPERATED SEVERAL SHARED SPACE CLUBS LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITIES OF DORCHESTER, JAMAICA PLAIN, ROSLINDALE, AND SOUTH BOSTON. SOME OF THE PLACES THAT THESE CLUBS CAN BE FOUND INCLUDE WITHIN THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR HOUSING COMPLEXES. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC WE WERE NOT ABLE TO OPERATE THREE OF OUR SHARED SPACE CLUBS DURING THE YEAR BASED ON THEIR LOCATIONS AND NOT HAVING ACCESS TO THE SPACES, THESE CLUBS WERE LOCATED IN SOUTH BOSTON, ROSLINDALE, AND JAMAICA PLAIN. IN ADDITION TO THE SHARED SPACE CLUBS, BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF BOSTON OPERATES TWO DEDICATED SITE CLUBS LOCATED IN MATTAPAN AND ROXBURY, THE MATTAPAN TEEN CENTER AND THE ORCHARD GARDENS CLUB. THE SHARED SPACE AND DEDICATED SITE CLUBS PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE MORE YOUTH WHERE THEY LIVE OR GO TO SCHOOL VIA QUALITY AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT ARE BASED ON SIX CORE PROGRAM ELEMENTS THAT INCLUDE ARTS, EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP, LIFE SKILLS, SPORTS, FITNESS, RECREATION AND TECHNOLOGY. AT THE ORCHARD GARDENS CLUB AND THE MATTAPAN TEEN CENTER PROGRAMMING ALSO FOCUSES ON THE READY TO WORK PROGRAM, WHICH IS OFFERED AT OUR FREESTANDING CLUBS AS WELL. READY TO WORK TAKES A BROAD AND COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO PREPARING TEENS FOR THEIR ENTRANCE INTO THE WORKFORCE, OFFERING WORKFORCE ORIENTATIONS AND PROGRAMS CATERING TO MEMBERS' INTERESTS. SUMMER CAMPS ARE ALSO AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE SHARED SPACE AND DEDICATED SITE CLUB'S YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING. THE FULL-DAY CAMPS FOR CHILDREN AGES 6-12 ARE DESIGNED TO KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS, AND PROVIDE RECREATIONAL EXPERIENCES TO WHICH THEY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE ACCESS. OUR SCHOOL-BASED CLUBS PARTNER WITH BOSTON AFTER-SCHOOL & BEYOND TO EMPLOY TEACHERS FROM BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO DELIVER ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION TO HELP PREVENT SUMMER LEARNING LOSS.

YOUTHCONNECT - CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKERS CONNECTING AT-RISK YOUTH TO POSITIVE CHOICES, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT YOUTHCONNECT IS AN ADVOCACY AND INTERVENTION PROGRAM OF BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF BOSTON THAT HELPS THE MOST AT-RISK YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE POSITIVE LIFE CHOICES THROUGH TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH SKILLED AND COMPASSIONATE SOCIAL WORKERS. THROUGH OUR INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE PLACE LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKERS IN POLICE STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF BOSTON. THIS DIRECT PARTNERSHIP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT ALLOWS US TO IMMEDIATELY INTERVENE WITH THE CHILD AT THE CRITICAL MOMENT WHEN THEY ARE ENGAGING IN - OR ARE AT RISK OF - ENGAGING IN DELINQUENT ACTIVITY. OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH BOTH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDERS, ALLOW OUR STAFF TO THEN HELP SECURE THE MOST APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF CARE AND SERVICES NEEDED TO HELP THE YOUNG PERSON GET BACK ON TRACK FOR A MORE HOPEFUL FUTURE. YOUTHCONNECT'S INNOVATIVE CLINICAL MODEL ENABLES SOCIAL WORKERS TO NOT ONLY ASSIST A WIDE-RANGE OF YOUTH, BUT ALSO HELP THEIR FAMILIES. SERVICES ARE OFTEN PUT IN PLACE FOR THE YOUNGER CHILDREN IN THE FAMILY TO HELP ENSURE THEIR ACADEMIC AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME NEEDS ARE MET, AND YOUTHCONNECT ALSO WORKS DIRECTLY WITH THE TEEN'S PARENT/GUARDIAN TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS AND NEEDS. IN ADDITION, OUR STAFF PROVIDE COMMUNITY-BASED COUNSELING TO ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO TRUANCY, DELINQUENCY, SAFETY, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, VICTIMIZATION, SCHOOL PERFORMANCE AND FAMILY FUNCTIONING.