Great Futures Connections Winter 2020/2021

THE YEAR CLUBS WERE CALLED INTO ACTION

PROVIDING SAFE HAVENS

RESPONDING TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC LEADING RACIAL EQUITY

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Without a doubt, 2020 was one of the most challenging years of our lifetime -and a particularly difficult year for the children and communities Boys & Girls Clubs serve. Health, supportive relationships and consistency are foundational to a young person’s development last year posed threats to all three.

For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs have provided safe havens, a homeaway-from-home and a place for young people’s voices to be elevated. In 2020, we took this work to another level. Across the nation, Clubs responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by serving as community meal centers and virus-testing sites and by providing critical childcare for parents of first responders. When kids and teens stayed home to be safe, many Clubs launched and advanced virtual programming to ensure their members could lean on fun programs, learning, mentorship and friendship just like they expect from their in-Club experiences. See page 6 to read how the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania did just that.

When civil unrest rocked the nation as Americans continue to grapple with a longstanding history of racial injustice, Clubs tackled these issues headon. Clubs organized listening and healing sessions for members. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston share their experiences on page 10.

Through it all, Clubs persevered to redefine what safety looks like. The story on page 3 shares the pilot of our new on-site safety assessment.

This past year was not what any of us would’ve wanted for our kids or our Clubs. But it’s the year we were dealt and called into action, and I could not be prouder of the way the Boys & Girls Clubs stepped up to fulfill on our mission.

We know the fallout from 2020 will last for years to come – and we’re committed to being on the front lines, combatting learning loss, ensuring access and opportunities for young people and being a champion for racial equity locally and nationally. Thank you for your support and interest in Boys & Girls Clubs. We hope you’ll stand alongside us as we work to ensure great futures for America’s youth.

Jim Clark President and CEO

AT A GLANCE

Clubs Make a Difference

Clubs meet kids where they spend, in a typical year, 80 percent of their time – outside of school.

• 68,000 adult staff encourage youth voice and foster inclusive environments, supported by 457,000 volunteers.

• 467,000 children and teens are served daily across 4,700+ Clubs.

In 2020, Clubs rose to the myriad challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 4,437 Clubs provided services throughout the pandemic.

• 3,200 Clubs sites were providing on-site services by December 2020.

• 2,935 Clubs served meals to their members and community.

• 3,578 Clubs provided virtual experiences to their members and community.

Club advocates made their voices heard in the halls of Congress by sharing their stories and urging support for community-serving nonprofits in COVID-19 relief legislation.

• Club advocates delivered over 17,000 messages to Congressional offices and state elected officials to support Clubs’ efforts during COVID-19 to date.

• In 2020, Clubs received $170 million in Cares Act Funding.

BGCA Convened National Leaders

BGCA convened national leaders to discuss racial equity and the global pandemic with Club leadership and school leaders.

“The coronavirus and lockdown have given us all a chance to step back and reassess where we are and where we need to go. One thing it’s made very clear is that we have deep inequalities in this country that make it very hard for kids to learn and to have the opportunities only education can give.”

— Dr. Condoleezza Rice, 66th U.S. Secretary of State, Director of the Hoover Institution –presenting to Boys & Girls Club leaders and school superintendents, May 2020

“The overall framing of the American dream, that you’re preparing a world that will allow your children to do better than you, has actually got a huge crack in it that is playing out in ways that are cutting across our society. We have to come up with new ways that leverage more technology, more access, more flexibility. The partnerships necessary to do this well will include Boys & Girls Clubs in communities across the country and also agencies of government and all aspects of social services, so that we meet all of kids’ needs not through schools alone, but with the variety of folks who need to get involved in order to actually create a community that supports them.”

— James H. Shelton III, Chief Investment & Impact Officer, Blue Meridian Partners, former Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer,

U.S. Department of Education

Every young person deserves to thrive – regardless of their circumstances or ZIP code.

At Boys & Girls Clubs, we are proud to celebrate Black History Month and recognize the past and future contributions of Black people. We do whatever it takes to elevate youth voices and ensure their access to opportunities. We pledge to provide solutions that support progress on race, equity and social justice efforts to ensure all young people have access to programs that lead to academic success, healthy lifestyles, and good character and citizenship.

Visit bgca.org/voices to discover how young people are using their voices for a great future.

Providing Safe Havens

Since our first Club opened in 1860, Boys & Girls Clubs have been committed to creating safe spaces where young people can thrive. We focus on a young person’s mental, emotional and physical health and safety, with a commitment to ensure kids and teens feel a sense of inclusion and belonging at the Club. From strict safety protocols to adapting programming to be relevant to present-day needs, Clubs are constantly evolving procedures, processes and strategy to raise the bar on safety at youth-serving organizations.

Creating Safer Spaces

How Boys & Girls Clubs are informing new quality assurance safety process

Despite the many difficulties 2020 has presented, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Child Safety and Quality Assurance team launched a national pilot for a new safety assessment process. This new process is designed to support Clubs in doing their very best when it comes to youth safety, as part of our enterprise-wide commitment to continuous improvement.

The Quality Assurance team is solely focused on working with organizations to evaluate and improve current levels of safety performance.

In 2020, 37 Club organizations and 91 sites participated in the pilot to assess the Movement’s safety policies and practices. These locations will be evaluated using a new Safety Assessment Tool app to track findings and generate automated reports.

The pilot launched in June 2020 at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo in Michigan. Each organization was visited by a member of the BGCA Quality Assurance team, who evaluated safety systems from the perspective of safety-related membership requirements and other core operating standards – not only to ensure requirements are being met, but to increase understanding and provide solutions and support as needed.

Our strategy is rooted in continuous improvement,” says Mike Belcher, BGCA’s National Vice President of Child Safety and Quality. “We want to keep the focus on improving the way things are done on a regular basis.”

How It Works

The assessment is divided into two components: a selfassessment conducted by the local Boys & Girls Club, followed by a BGCA-led on-site assessment. Both used identical questions to ensure transparency, with the latter adding document reviews, on-site interviews and physical observations of Clubs to evaluate local safety practices and operating procedures.

The on-site assessment begins with an organizationlevel review of governance administration, including board-approved policies, safety committee activities, background checks and training. Site-level assessment statements are completed at each Club site to evaluate both facility conditions and the application of staff and volunteer practices to keep young people safe.

Our goal is to gain acceptance for this process,” says Belcher, “making sure we have a team of assessors who provide knowledge, validation and resources to create a safer environment for Club members, staff and volunteers.”

Feedback

Recently, we spoke with Greater Kalamazoo’s Matt Lynn, chief executive officer, and Matt Forkin, director of program development and evaluation, to get their insights on the opening pilot test.

CEO Lynn: This was the first go-around I’ve had, as the CEO of the organization, to walk through this particular level of an assessment around safety. For quite some time before I came into the organization, a high level of attention had already been paid to recalibrating certain policies and writing new policies to meet BGCA standards and requirements. For Mike and Teri Rigali (a lead director on the QA team) to come in and review our policies and counsel us on where we’re good, where we’re lacking, how we can make adjustments – that was valuable.

Dir. Forkin: It was great to receive recommendations for certain things we needed to update or rephrase. I thought it was extremely beneficial. I think it will be great for Clubs with new leadership or that are new to the organization to see it through that lens and really understand what the priorities need to be when it comes to organizational safety.

Multi-layer Child & Club Safety Protection

CEO Lynn: Every conversation created some immediate action for us. A prime example is background checks. We had a broader policy around staffing and volunteerism that included language specific to background checks, but it wasn’t a specific, standalone policy. So, following their site visit, we went to our board to approve a standalone background check. We want to make sure that everybody understands exactly what that standard is and that we will not compromise. That was time very well spent.

Dir. Forkin: I’ve gone through a lot of safety assessments. This one felt so constructive. To have these conversations in person and on site made such a difference. At no time did it feel punitive. From an organizational level, that’s very appreciated.

By the end of 2021, the assessment pilot aims to reach 645 organizations and 2,000 sites total. To learn more or volunteer your Club organization to participate in this assessment process in 2021 at no cost to your Club, register HERE.

Board–led Safety Committee

Certified Praesidium Guardians

Community Engagement

Staff & Youth Councils

Assessments & Reviews

Robust Training & Learning Events

Policies, Procedures and Standards

Prohibition of 1:1 Contact

Annual Background Checks

Mandatory Reporting

Report Concerns

SMART Moves: Emotional Wellness

By Sarah Grizzle

Sarah Wilkerson, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Loudon County in Tennessee, knows that emotions can sometimes run high in the Club.

“Walk into any Club, on any given day, and you will see a wide range of big emotions in little bodies,” she says. “The kid who doesn’t have the best hand-eye coordination playing four square who screams and cries in the corner every time they’re called out. The kid who just got out of school for the day and runs around in circles aggressively tagging all their friends in the tech lab. The kid who didn’t get enough sleep the night before because their parents were fighting.”

So, it’s no surprise that when Club leadership learned of the opportunity to participate in the pilot test for the new SMART Moves: Emotional Wellness program, they signed up immediately.

The SMART (Skills Mastery and Resilience Training) suite of prevention programs, originally developed by BGCA and Clubs in the 1980s, has undergone a thoroughly modern update. Today’s SMART Moves programs use a strengths-based approach to health promotion, incorporating youth voice and choice as well as opportunities to learn and practice key social-emotional skills young people need to make healthy choices about risky behaviors.

The first piece of the redesigned program is Emotional Wellness, which focuses on positive coping strategies that build the three cognitive-behavior skills most linked to helping youth avoid negative thought patterns and behaviors: self-regulation, impulse control and stress management.

“For us, the program was really good in so many ways,” says Wilkerson. “It was great for helping kids understand how to cope with their emotions in the same way they learn the scientific method. First, identify the emotions you are feeling; then, try a coping strategy. Did it work? If not, let’s try something else.”

Program staff incorporated activities and methods from SMART Moves: Emotional Wellness throughout the Club, giving youth multiple chances to practice positive coping strategies each day. Even a group of tween boys who initially scoffed at the idea of sharing their emotions came around.

“One particular lesson involved a ‘rabbit trail,’ where some of our older boys opened up about their personal struggles,” Wilkerson explains. “They learned that everyone is dealing with these kinds of feelings, and they don’t have to put up walls. They can find someone they trust to talk it over with.”

While the Club participated in the pilot before the COVID-19 pandemic began, skills the kids built are being put to use now as they cope with all the changes. “We know we are all in it together,” says Wilkerson. “I talked with a member who was having a rough day. I said ‘You know what? You’re right, these new rules aren’t fun. What would you do if we could change them?’

“We talked and laughed about a huge party we would throw where everyone could come wearing their masks and then we would throw them into the air like graduation caps. It’s about making sure youth feel heard and understood.”

SMART Moves: Emotional Wellness is available for download now on BGCA.net, with other resources in the suite, including SMART Moves: Core and SMART Moves Modules, available soon.

Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The local Boys & Girls Club is an anchor of its community. That has never been more obvious than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across the country, Clubs have stepped up to serve meals to those in need, provide care for children of essential workers and deliver innovative and stabilizing virtual programming. While Clubs always work tirelessly to meet the needs of kids and communities, this year has required them to adapt on the go, from advancing virtual programming at a rapid rate to redefining what summertime looks like.

InstaClubhouse!

Coronavirus prompts successful shift to virtual programming

By John Collins

It was a Monday, last March, when Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania announced it would immediately close its 15 metropolitan Pittsburgh sites to help prevent spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

“A weekend changed everything,” recalls Dr. Lisa Abel-Palmieri, the organization’s president and CEO. “We didn’t get a proper chance initially to say goodbye to our kids or make sure they had everything they needed.”

Western Pennsylvania Clubs serve over 12,000 children and teens, including many whose circumstances make them more vulnerable to crises. So, straight off, Club staff began the process of calling some 2,000 member families to do wellness checks. How were they feeling? Did they need food?

One thing they kept hearing, from kids and parents alike, was the profound loss of community that many families felt when Clubs closed.

“Community is something Clubs provide,” says AbelPalmieri. “So, my staff and I began to talk about, ‘how can we provide a sense of community and connection and literally see our kids’ faces?’”

Within two weeks of closing their brick-and-mortar Clubs, Western Pennsylvania staff teamed up to develop and launch a virtual Club where they could reconnect with their kids. They called it InstaClubhouse.

InstaSuccess

Accessed on the Club’s website, InstaClubhouse uses freeware including Google Hangouts, YouTube, Code. org and MyFuture.net to connect staff and members via video chat, host live and recorded classes and activities, share projects and archive activities for later use.

Programming is broken into two age groups – grades K-7 and 8-12 – offering a variety of engaging activities including STEM, literacy, wellness, physical fitness and many other areas.

“The whole thing was making sure the online learning we did wasn’t boring,” says Abel-Palmieri. “That it was not school, not just focused on core academic content. We’re a Boys & Girls Club. We want to make sure it’s focused on enrichment, fun, social-emotional learning, mentoring –access to opportunities they won’t get in school.”

By mid-May, InstaClubhouse was thriving. Using curriculum developed and written by Club staff, members had 140 free online classes from which to choose, all taught by staff and instructors. The site

Dr. Lisa Abel-Palmieri, Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania president and CEO.

gained serious traction, logging over 35,000 YouTube views. Spotting an opportunity to reach even more kids, the organization decided to shift its content to a second, more powerful online platform called Outschool.

Outschool Time

Founded in 2015 to serve mainly homeschool families, Outschool offers over 50,000 kids-only classes via group video chat, covering a wide range of subjects created and taught by teachers around the world. Cost-wise, Outschool receives a 30 percent service fee every time someone signs up for a class. “The benefit is that the technology is already there,” says Abel-Palmieri. “We paid nothing to use their software and be up and running in a matter of months. Now we just post our classes, advertise them, get reviews, manage the learning and manage our teachers.”

In line with serving kids who need them most, the Club prices classes affordably and offers every Club family a $200 scholarship to purchase classes. Youth beyond Allegheny County have participated in the Club’s 140 classes on Outschool.

“It exposes our kids to kids across the country and the world,” says Abel-Palmieri, “offering them the inherent benefit of meeting new kids in diversity – not only from across the country, but in Korea, in India, in Dubai.”

Reaching Teens

Staying in touch with teens was a big priority, especially as many took on added family responsibilities due to the coronavirus. To keep connecting with teens, the Club decided to also take their popular Career Works program online.

Career Works supports teens with their studies while preparing them for career options in high-growth industries. Participants earn college or vocational credit toward an apprenticeship certificate and are paid $10 an hour.

BGCA is committed to giving young people fun, educational digital learning experiences. MyFuture puts hundreds of activities into the hands of your Club kids and teens — accessible anytime, anywhere, via computer, tablet or phone. Visit MyFuture.net to get started.

The Club not only continued to engage teens during the shutdown; entering the summer season, they hosted 80 teens online, five to six hours a day, Monday through Friday, as participants in the Learn & Earn Summer Youth Employment Program, a component of Career Works.

“The most beautiful thing is the amount of data we have from the “Virtual Reflections” we ask the kids to do after every session,” says Abel-Palmieri. “Questions like, ‘Did you like it? What did you not like? How does this apply to your life? Do you need cleaning or hygiene supplies? Do you need food?’”

From creating a pandemic-spurred virtual Clubhouse on the fly to learning how impactful and relevant online programming could be, Club leadership made the intentional decision to make virtual learning a permanent part of their program.

When asked how difficult it was to launch a virtual program, Dr. Abel-Palmieri says several elements combined to create their success. “We had the right team structure at the right time when the pandemic hit,” she says. “A CEO who taught higher education for a decade in distance education, a team I recruited or brought with me. So, we kind of had the perfect conditions.”

A Summer Like No Other –How Clubs Supported a Fun, Enriching Experience at Home

By Meg Mirshak

Boys & Girls Club staff across the nation rolled up their sleeves to maintain connections with young people and mitigate learning loss during a noticeably different summer. While nearly 1,000 Club sites were serving youth on site, kids in many communities were unable to return to in-person Club programming as the nation continued to respond to COVID-19. In some of those communities, the Club experience was delivered to families’ doorsteps. Activity kits filled with sidewalk chalk, bubbles, puzzles, books and science experiments became an integral component for reaching youth and families when the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered most Clubs in March. With more unstructured time than usual imposed on kids during the summer, Clubs reasoned that engaging activities would provide a relief from screen time and create positive memories.

“We know our populations are vulnerable and to think about them not being connected to the Club is frightening,” says Kimberly Key, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento. “The Club is their lifeline and we need to keep that going the best we can.”

During a delivery of activity kits to a public housing development, kids were waiting outside with eager anticipation when staff members from Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento arrived. Children screamed with excitement not only for the fun activities but for the opportunity to see their Club mentors.

Home deliveries also enabled staff to assess family well-being and the need for food and hygiene items, Kimberly says. A weekly kit that included a waffle iron and ingredients for homemade waffles encouraged families to spend quality time together. Additional kits included a journal for youth to record their experiences and reactions to racial injustice.

At Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo, staff were alarmed by reports from teachers and parents saying homes lacked reading books for children. The Club delivered a 10book library to 100 kids along with crayons, markers, construction paper and basic supplies corresponding to virtual activities hosted by staff.

Shawna Woody, director of program operations at Boys & Girls Club of Toledo, said the Summer Brain Gain program had been adapted for virtual learning. In July, the Club began offering in-person day camp for 32 kids per week to allow for social distancing. They normally serve more than 250 kids during summer camp.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine also delivered activity kits to children who were registered for virtual summer camps. The kits contained writing materials, art supplies and STEM activities for youth to follow along with virtual lessons.

Karen MacDonald, chief operating officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine, says the activity kits foster a sense of connection, combat learning loss and address loneliness among youth who lack social interaction during long summer days.

“We all thought we’d be back in person by the summer,” says MacDonald. “Now as circumstances evolve, we know our members need the Boys & Girls Club as well as regular activities to keep them busy and provide some learning engagement.”

Leading Racial Equity

As communities across the nation call for action on racial injustice and equity, Boys & Girls Clubs have an important role to play. We are committed to guiding young people as they navigate the world, elevating their voices and helping them build skills that will empower them to shape the future. With a local and national footprint, we amplify this work by highlighting issues that matter to young people and partnering to drive community-based solutions to help eliminate barriers that prevent the full participation and advancement of the young people we serve.

Breaking Down Barriers – The Boys & Girls Club Call for Change

The mission and core beliefs of Boys & Girls Clubs fuel our commitment to equity. For far too long, systemic barriers have created and perpetuated inequities for Black, Indigenous and other people of color. To accomplish our mission, Boys & Girls Clubs are advancing racial equity for the youth, families and communities we serve.

Being the Change in Houston

Empowering teens affected by racial injustice

By Sarah Grizzle

Today’s young people find themselves caught at the intersection of several huge fault lines on top of the normal stressors involved in growing up, including climate change, economic upheaval and stark political division. Another is the social and race-based injustice that has dominated headlines for much of 2020. For many young people, we know these headlines reinforce everyday experiences they have with discrimination, racism and injustice. While stories of African American men and women being killed by police and other racially motivated acts of violence are tragically all too common, this year has seen increased motivation in demands for social, political and economic change, with youth at the center of it all.

We as a Club look at how it all fits together: racial inequity, health disparities, the criminal justice system, distribution of wealth,” says Campbell. “Understanding the lived experience of our youth is embedded in how we approach programming, the opportunities we give and how we focus on our impact. We know it’s about life and what that trajectory could look like for them.”

Framing their theory of change explicitly as social justice youth development informs every aspect of the organization. Policies and procedures, staff training, even the kinds of data collection and research the team focuses on is informed by this lens. Knowing what’s happening among local families is another way the Club helps serve their community in times of crisis, such as when Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area in 2017.

“We are resilient because we know how to pivot in the face of something happening in our community and continuing to serve our kids, even when we are in the midst of our own very real pain,” says Campbell. That experience proved invaluable as they once again drew on their resilience, innovation, creativity and responsiveness to adapt to changes demanded by the COVID-19 pandemic and, at the same time, address the racial injustice dominating the news.

At Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, this work isn’t new, though it has taken on increased urgency. Following the high-profile killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks in a short time span -- combined with more stories that made headlines and even more that didn’t -- Club staff knew they needed to do something for their youth.

“We know the young people we serve and the communities we are in,” says Zenae Campbell, vice president of program services. “We have a special focus on young boys of color because the data tells us how they experience the world. It is literally our every day. There’s no turning our head from that.”

With membership made up of largely African American and Latino youth, race-based injustice is an issue Club leadership has considered deeply.

Unexpected Opportunities

Interestingly, the pandemic created opportunities for connections that may not have occurred otherwise. At the beginning of the pandemic, the organization facilitated virtual programming across their 23 Club sites, which stretch across a large footprint and don’t often get to connect.

We have urban to rural to island Clubs. Being virtual helped youth from different parts of the community dialogue with each other,” says Campbell.

Informed by youth voice at every step, staff created, Be the Change You Want 2 See, a program that uses a trauma-informed approach that focuses on hope, healing and helping youth explore how they improve their communities. Through a series of activities using artistic expression, research, writing, service learning and moderated conversation, staff and youth work together to acknowledge difficult times past and present and explore how they can be a part of what is to come.

“We had a lot of youth asking, ‘Why now? These things have been happening to me and my people for so long, so why does this suddenly matter now?’” Campbell recalls. “We spent a lot of time unpacking anger and then moving into what we can to do rise up and figure out what protest and activism means for each person.”

Powerful changes facilitated by Be the Change You Want 2 See led the organization to look beyond Houston. When they learned George Floyd grew up in Houston, staff reached out to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities in Minneapolis-St. Paul. “It was powerful to connect on something that had an impact on both of us,” says Campbell.

Leadership teams from both organizations spent time with each other sharing how their Club families and operations were affected by the protests and exploring how they could do something meaningful to honor both of their communities. Greater Houston invited Twin Cities youth to participate in their programming and youth from both Clubs connected on a weekly basis. “It created an even more impactful experience for our young people here in Houston, to begin to see beyond our local area, and how the impact of their voices can matter on a larger scale,” says Campbell.

Transparency and vulnerability on the part of Club staff and volunteers is key. Staff are encouraged to share their experiences and speak about their varied identities with each other and youth. One powerful moment came not long after the protests began, when BGCGH Board Chair Julius Young , a Black man and Club alum, held a meeting with Club staff and shared his own experiences with police brutality. Following his example, staff shared their own personal stories and feelings with the youth they serve, engendering trust and allowing discussions with youth to reach deeper levels.

Mentoring

Added to this overall work is a renewed focus on mentorship. “We know this because the work we do in Clubs is social justice work, but it’s important for young folks to know they can get burnt out,” Campbell says. “We have to help them understand that just because you spoke out today doesn’t mean it will automatically change tomorrow. Mentorship with the right experienced and caring adults will help them to keep progressing and not give up.”

Now, more so than ever, youth are the key ingredient to healing wounds, transforming policies, upending unjust practices and holding institutions accountable for much needed change. As a result, they are creating a country and global community where all people thrive.

In Houston, Club members have poured their energy into a myriad of projects and topics. Some have expressed their feelings and hopes through artistic expression including writing songs, creating visual art, even developing a TV show for broadcast to the Greater Houston community. One group of teens dug into learning more about health disparities Black Americans face, particularly in light of COVID-19. The Club has engaged local attorneys and judges to speak to youth who are passionate about criminal justice reform. Another group is investigating how gaps in technology access affect education.

Through it all, Club youth continue to provide Campbell with hope.

There’s not a quick fix or easy answer for any of this. These are the kinds of issues that take a long time to learn and work through. But young people are ready and are already change-agents.”

Boys & Girls Club staff can learn more about our Movement’s approach, available resources, and training opportunities to address systemic racism and increase equity at BGCA.net/RacialEquity.

Kids and Racism: America’s Youth are Doing Something About It

By Tiffany Thornton

A Solution to an Enduring Problem

As the world responded with outrage to George Floyd’s murder, teens at the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis in Oregon were grappling with their personal experiences with racism and its impact on kids. With the support of Club staff, four members — Neveah, Kayla, Josiah and Malik — mobilized their peers to hold a live-streamed online event called “Addressing Racism Through Teen Voice.” They shared their stories and initiated courageous conversations to address systemic racism and advocate for change.

“The first time I experienced racism was when I was 8 years old. I went into a convenience store. When I was checking out, a woman in front of me looked at me with disgust and told me straight to my face that I’d never have a future and never be anything because of the color of my skin.” — Jermarlon

Let that sink in for a moment. This is what Black kids and children of color face every day in America — in their neighborhoods, grocery stores, shopping malls and schools.

While racism and its impact on kids has been undeniable for centuries, our nation is calling for change louder than any time in recent history. The prevalence of bias, injustice and systemic racism cannot be ignored, and today’s youth will make sure of that.

Boys & Girls Clubs are where many kids and teens say they feel safe exploring difficult conversations and building relationships with diverse peers and adults. It’s where they learn about new cultures, unlearn biases and have trusted mentors to support and guide them. We recently asked Boys & Girls Club teens to tell us about their personal experiences with racism.

“I am biracial. Growing up I didn’t fit in with white kids because I was too Black, and I didn’t fit in with Black kids because I was too white. I always felt like an outcast. I was ashamed of who I was and felt lost. When I started attending the Boys & Girls Club, I slowly started to feel like I belong. Now in my senior year, I have started to embrace being Black, being powerful and being intelligent.” —

Neveah

When it comes to kids and racism, education expert Alfie Kohn has said “youth learn how to make good choices by making choices, not by following directions.” Boys & Girls Clubs give young people the opportunity to make choices and try new things in a safe environment. Helping kids and teens process complex challenges, amplify their voices and navigate adversity with compassion and conviction is at the heart of what happens at Clubs. As we face another uncertain school year where learning loss, safety concerns and inequities will only deepen, Boys & Girls Clubs remain a critical community hub of support to attack systemic problems with systemic solutions driven by our youth.

Champions of Youth

COVID-19 Relief Fund

Our Partners

Support from the COVID-19 Relief Fund will impact the critical work of local Clubs that are on the frontlines and making a difference in communities around the country. If your company would like to help us in supporting kids and teens who need us most during this unprecedented time, please contact partnerships@bgca.org

$5,000,000+

$1,000,000 - $4,999,999

$100,000 - $499,999

Aaron’s Align Technology, Inc.

Caterpillar Foundation

Charles Schwab Foundation

Comic Relief/Red Nose Day

FRThankYou.com

The Heart of Neiman

Marcus Foundation

$500,000 - $999,999

The Home Depot Foundation

The James M. Cox Foundation

Lenovo

Lexus

Microsoft MLB

National General Insurance

Newell Brands

NFL Foundation

Panda Cares Foundation

Ross Stores Foundation

SQ Medical Supplies Toyota

U.S. Cellular

Up to $99,999

Buffalo Wild Wings Champion

Chuck E. Cheese

Family Dollar

Henkel Corporation

The Hershey Company

Kids Foot Locker

KPMG U.S. Foundation

Michaels

OnePlus

Robert Half

Synchrony Foundation

Walmart Foundation

Wells Fargo

The work Clubs achieved in 2020, and continue to do in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, would not be possible without the support of donors and champions around the nation.

COVID-19 Relief Fund continued.

Throughout the pandemic, Clubs have done whatever it takes to support kids, families and communities. Our donors, advocates and supporters furthered these efforts through BGCA’s COVID-19 Relief Fund. In 2020, $29.9 million in COVID-19 Relief Fund support was distributed to 719 Club organizations.

To sustain efforts, the focus of our national fundraising is evolving to prioritize the emerging issues you’re seeing, and our nation’s young people are experiencing in the wake of the pandemic. These fundraising focus areas include:

Combating learning loss

Advancing our commitment to racial equity

Youth emotional wellbeing

As you can see, our focus remains steadfast on our mission – which is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential. By focusing in on these three critical areas, collectively we can make an impact to reduce the emotional, academic and social gaps that have expanded due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

Corporate Partners

Charles Schwab Foundation

A refreshed Money Matters curriculum was released to Boys & Girls Clubs in early fall following a review process to better understand the needs and wants of Club staff and teens. Last refreshed in 2010, the Money Matters curriculum helps youth gain critical money management skills and gives youth equitable access to the opportunities needed to succeed.

In partnership with the Charles Schwab Foundation, the new Money Matters facilitator and teen guides were mailed to all teen-serving sites in August. The new curriculum includes staff-led sessions and personal reflection to develop financial literacy skills that lead to workplace readiness and lifelong financial stability.

Financial literacy in 2010 looked different than it does today,” says Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

“Especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our nation’s elevated focus on racial equity, we must evolve and change to continue to meet the needs of America’s young people.”

The refreshed curriculum has 22 new and engaging sessions that encourage teens to examine the impact of their decisions and behaviors on their future selves. It incorporates social-emotional skills into economic concepts and youth development best practices, as well as teaching lessons in online privacy and safety to ensure teens understand potential risks. New digital tools to help teens understand financial literacy are also available on MyFuture.net.

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation recently awarded a $1 million grant over two years to support a Boys & Girls Clubs of America tutoring program.

Bank of America

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has been a partner with Boys & Girls Clubs since 1980 and recently awarded a $1 million grant over two years to support a Boys & Girls Clubs of America tutoring program for youth ages 6 to 18 in select cities across the U.S. The initiative is an extension of Project Learn, a program that reinforces the academic enrichment and school engagement of young people during time they spend at Clubs.

“As education in America becomes increasingly challenged by the impacts of coronavirus, it is important to support organizations that can inspire educational gains among students who need them most,” said Cynthia Bowman, chief diversity and inclusion and talent acquisition officer at Bank of America and a board trustee for BGCA’s Midwest Region. “We hope this grant to Boys & Girls Clubs of America can further support the essential work they are doing to help level the playing field for kids, families and communities across the country.”

 Cynthia Bowman, Chief Diversity and Inclusion and Talent Acquisition Officer at Bank of America and a board trustee for BGCA’s Midwest Region

Olympian Joins Local Club Fundraiser

Amidst the ongoing pandemic, organizations have had to get creative in presenting their normally in-person annual fundraising events. In Mt. Vernon, Washington, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County presented its “Gala in a Box,” a virtual event featuring Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee Jackie’s keynote speech touched on her Club background and its impacted on her legendary track and field career.

“American Idol” Star Performs Virtual Show for Club Leaders

Last October, Boys & Girls Club alum Ruben Studdard performed a private concert for attendees of the 2020 Combined Virtual Regional Leadership Conference. The singer also took questions from the audience and shared how the Club provided him with determination to follow his dreams. Ruben was the 2003 winner of the popular talent search TV show, “American Idol.”

Cruz Control: Teen Town Hall

2020 was emotionally, physically and mentally challenging for people across the world. Stress, grief and isolation caused by COVID-19 were exacerbated by feelings associated with the unjust killings of Black individuals and resulting Black Lives Matter protests. But there are some voices who haven’t been heard from. Those who represent our future.

With that in mind, the Victor Cruz Foundation and BGCA hosted a Teen Town Hall Sept. 4, 2020 at the Boys & Girls Club of Patterson & Passaic. Cruz, a Club alum and former New York Giant great, facilitated dialogue among two health professionals and an audience of teens at his hometown Club of how the loss of structure and routine, combined with social disconnection from families and community support, has directly contributed to a decline in young people’s overall emotional wellness. These stressful times can cause fear, anxiety and other emotions for teens. Cruz is committed to ensuring teens are seen and heard and believes this conversation was the first step of many to support their well-being.