2018 Year in Review

2018! WHAT A YEAR!

It has been a GREAT year for Boys & Girls Clubs across the Movement, and it has been an INCREDIBLE year for the ClubX Blog! This is our first full calendar year, and I’ve been so excited for all the support. So how did the year end up looking? I MADE AN INFOGRAPHIC Y’ALL!

WOW! Those are some big numbers!

I am especially proud of having the opportunity to feature 22! Club Stories in 2018. Did you catch them all?

• Mikayla from Boys & Girls Club of the Gila Valley shared an online behavior management tool
• Club Alum and new YDP Chris shared how his Club shaped his life
• Toni at Boys & Girls Clubs of Tipton County planned a Virtual Olympics for the entire Movement
• Vericia from Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield created Wonder Girl Hour in the Gym
• Desirae at Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club wrote TWO posts! One on tips for survey administration and one on celebrating after the survey
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Colorado River represented with THREE posts! Breanna kicked it off by telling us how she makes it work at her small Club, Heather talked about creating community partnerships, and Ericha inspired us with some thoughts on how challenges are opportunities for growth
• A new resource from the Planning & Measurement Department on Pulse Checks brought us two Club Stories- one from Brandy at Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield and one from Max at Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada
• WAKANDA FOREVER! Lauren at Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington County integrated the phenomenon that is Black Panther into teen programming
• Vanesa, a teen member of the Keystone Steering Committee, wrote about igniting change and making moves
• Gavin at Boys & Girls Clubs of West Alabama guided us through managing the many changes that Club staff experience
• Juanita at Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama plans EXTRA events on a budget for her members
• Tiffanie at Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine teaches literacy and creates belonging through Newspaper Club
• Emma and Joshua at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley celebrated their NYOI data with staff and members
• Stacey at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley gave some tips for staff on having scary conversations with youth
• Music took center stage in two posts, one on a comprehensive Music Clubhouse program from Dustin at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and one on using simple incentives to encourage skill building from Anders at Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston
• Jelani at Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia is recognizing FUN at his Club
• Culture integrates into everything Adam at Boys & Girls Clubs of Tuscon and his staff do at their Club, including tech programming

Another new partnership that I am excited about not just for the amazing 2018 content, but for the posts that we are already planning for 2019, is with the new Youth Trends team at BGCA. They are on the cutting edge of culture and important issues that affect the youth of this country, and always share their latest here on the blog. Check the Youth Trends tag for posts from 2018 on LGBTQ youth, consent and sexual assault, youth activism, cyberbullying, and more.

The ClubX Blog has so much room for posts on activities! And we used a lot of it this year with a bunch of posts that give you ideas for all areas of your Club. Many are tied to seasons or to special “holiday” weeks, but can be used at any time. Check the Activities tag for posts from 2018 on DIY music, Club-tested chemistry, gifts to make in the art room, ways to use pool noodles, cultivating kindness, activities for parties instead of serving food, one of my favorite games ever- Dumb Debates, and more. Rest assured, more posts like this are planned for 2019!

Overall, 2018 has been a huge success. I am so thankful for everyone who has visited the blog, shared our posts, contributed ideas, and subscribed either through this site or followed the BGCA Youth Development Facebook (new this year!). All the success is because of you! It is an honor and a gift to manage this little corner of the internet, and I am grateful I get to do it.

We will only be able to reach these same heights in 2019 if we have YOUR input! There are three major ways to contribute:

1. Read and share our posts! If you see something that your colleagues may find useful, tag them in a post on Facebook or send them the link. We are still working on making sure everyone at Boys & Girls Clubs know that we exist, so sharing is a HUGE help!
2. Comment your ideas and adaptations! Every Club is different, and we are masters at adapting activities and lessons to fit our contexts. Let us know what you did! If you tried something and it went well, tell us! If you tried something and it went horribly, tell us! If you have a prior experience, tell us! There are comment sections both on each blog post and on Facebook. They can become really rich places for deeper learning if we utilize them well.
3. Become a ClubX Blog contributor! It is SO EASY to become one of the writers on the Blog. I know how precious little time you have, so I am dedicated to making it a positive experience. There are lots of ways to do it, from writing a post yourself to just scheduling a phone interview with me. I want to increase our number of Club Stories every year, and will only be able to do so with your partnership. To start, just shoot me an email at ClubXBlog@bgca.org and I’ll work with you!

Planning is already underway for 2019, and there are some TREATS IN STORE. I can’t wait for you to read them. And I can’t wait to get to know more of you. I hope your year was just as successful as mine, and I’ll see you right back here next week. 🙂

What are your highlights from 2018? What are your best ideas that the Movement needs to hear? Comment below, on the BGCA Youth Development Facebook page, or email us at ClubXBlog@bgca.org to share!