I don’t want to belabor the point. 2020 was a whole thing. It is time for it to be over.
But it is also true that we all accomplished a lot of incredible things this year. We were not just resilient through the incredibly hard times, but we were creative and resourceful and innovative and DID WHAT WE HAD TO DO!!! This year more than any other, I have personally been so inspired by connecting with you and hearing about the work you are doing day in and day out in your Clubs.
It’s also been another banner year for the ClubX Blog. This little corner of the internet continued to be a place where we youth development professionals could gather and learn and share and stay right on top of what was happening and what we needed. And because we love data at BGCA, I gotta brag for a second.
Those numbers cover so many highlights! We published an entire COVID series, featured new Club Stories, and highlighted new resources from BGCA. I always enjoy seeing what the top new posts of the year end up being, and thought you might like it too. So with no further ado, here’s a countdown of the Top 5 2020 ClubX Blog posts:
5. 7 Things to Consider About Teens and Virtual Club: Serving teens was a whole new ballgame in 2020, with Club shutdowns and/or limited daily attendance having a huge impact. But our Teen staff persevered, trying new things and doing #WhateverItTakes to stay connected.
4. Race Matters: The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, following and followed by so many other Black Americans, kicked off a long-needed period of awareness and reflection and for the nation. In this post, Stacy Ruff powerfully shared how she was dealing with complex emotions, and the American Academy of Pediatrics generously allowed us to post a free excerpt from the new publication Reaching Teens 2.
3. Addressing Current Events: Also in response to the racial justice demonstrations, we walked through how to frame conversation about traumatic community events with the young people in your Club.
2. Preventing the Spread of Viruses: Our first COVID post of 2020 came in early March, just as we were learning about how it was spread. Our own Danielle Morris pulled from her background in public health to frame virus prevention in a way that is understandable to all ages, and broadly applicable for all kinds of viruses. The downloadable poster should stay in your toolbox to use as a teaching tool and to post in Club bathrooms as we enter cold and flu seasons 2021 and beyond!
And the top new post of 2020? Active Games for Social Distancing!: Not only was this post far and away the top new post for 2020, it is now the second most-viewed post of all-time on the ClubX Blog! I love writing Link Roundups, where I scour the web and crowdsource suggestions from you and make a giant list of great, simple ideas for all kinds of activities. We quickly realized that while social distancing was an important component of keeping youth and staff safe, they NEEDED to get their energy out. In this post, we share the Social Distancing in the Club resource, links to games from some other great organizations like our partner Playworks, and an INCREDIBLE compilation by Boys & Girls Club of Collier County staff Brenda! You absolutely want to bookmark this link if you haven’t already.
I am so grateful for all of YOU and your continued support of both the ClubX Blog and of the work we do on the BGCA Youth Development team. We’ve gotten just a glimpse at what is in store for 2021, and let me be the first to say that I am EXCITED. I can’t wait to share it all with you right here and over on the BGCA Youth Development Facebook page. And if you aren’t already, be sure to join the Youth Development Community over on Facebook (another 2020 highlight!) so that you can directly connect with your colleagues across the Movement.
And no matter WHAT 2021 throws at us? We will be here, doing #WhateverItTakes to change the lives of youth, right alongside each other.
What are your 2020 highlights? What goals do you have for your Club in 2021? We want to hear! Comment below, on the BGCA Youth Development Facebook page, or email us at ClubXBlog@bgca.org to share.
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