Here in the South, spring is SPRINGING!
That means sunshine, seasonal allergies, and Spring Break! When school is out, many Clubs are in, including for Spring Break. Depending on your Club, it might look a little different. At some, Spring Break is super busy, with all-day programming and more youth in the building than normal. At others, you might be open all day but attendance is down. And at some school sites, you may be closed altogether! Regardless of your Spring Break rhythm, here are some ideas for making the time special for both youth and staff.
Plan special events or activities that youth will love.
Any time you have all-day programming you have opportunities for MORE fun. Even on a shoestring budget, you can plan some activities that are out of the ordinary. Consider including families and caregivers to expand the joy! We’ve posted lots of ideas over the years here on the ClubX Blog, peruse the Link Roundup tag to see them all, but here are some favorites:
Make time to brush up on skills with staff training.
If you are in a Club that has lower attendance than usual, consider creating a program calendar that gives each frontline staff member some free time to complete self-guided learning modules on Spillett Leadership University. Maybe that looks like each staff having one free rotation a day, or giving 1-2 hours to everyone one time in the week (Education gets 2 hours free Monday, Gym 2 hours free Tuesday, etc.). And if you are in a Club that is closed for Spring Break, consider allotting a few paid hours for staff to complete training on their own schedule. SLU makes it easy to assign or verify specific training opportunities.
The Youth Development Catalog of Learning includes all of the currently available YD courses, with descriptions, length, and online availability at BGCA.net/Training.
See what’s new (or what you’ve missed) on MyFuture!
If you haven’t visited MyFuture.net in a minute, you are in for a happy surprise. We’ve been hard at work creating new activities, hosting BIG events, and creating new ways for youth to explore. Highlights include:
- NEW Youth for Unity Activities!
- The Everything is Poetry Workshop Series, six video activities facilitated by author, spoken word poet and comedian Joan “Lyric” Leslie
- Miss a recent event? Watch recordings for The Link Up, DIY STEM, Arts and more.
- Careers on MyFuture, a page where teens can learn about career paths, complete new Money Matters activities, and earn certificates that can help them get jobs.
Now sure how to fit MyFuture into your program plans? This post will help:
Be sure that whatever you plan for Spring Break, you have ALL OF THE FUN!
What are your favorite Spring Break events or activities? How do you keep things FUN in the Club? Let us know! Comment below, on the BGCA Youth Development Facebook page, or email ClubXBlog@bgca.org.
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