Learn more about creating safe afterschool environments where trans youth can thrive PLUS learn how Tier 2 National Trainers can be entered to win $500 for completing the new LGTBQ+ specialization.
Exploring Career Opportunities Through Self-Discovery
Four ideas for helping youth follow their passions and explore career opportunities for National Careers Week
Creatively Using Tech to Solve Real-World Problems With Youth
See youth-designed apps that could solve big problems, and learn more about how technology can be used for good.
Club Story: Engaging Families in East Tennessee
Hear how one Club stays connected to member’s families and get the new Family and Caregiver Engagement Guide in this ClubX Blog post.
A Summer of Superheroes
Just in time for National Superhero Day, a peek at the newest Summer Brain Gain Modules with ideas for programming throughout the Club.
Juneteenth: Ideas for Celebrating Black Liberation, Culture, Connection, and Joy!
As Juneteenth is becoming more widely known, get ideas for learning more and sparking creativity with youth.
5 Ways to Engage Families and Caregivers Afterschool
BGCA’s Lesa Sexton is back with tips on getting families and caregivers engaged in your program, and be sure to grab the details for an upcoming webinar at the end of this post! There are a lot of pithy sayings that just ring true. Don’t judge a book by its cover. An ounce of prevention… Continue Reading →
Helpful Tips for Learning Support Centers
BGCA’s Director of Academic Success Lesa Sexton has TONS of great tips from your colleagues on Learning Support Centers! So your Club or Youth Center is now a Learning Support Center and you feel like your job description just went from “Site Director” to “Principal”? Not exactly sure how to navigate this new environment and set of responsibilities? It sure wasn’t… Continue Reading →
5 Tips for GREAT Virtual Facilitation
BGCA’s Director of Academic Success Lesa Sexton is BACK with some timely tips for this brave new world we are in. This virtual facilitation stuff is no joke. I think this YouTube video pretty much sums up the challenges and awkwardness that we’re all learning to navigate these days. Virtual facilitation is a new area for many of… Continue Reading →
Celebrating Earth Day – Digitally!
BGCA’s Lesa Sexton can’t stop won’t stop writing ClubX Blog posts filled with incredible educational ideas! With many of us stuck inside these days, we are gaining a newfound appreciation for the outdoors. What we wouldn’t give for a hike in the woods, a picnic in the park, or another chance to dip our toes… Continue Reading →
Developing Out of This World Problem Solvers
BGCA’s Lesa Sexton is back and with these space themed activities she is shining a light on the total eclipse that is my heart. <3 It’s my firm belief that astronauts are about as superhuman as they come. I mean, you’d have to be superhuman to get through a rigorous application process in which you’re… Continue Reading →
3 Ways to Celebrate Read Across America
Lesa Sexton, member of BGCA’s Education team, took a break from getting Summer Brain Gain ready to write today’s post. Wanna know how to travel the world for free, get intimate access to world leaders, entertainers, athletes, and visionaries, discover magical worlds full of imaginary creatures, and go on daring adventures-all from the comfort of… Continue Reading →
Four New Games to Cultivate a Love of Learning
BGCA’s Lesa Sexton shared this great post with the Education Learning Community last month. Want more content like this, and to connect with other Club staff focused on Academic Success? Join the community! Are you sick and tired of playing Connect Four? Is your deck of Uno cards worn to shreds? Are all the tiles… Continue Reading →
Supporting Academic Success During Shut-Down
This post, part of our special series on the Coronavirus outbreak, was written by Lesa Sexton, BGCA Academic Success Director. This post goes out to all those who are trying to figure out how to keep kids learning while the world is topsy-turvy and schools are out on an extended spring break that never ends (and… Continue Reading →
Pi Day Throughout the Club
Lesa Sexton is BACK with a ONE-TWO PUNCH of academic ideas! Today, we are having fun with math! It’s a common refrain heard from kids and adults alike: “I’m bad at math. I’m just not a math person.” Math doesn’t always get a lot of love, and we totally get it. It can seem daunting… Continue Reading →
Computer Science Education Week
Computer Science Education Week is December 9-15, 2019! Read on for three great ways to integrate it into your Club’s programming from BGCA’s Lesa Sexton. For better or for worse, computers have become an embedded part of our daily lives. They help us with everything from waking up on time and avoiding traffic to finding… Continue Reading →
Girls in STEM – New Research & Posters, PLUS Introducing the BGCA STEM Challenge!
Read on to learn more about the STEM challenge and how your Club can win amazing prizes PLUS be featured right here on the ClubX Blog! Check out Part 2 of this series for books and movies that prominently feature women in STEM roles. When you hear the word “scientist,” there’s a certain image that… Continue Reading →
Poetry – No Rules, Just Right! Four Modern Poetry Styles to Get Your Members Writing
Today’s post is from one of the newest members of the Youth Development team, Lesa Sexton! I dislike poetry vehemently adamantly Even when recited delightfully expressively dramatically It makes me feel fidgety consistently grumpily I would rather watch water drip, slowly rhythmically naturally Than subject my thoughts to such tedious verbosity yea really sincerely Source… Continue Reading →