BREAKING NEWS!! The BGCA Youth Development team now has a Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/BGCAYouthDevelopment/ We will use this page to post all new Club Experience Blog posts, plus lots more from the Youth Development team at BGCA. That will include new resources and tools on BGCA.net, links to training opportunities, and exclusive giveaways! Why Facebook? We... Continue Reading →
We've brought back one of our OG programs- The Ultimate Journey! Read on to learn more and get a FREE sample download! One of BGCA's most valuable services to the Movement is the creation of programs and toolkits for Clubs to use throughout the year. We've got programs for academic success, athletics, health, arts, and... Continue Reading →
April is National Autism Awareness Month! Get some information about what may trigger challenging behaviors and 26 sample adaptations for your Club from our partner Kids Included Together and Autism Speaks. Read on for more information on BGCA's all-new Serving Youth With Autism Toolkit! One in 68 children have Autism Spectrum Disorder, so chances are... Continue Reading →
It is that time of year when we are planning parties and celebrations and end of the school year FUN (and real talk there may be some trying to hang on until summer starts happening too)! That makes it the perfect time to try out a new game that is SURE to be a hit... Continue Reading →
I've featured one of my favorite sites, Teaching Tolerance, on the ClubX Blog before. They are a project of The Southern Poverty Law Center, and they design training and resources for classroom educators. A lot of their stuff is easily and directly applicable to the Club context, including a great webinar they did last month.... Continue Reading →
Today's guest post comes from BGCA's Lauren Barineau, Senior Director of Youth Development, Health & Wellness. She is an expert in making sure our members are as healthy as they can be! Is Your Club HEPA-Tastic?? In recent years, more attention is being paid to healthy eating and physical activity among youth. At Boys &... Continue Reading →
I'm always looking for new activities and games to play with youth, and especially for ones that will make them stretch their logical thinking muscles and expose them to new ideas or cultures. Today's find from Multicultural Kids Blogs does ALL of those! Pong Hau K'i is a simple board game from China, and can... Continue Reading →
If you've been to a Club Director's Academy or a Youth Development Institute, then you will know (and love!) today's writer, Issa Prescott. I've been hounding him for a blog post because I know he is full of SO MANY good ideas! I was delivering a training recently where we were discussing the power of... Continue Reading →
Most of our meetings here at BGCA start with icebreaker or community building activities, because we are YOUTH! DEVELOPMENT! PROFESSIONALS! 🙂 Last week, my colleague Danielle Narcisse started a design meeting off with this really fun way to get our creativity flowing. This activity is called The 30 Circles Challenge, and it is an icebreaker... Continue Reading →
A couple of weeks ago, I asked around to find out what Clubs did to celebrate the release of Black Panther. The answer is A LOT! I am thrilled to share my conversation with Lauren Avey, Unit Director from the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County about how her Club integrated meaningful programming with... Continue Reading →
A couple of weeks ago, Desirae O’Neill, Associate Director at the Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club, shared some of her best tips for administering surveys. We are THRILLED that she is back to share about the best part of NYOI- the celebration! Congratulations! You made it to the finish line. Not only did you make it... Continue Reading →
This post is adapted from The School Walkout: An Adult Ally Guide by Youth Era. In the wake of recent tragedies such as the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, youth have quickly become leaders in the discussion around gun control legislation. On March 24, youth and families will take the streets of Washington DC... Continue Reading →
I have a soft spot in my heart for small Clubs, which is why I am SO THANKFUL that I met Breeana Gonzales, Unit Director at the Laughlin Unit of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Colorado River. Her small Club is doing BIG things in Nevada! Read on to learn how they make it... Continue Reading →
Today's post is from Morgan Mabry, Director of Youth Development, Health & Wellness at BGCA. This is her second appearance on the ClubX Blog! Be sure to read all the way through for a PHOTO OF A PUPPY AHHHHHHHHHHHH Pain can be really hard to navigate. Our natural inclination is to avoid pain at all... Continue Reading →
Sláinte! St. Patrick's Day is just 'round the bend! We look for every opportunity to have fun while also learning at the Boys & Girls Club, so this festive holiday is the perfect time to plan some themed activities. Read on to find some great ideas to use throughout the Club. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/668854982132577802/ At this link,... Continue Reading →
Not long before I made the move from a local Club to BGCA, I started playing a game with my middle grades members that they LOVED. I adapted it from something I heard on a podcast and called it Dumb Debates. It is hilarious and ridiculous, but sneaks in the important skills of logical thinking,... Continue Reading →
Today's guest post is from Desirae O'Neill, Associate Director at the Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club. They've been *rock stars* in how they give the NYOI, and I am so excited that we can share three of their best tips here on the Blog as part of our Let's Talk Data series! It’s official.... Continue Reading →
Are you looking for an excuse to have FUN? Here's a list of 105 oddball holidays that you can incorporate into fun moments at your Club. Some of them are IDEAL for the Club space, such as March 15th's Absolutely Incredible Kid Day April 20th's Lookalike Day- dress like a friend September 19th's International Talk... Continue Reading →
NYOI has officially started! National Youth Outcomes Initiative (NYOI) season is a very exciting time for us at Boys & Girls Clubs. As we kick off this year's survey administration, we will have a series of posts in the Let's Talk Data Series to give some background information as well as some ideas from Clubs... Continue Reading →
When you get so many youth (and staff!) in one Club for several hours a day, there are going to be a lot of emotions that happen. And it is not always easy to navigate! Particularly when those emotions show up physically as tears. Unfortunately, we don't always have the best response to youth who... Continue Reading →
Last month, BGCA debuted the Promising Practices for Managing Club Staff bulletin series right here on the Club Experience Blog! Be sure and go back and read that first post, not just to get the hiring and onboarding bulletin, but also to find out a bit more about the development of the series. Today I... Continue Reading →
I know I am in the MAJORITY here when I say that I am SO PUMPED FOR BLACK PANTHER!!!!!!!! It is going to be incredible. INCREDIBLE! I've already got my ticket. So I had this super great idea today to do a post about activity ideas throughout the Club centered around the film, similar to... Continue Reading →
Ted Talks are short speeches given on various topics, and many of them are really great jumping off points for discussions with youth. We will share some of our favorites here on the Club Experience Blog. Today, I bring you one of the most popular Ted Talks, "How do you define yourself" by Lizzie Velasquez.... Continue Reading →
Today's guest post kicks off a new series on the ClubX Blog- "In My Club We..."! Mikayla Cope of Boys & Girls Club of the Gila Valley shares a free behavior management tool that has been a HUGE help at her Club. Read on to learn more about Class Dojo! Class Dojo is a behavior... Continue Reading →
This game comes from the files of our very own Alise Dixon! It kicks the classic Club game of billiards up a notch and works in self-reflection on character traits. Good Character Pool Ages: 10-15 Equipment Needed: Pool table, ball, cues, 6 slips of paper, tape Group Size: 2 at a time As in standard... Continue Reading →
Today's Club Member Story comes from a young man who truly understands the power of the Club Experience, because he lived it. Read on to see how the Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County inspired Christopher to fulfill his potential. When I was a kid, I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome,... Continue Reading →
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is an amazing nonprofit that is focused on creating research-backed resources to aid those who work with children at risk of poor educational, economic, social and health outcomes. One of their major projects is the Kids Count Data Center, which is a great tool to use if you need national... Continue Reading →
Today's guest post is more than just a story, its an invitation for YOU to participate! Toni Cox, Program Coordinator at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tipton County, is heading up a Virtual Olympics for Clubs across the country. To find out how you can take part, read on! Some may argue that the... Continue Reading →
With the launch of Great Futures 2025 this year, BGCA is laser-focused on improving the Club Experience for our members. To support Clubs in doing this work, we have been working on a TON of resources, including the YD Toolbox app, trainings like the Club Directors Academy and Youth Development Institutes, and this blog. We've... Continue Reading →
Today's Club Story is from Vericia Pearson, aka "Ms. V" from the Henderson Unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield. As a new employee looking for ways to connect with her members, she implemented Wonder Girl Hour in her gym programming, and it has been a HUGE success, even winning a programming award from... Continue Reading →
Did you know that the YD Toolbox app has a BUILT IN COMMUNITY???? You can get to the YDT Community online or through the Social button on the home page of the YD Toolbox app, which looks like this: There are two separate forums right now, one for Supervisors and one for Youth Development Professionals, although... Continue Reading →
Today’s guest post is from Valerie Heron-Duranti, Director of Innovation & Creativity at BGCA. Models of Excellence: The Center for High Quality Student Work is a collaborative project between Expeditionary Learning Schools and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. It is a curated, open source collection of incredible high-quality Pre K-12th grade student projects to inspire... Continue Reading →
Looking for some new art for your program areas? One of my favorite websites, A Mighty Girl, has free printable posters celebrating pioneering women in Science. They are absolutely beautiful, and include NASA astronaut Mae Jemison, keynote speaker at BGCA's 2017 National Conference! A Mighty Girl not only links to the posters, but gives a... Continue Reading →
A new year is upon us! Time to start fresh and do all the things we know we should do. Like drink so much water, start running marathons, and eat broccoli at every meal. LOL SURE. One simple way we can hit the reset button is by refreshing our program spaces at the Club! This... Continue Reading →
2017 has been both the fastest and the SLOWEST year of all time. But it has been a GREAT year for Boys & Girls Clubs! In 2017 the Movement has grown and strengthened, and incredible things are happening in Clubs across the country. And this little 'ol blog began! The Club Experience Blog has been... Continue Reading →
Like everyone else right now, we at the Club Experience Blog (well, let's be honest this is 100% certified nerd Sarah speaking) have STAR WARS FEVER! https://giphy.com/gifs/cheezburger-dancing-star-wars-jd6TVgsph6w7e It is always fun when we can bring the things our members are loving in pop culture into our programming in creative ways, which is why I was... Continue Reading →
Anytime I had some budget money to buy supplies for my Education Rooms (although they would be useful for many areas) at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Smoky Mountains, I made sure that we had a few super simple go-to activities on the shelf for times when we finished another activity early, or members... Continue Reading →
Boys & Girls Clubs set high standards, not just for members, but for their communities. By adopting and developing programming around the Cowboy Ethics Code of the West, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming have had a HUGE impact that spread state-wide. I recently spoke with Sara Beth Lyon, the Cowboy Ethics Outreach Coordinator, to... Continue Reading →
This month's Culture of Wellness webinar is going to be AWESOME. The full title is "From Club to Club: Effective Strategies and Clever Ideas." Check out the description: The Boys & Girls Club Movement is rich with promising practices. We have more to learn from one another than from any other source. This webinar will... Continue Reading →
I recently came across a SWEET management reminder tool from Tiffany Boley, Unit Director at the William Dawson Soaring Eagles Unit of Boys & Girls Clubs of Gadsden/Etowah County in Alabama. She graciously agreed to share it with us on the Club Experience Blog! Can you tell me a little about your Club? How long... Continue Reading →
CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE THAT IT IS ALREADY WINTER?!?!?!?! https://giphy.com/gifs/television-dancing-HyTm2emO8ACfC This year has gone by so fast, but a new season and a new month means new activity planning! We've already talked about the importance of STEM activities for our members, and with the cold weather that winter brings, fun indoor programming is even more important... Continue Reading →
Boys & Girls Clubs offer unique opportunities for our members to be successful. Today I bring you a conversation I had with Heather Peterson from Boys & Girls Clubs of Lac Courte Orielles, one of the first Boys & Girls Clubs on a Native American Reservation. One of their members recently won a national Boys... Continue Reading →
This guest post is written by Alise Dixon, Director of Youth Development and Outcomes at BGCA. If you've been to a Club Director Academy in 2017, you know Alise! I have been in the Movement for a while and even I was shocked when I heard about what I am going to tell you about... Continue Reading →
This guest post is from Kendra Williams-Calhoun, Unit Director at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Harlan County in Kentucky. It is second in a two-part series for Children's Grief Awareness Day. When we think about grief as adults, we tend to think about sadness, sorrow, pain, and suffering. Now stop… https://giphy.com/gifs/peteandpete-season-3-the-adventures-of-pete-and-l0Nvr0QqmtpiizdhC Think about all... Continue Reading →
This guest post is from Morgan Mabry, Director of Gender & Well-Being at BGCA, and is first in a two-part series for Children's Grief Awareness Day. Grief is an all too familiar experience for many of the young people we serve. It is estimated that 1 in 20 children in the U.S. will experience the... Continue Reading →
Today's guest post is from Christian Weaver of BGCA's Native Services Unit. Indigenous people have always found creative ways to stay active and entertained. Traditional games were great ways to do that as they promoted movement and created a vehicle for communities to come together and fellowship. In some communities, games were played during bitter... Continue Reading →
Just admit it. You TOTALLY heard this in your head when you read that headline. (Did I just age myself? That's ok. I am proud to be a part of the TGIF generation!) Here at BGCA, we do a ton of research into what makes for a great Club Experience. What we've discovered is that... Continue Reading →
This special guest post from the Health, Gender and Wellness Team and Safety Team at BGCA was written in response to the racially-motivated violence in Charlottesville over the August 12, 2017, weekend, but has applicable information for leading conversations with teens following any tragic event. We are reposting an edited version in light of the... Continue Reading →
Here on the Club Experience Blog we are thrilled to join with BGCA and our Native Services Unit to celebrate Native American Heritage Month during November. The amazing work that the Native Services team and our Clubs that serve Native Youth do has been one of my favorite parts of the Movement to learn about.... Continue Reading →
Today's guest post is from Valerie Heron-Duranti, Director of Innovation & Creativity at BGCA. In 2012, The Wallace Foundation, a national philanthropy group whose mission is to improve learning and enrichment for disadvantaged children and the vitality of the arts for everyone, commissioned a study to understand how to support urban youth’s participation in the... Continue Reading →
