A Youth Development Resource From Boys & Girls Clubs of America
With so many young people still having school online, some Boys & Girls Clubs and Youth Centers are transformed into Learning Support Centers during the school day. But even for those who are still doing more traditional programming or for when COVID is OVER (speak it into existence!), having some ideas quick at hand for… Continue Reading →
Get inspiration from this year’s SMART Girls Expo to host your own event, with top tips from the organizers.
May is Asian American & Pacific Islander Month! Use this list of activities and resources for building empathy to celebrate with youth.
Learn myths about motivation and ways you can encourage youth to achieve their goals.
Video and text of the poem performed by the National Youth Poet Laureate at the Presidential Inauguration
We LOVE summer at Boys & Girls Clubs, but there are some unique safety risks to consider. Get tips to keep youth safe in this new ClubX Blog post.
Get in the game with these tips for starting esports at your Club.
Level up in 2023 with these four game-changing resources from BGCA.
Free download of STEAM activities based on the hit online game Among Us, created by local Boys & Girls Club staff
Encourage youth to venture outside and explore while engaging in impactful and safe outdoor recreation.
Find ideas on making your programming more dynamic and relevant than ever, including two new Passport to Manhood resources.
Ideas you can use around the Club for Black History Month
Transitioning back to school can be difficult for some youth. Learn five ways to support them including tools and training ideas in this new ClubX Blog post.
Have you started using Program Basics? We’ll be highlighting some of the best content from the suite here on the ClubX Blog. Visit BGCA.net/Programbasics to learn more about all the great resources! Boys & Girls Clubs do a LOT of things. If you made a list, it would go on and on and on and… Continue Reading →
See youth-designed apps that could solve big problems, and learn more about how technology can be used for good.
Learn from the best with these tips for new afterschool staff from Boys & Girls Club professionals
Ideas you can use to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month in April
As youth development professionals who work afterschool, we know what the shift from the school day to the Club day can be like. Transitions are something we all do multiple times a day, and they can either smoothly help us experience the richness of the full Club program, or they can be a breakdown that… Continue Reading →
Dr. Thomas Vance is back with some tips on staying bright during the winter months, because as youth development staff we need to take care of ourselves so that we can show up fully for youth.
The Music & Youth Initiative, which partners with Clubs around the country to help start and maintain music programming, has released an updated FREE summer activity guide for 2019. For more information about Music & Youth Initiative and last year’s activity guide, click HERE! School’s out for SUMMER! Through their partnerships with Boys & Girls Clubs across… Continue Reading →
Learn the six components necessary to make a YDPs first 90 days a success plus learn about the all new Youth Development Professional Onboarding Guide from BGCA.
If you are reading this in the future, it is now July 2020, and we have been in a global pandemic for what feels like 18 years now. It’s exhausting. Hopefully from your view in the future you are like “Hang in there, it’s almost over and then all this great stuff happens!” But for… Continue Reading →
So, we all know I very much hate winter. But I’ll be honest. It is already REAL HOT here in the South! I know, I can’t have it both ways. And ultimately, I’ll take the scorching heat of the sun over the icy throes of winter any day. Warm weather also means something else exciting-… Continue Reading →
Halloween is one of the best times of years to be in afterschool. When this whole pandemic began, I don’t think many of us expected we would still be dealing with it after this long. But? Here we are. And? WE REFUSE TO LET IT STEAL THE SPIRIT OF HALLOWEEN! It is unfortunately true that… Continue Reading →
BGCA sunset the Year of the Teen Director’s App to consolidate practices, tips, and all other content in the YD Toolbox app and here on the Club Experience Blog. We will be featuring some of the articles that appeared in the app here (with updates!), as well as content just for staff who work with… Continue Reading →
Activity and décor ideas you can use around the Club for Women’s History Month
See what happened when Chef Andrew “Kappy” Kaplan visited the Club, plus get the BEST Sweet Potato Mash recipe!
Just in time for National Superhero Day, a peek at the newest Summer Brain Gain Modules with ideas for programming throughout the Club.
Warning signs that a young person may need some extra support with their mental health, featuring resources for afterschool staff
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 →
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 →
Learn what high schoolers should be doing in the Fall to support their college goals, from their Freshman to Senior year.
Book clubs afterschool are a great way for youth to build relationships with others and practice skills like critical thinking and reading fluency. Learn how to get started plus get picks for Hispanic & Latino Heritage Month.
This post, part of our special series on the Coronavirus outbreak, was written by Kat Adams, M.P.H. and BGCA Director of Sports & Recreation. We’ve been posting ways to manage anxiety here on the ClubX Blog. But another way to deal with stress during this strange time is to literally lean into it! Exercising while you’re… Continue Reading →
One strategy for increasing teen membership afterschool is to invest in tween members now. Learn about four areas to keep in mind as you develop a tween strategy in this new ClubX Blog post.
Boys & Girls Club of Franklin-Simpson went door to door to bring Kentucky kids back into the Club following the pandemic. Discover how their youth-led garden and farmstand are continuing to grow youth engagement and life skills for success.
#MovementMonday this week is so good, it is #TakingOverTuesday! This post, part of our special series on the Coronavirus outbreak, was written by Heather Campbell, BGCA Senior Director of Youth Development Programs and member of the Sports and Recreation team. Life for everyone is different these days, routines are off, gyms and public spaces we… Continue Reading →
Hear Boys & Girls Clubs of Milwaukee staff Nancy K.’s top four tips for running Money Matters with teens in this new ClubX Blog post.
Resources for those who work with youth on coping with crisis for teens, younger youth, and en Español
Learn the warning signs of online radicalization, who is at risk, and how to prevent it in this new ClubX Blog post.
Hear teens share what high-quality programming afterschool means to them, featuring our friends at VOX ATL
As Juneteenth is becoming more widely known, get ideas for learning more and sparking creativity with youth.
It’s #MovementMonday! This post, part of our special series on the Coronavirus outbreak, was written by Michelle McQuiston, BGCA Director of Youth Development Editorial Projects. It started so innocently, with a delightful-sounding daily Lunchtime Doodle with Mo Willems … and progressed … to a !!SEVEN-DAY FREE TRIAL!! of a streaming yoga service, which I’ve used… Continue Reading →
Anna is warm, witty, and welcoming, and things sometimes aren’t perfect as she leads programming at the Waltham Boys & Girls Club. But that just adds to the fun!
Integrating arts with positive self-identity, youth voice, social justice, and wellness makes for powerful creative expression.
Giving youth opportunities to showcase their work has HUGE benefits beyond the event itself.
This post, part of our special series on the Coronavirus outbreak, was written by Susan Ciavolino, BGCA Academic Success Director. What do our kids need right now? First and foremost they need connection—those 5 Key Elements for Positive Youth Development are even more crucial now than they were a few weeks ago when your Clubs were… Continue Reading →
Learn more about online sexual exploitation, warning signs a young person might be being abused, and five ways to protect youth online in your afterschool program.
Four of BGCA’s best resources to help your Club or Youth Center programming staff to be successful in 2021.
Ideas for using sidewalk chalk in out of school time programming
