Learn warning signs that a young person may be planning to attempt suicide and ways to get help.
What Afterschool Can Do to Prevent Youth Suicide
Beat the Heat at Your Club This Summer
Youth are at risk of heat-related illness in the summer months. Learn how to prevent it in this new post.
TikTok in the News: What Youth Development Needs to Know
The social media app TikTok has been making headlines. What is it and why does it matter?
5 Tips For Making This the Safest Summer Ever
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.
New Data on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health And What We Must Do
New data from The Trevor Project on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health shines a light on why Pride is still important, plus resources from BGCA and others to support your work.
Keeping Teens Safe on the Road
More than 2,000 teens aged 16–19 lost their lives in car crashes in 2019. Learn more about keeping teens safe on the road from the BGCA UPS Road Code National Ambassadors!
Social Media’s Impact on Young Women: Understanding the Headlines
News about the impact of social media, particularly Instagram, on the mental health of young people has recently made headlines. But what does it really mean, and how does it impact our work in afterschool?
NYOI 2021: The Club Experience During a Pandemic
Every year, we survey youth to learn about their Club Experience. Find out what we heard in 2021 and what questions it might raise for your Club in this new ClubX Blog post.
How Should You Respond to Youth Behavior?
The three categories of youth behavior and ways afterschool professionals should respond, featuring BGCA's Behavioral Support Toolkit.
Supporting Trans and Nonbinary Youth Amidst Anti-Trans Legislation
A wave of state-level legislation around the rights of transgender youth is making headlines. Here's what is happening, why it is so important, and what we can do.
What Afterschool Can Do to Keep Youth Safe Online
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.
Beyond Empathy: Combating Racism Against Asian Americans
The rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans over the past year has rocked communities. In this ClubX Blog post, Michael from the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco shares his story.
Prioritizing Equity Through Behavior Support in Portland
Learn how the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Portland Metro Area integrated the Behavior Support Toolkit into their Equity and Trauma Informed Approach to youth development.
What is Behavior, Really?
Learn more about what youth behavior is actually saying and how we can respond, featuring BGCA's newest digital resource, the Behavior Support Toolkit,
How to Stay Non-Partisan When Talking About Elections With Youth
Tips on how to talk about elections and politics with young people without crossing ethical or legal lines.
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? https://giphy.com/gifs/shocked-what-stunned-doJrCO8kCAgNy It sure... Continue Reading →
Here’s Your Sign: National Preparedness Month 2020
BGCA's Child Safety & Quality Assurance team is BACK with this special post for National Preparedness Month! Today Alan C. Mogridge, CQSA Director for the Northeast Region, tells us more about how to get ready and stay ready. Well, if 2020 isn’t a sign for why emergency preparedness, planning, and review should be a top... Continue Reading →
It Came, We Saw, Together We Will Conquer
Exciting news! BGCA's Child & Club Safety team is officially in partnership with the ClubX Blog! I'm legit THRILLED because I love them and the work they do. We will be featuring regular content from the team on how to promote physical and emotional safety in afterschool, as well as highlighting awareness initiatives. You can... Continue Reading →
Active Games for Social Distancing
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 →
Supporting Black LGBTQ+ Youth
The below article is revised from a resource on TheTrevorProject.org by Dr. Tia Dole, the organization's Chief Clinical Operations Officer.For 160 years, the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of America has been to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. As we celebrate... Continue Reading →
Get Hip With Lower Body Stretches
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. Upper bodies aren’t the only thing that can suffer from poor office ergonomics! Sitting all day, whether in front of a computer, a TV or eating at a table can do some... Continue Reading →
Stretches For Deleting Tech Neck
This post, part of our special series on the Coronavirus outbreak, was written by BGCA staff Kat Adams, Director of Sports & Recreation, and Kate Buechner, Director of Youth Development Training. For most of us, working from home has not been our primary mode of operations until now, so we’re all scrambling to set up home... Continue Reading →
Be A Coronavirus Myth Buster!
This post, part of our special series on the Coronavirus outbreak, was written by Danielle Morris, M.P.H. and BGCA National Director of Youth Development Programs. I don’t know about you, but my head is spinning! The media, a next-door neighbor, your best friend from high school, and a favorite coworker all claim to have the definitive... Continue Reading →
Preventing the Spread of Viruses
The BGCA Youth Development team is committed to responding to what is happening in the lives of youth. Today, National Director of Youth Development Programs Danielle Morris is here with the latest on keeping Club staff and youth healthy. This post is part of our special series on the Coronavirus outbreak. I bet you’ve never... Continue Reading →
10 Ways to Communicate Expectations
It's a new year, which is always a great opportunity to renew commitments to personal and professional goals, and to hit the reset button on the things that have been dragging us down. One of these areas at your Club might be behavioral expectations. When expectations are explained, reinforced, and followed, everything at the Club... Continue Reading →
5 Calming Activities to Decrease Energy Levels After School
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 →
20 Ideas to Make Your Club Storage Instaworthy
So I'll confess. I still haven't watched Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix or read her book or even thought too much about her because I know I'll want to organize everything in my life and it is OVERWHELMING and I DO NOT HAVE TIME. I'll get to it eventually. Maybe. But having a... Continue Reading →
Vaping: How to Have the Conversation With Youth
On recent surveys of Boys & Girls Club CEOs and Club Directors, when we asked what resources would be helpful, understanding and preventing the use of vaping came up over and over. BGCA's Youth Trends team has created a brand new guide to help Clubs learn about this phenomenon. What is Vaping? E-cigarettes were first... Continue Reading →
Club Story: Whatever It Takes To Be Inclusive
Continuing the celebration of Pride in our Movement, we are proud to share this post from Erin Wigley, Education Director at the Fort Craig Club of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley. She is sharing her personal experience as a queer woman, keeping our youth safe, and ways in which we can make... Continue Reading →
What Afterschool Can Do to Prevent Child Sex Trafficking
This week the ClubX Blog and the Youth Trends team are marking Child Abuse Prevention Month with a focus on the prevention of Child Sex Trafficking. If a child you know is in need of support, call the 24/7 National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 to speak with a trained professional advocate at any time.... Continue Reading →
Responding to Online Viral Challenges
Are your youth talking about a viral challenge or a new online urban legend? Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Youth Trends team is here to help! Find a printable one-page version of this content at the end of the post. What are Viral Challenges? With the rise of social media it can seem like... Continue Reading →
It’s Braille Literacy Month! Tips for Making Your Club an Inclusive Space and Three Activities for Introducing Braille to Sighted Youth
Welcome to 2019! Here on the ClubX Blog we LOVE holidays and awareness weeks and months. They are an easy way to ignite ideas for activities and special events, and help to keep things fresh. Special holidays are also good opportunities to highlight wonderful differences and bring diversity into programming. January is Braille Literacy Month,... Continue Reading →
Hate Crimes: Silence Is Not An Option
This article has been updated for 2020. Over the past 10 years, hate crimes and bias incidents have been on the rise. Sometimes there is a catalyst for the crimes such as an election or global pandemic, but most often they are happening during a seemingly normal time. Hate crimes are not limited to any... Continue Reading →
Cyberbullying: Warning Signs and Resources for Prevention
BGCA's Youth Trends team is at it again with this mashup of information for October's National Bullying Prevention Month AND Cybersafety Month. We know young people spend A LOT on time online and on social media. Approximately 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online ‘almost constantly’. YouTube, Instagram,... Continue Reading →
Understanding Teen Dating Violence
BGCA is sunsetting 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... Continue Reading →
Creating Safer Spaces for LGBTQ Youth
Today's post comes from BGCA's Youth Program Design & Trends Team. June is for warm weather, summer Club activities and LGBTQ Pride Month! In celebrating Pride Month, we are thrilled to partner with GLSEN in supporting the 16% of Club teens who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, or Questioning (LGBTQ). GLSEN is the leading... Continue Reading →
Addressing Consent and the Movie “Show Dogs”
BGCA's Child & Club Safety and Youth Trends teams recently learned about some controversy surrounding a recent film release. Keep reading for a list of free resources for discussing consent that can be used alongside the film or at any time with your members. The movie Show Dogs was recently released in theaters as a fun... Continue Reading →
Club Story: Using Pulse Checks To Be Better in Springfield
Today's guest post is from Brandy Harris from Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, where they have been LOVING Pulse Checks. Read on to find out how they use them at their Club! Webster Dictionary (probably) defines pulse checks as this cool thing should be implemented at Clubs across the globe and that a bunch... Continue Reading →
Serving Youth With Autism: 26 Sample Adaptations Plus NEW Toolkit!
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 →
5 Tips to Integrate Healthy Eating and Physical Activity into the Club Day
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 →
In My Club We. . . Use Class Dojo!
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 →
Club Story: M&M’s Reminders
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 →
Webinar: Supporting LGBTQ Youth
This month's Culture of Wellness Webinar is on supporting LGBTQ youth in your Club. Here's the description: Boys & Girls Clubs have a responsibility to provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for ALL youth, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Join us for tips and best practices on creating an inclusive... Continue Reading →
Ensuring Equity in Your Club Through Disability Inclusion
This guest post is by Kathryn King, MSRA, from Kids Included Together. Kids Included Together (KIT) is honored to be a partner with BGCA to ensure equity for youth with disabilities and their families. Equity is often thought about in terms of race or ethnicity, but individuals with disabilities are also an underserved population. According to the World... Continue Reading →
