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.
How a Little Free Library Can Promote Literacy
Read how one Club is putting books in their community's hands and how you can start a Little Free Library through your afterschool program.
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.
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 →
No Passport? No Problem! It’s Summer Reading!
Our very own resident librarian and newest member of the Youth Trends team, Shannon Lake, is here to deliver the BEST tips to encourage summer reading including a free download from the BGCA's Power Hour Resource Guide! Summer is almost here and it’s time for you and your members to take a trip! No passport,... Continue Reading →
16 Books and Movies Featuring Women in STEM – With Discussion Questions!
We are celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on the ClubX Blog! Be sure to read Part 1 of this series for information on the BGCA STEM Challenge. Get those prizes! STEM can be intimidating for adults, let alone young girls. But when it’s presented in an approachable way, it’s much... Continue Reading →
5 Tips for Encouraging Boys to Read
I recently came across this article about the fact that in just about every developed country, girls are reading more than boys. Some key points: Boys dedicate less than than girls to processing words, are more prone to skipping passages or entire sections, and frequently choose books beneath their reading levels. Girls are more likely to... Continue Reading →
October is National Fantasy Month! Ideas For All Month Long
At my Club and in my former life as a classroom teacher, I was always looking for fun themes to help spark my creative flow. Once I had a theme in mind, I worked to adapt games or activities we were already going to do, or had done before, to the theme to keep things... Continue Reading →