Learn from the best with these tips for new afterschool staff from Boys & Girls Club professionals
Developing a Staff Training Plan That Deepens Impact and Reduces Burnout
Tips for building a staff training infrastructure that is effective, efficient, and builds high-quality practice in your youth development program.
Courage, Friends: Good Words for the New Year
Words of encouragement for youth development professionals from Justin Clark, Executive Director of The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Charleston
6 Things That Should Be In Your Club’s Onboarding Experience
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.
5 Ways to Use Canva Afterschool
The online design tool Canva is useful for a TON of projects in your afterschool program. Learn five of our favorites in this post!
4 Resources to Set Your Club Up for Success in 2021
Four of BGCA's best resources to help your Club or Youth Center programming staff to be successful in 2021.
Learning How to Handle BIG! EMOTIONS!
BGCA launched the brand new SMART Moves: Emotional Wellness resource earlier this month and we are SO EXCITED for you to check it out! Here to tell us about her Club's experience as part of the pilot test group for SMART Moves is Sarah Wilkerson, Executive Director of the Loudon County unit of the Boys... 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 →
5 Podcasts You Can Learn From
I LOVE PODCASTS. My obsessive adoration is genuinely a thing I'm known for. I have a queue I'll never get through. I routinely make personalized recommendation lists for my friends. Two years ago at a National staff conference I even did an Ignite talk about them wearing a shirt I own that says 100% PODCASTS.... 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 →
10 Nighttime Routines for Better Sleep
This blog post, part of our special series on the Coronavirus outbreak, was adapted from a post by our partners at Whil. Thank you to CEO Joe Burton (a Club alum!) and Whil for this content. The COVID-19 pandemic is another reminder that good sleep is the foundation of good health. According to the American Sleep Association,... Continue Reading →
Financial Planning During Tough Times
This blog post, part of our special series on the Coronavirus outbreak, includes information from our partners at Charles Schwab Foundation. Thank you to Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz and Charles Schwab Foundation for this content. COVID-19 has brought about many changes to daily life, including social distancing, homeschooling, learning to cook, and adjusting to life at home.... Continue Reading →
Finding Your New Normal
This post, part of our special series on the Coronavirus outbreak, was written by Laura Gover, M.P.H. and BGCA Federal Grants Director. It’s the start of a new week, and while we all wish this meant the return to our normal way of life, for most it still means getting comfortable with a new way of... Continue Reading →
Managing Stress During Coronavirus
This post, part of our special series on the Coronavirus outbreak, was written by Kate Endries, MSW, licensed social worker and BGCA Health & Wellness Director. The Coronavirus outbreak is sending shockwaves across the world, disrupting everything from health, to education, to finances and food security. Many of us are navigating completely unfamiliar territory, which... Continue Reading →
6 Things to Do While Shut Down for Coronavirus
This post is part of our special series on the Coronavirus outbreak. WELP. Two weeks ago when we posted our Preventing the Spread of Viruses blog, little did we know what situation we would find ourselves in today. Boys & Girls Clubs, schools, and other youth-serving organizations across the country are closed, and not only are... Continue Reading →
Emotional Check-Ins Throughout the Club Day
Welcome back to “Emotions Matter”, with BGCA's own Kate Endries! In case you missed it, check out 5 Easy Emotional Check-Ins. TL;DR, here is what you need to know: Everyone feels a wide range of emotions every day. Emotions influence the way we interact with our environment and other people. Emotional check-ins are a way... Continue Reading →
Club Story: Night Out & Night In
I heard about an event that the staff at the Don Kromer Branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County puts on, and I absolutely had to hear more! Here's my conversation with Branch Director LaCharles Green on how their Club does recognition in a special way. First, tell me a little bit... Continue Reading →
Club Story: Finding the Right Equation in Green Bay
It's National Arts in Education Week! Today's Club Story comes from Craig Knitt, Visual Arts Director at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Green Bay. I heard a statement early in my teaching career that has stuck with me. I heard it from more than one instructor so I knew it was true. They said:... 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 →
7 Summer Survival Tips for Youth Development Professionals
When school is out, Boys & Girls Clubs are IN, and in most of the country, summer programming is well underway. Summertime at the Club is such an awesome time for programming, because the longer days mean more flexibility and more *time* to do the kinds of fun, intensive activities we can't get to during... Continue Reading →