Building Resilience When Dealing With Racism

BGCA's Stacy Ruff, Director of College & Career Programs, is back on the ClubX Blog, with a free excerpt from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg's recent book, Building Resilience in Children and Teens. Childhood innocence is a beautiful and precious thing.  Pillow forts, Fortnight, play wrestling, knock-knock jokes, and snuggle time... Continue Reading →

Racial Trauma, Healing, and Youth Advocacy

The high-profile violence against Black Americans during interactions with police continue to occur. When it occurs in our local communities, youth may be directly impacted. Increasingly, the trauma has expanded across the country with social media and news coverage. Either way, part of our role as supportive youth development professionals is to help youth to... Continue Reading →

Race Matters.

This blog post was written by Stacy Ruff, BGCA's Director of College & Career Programs and includes a free excerpt on the traumatic impact of racism on young people from the American Academy of Pediatrics upcoming publication, Reaching Teens, 2nd Edition. I certainly can’t speak for everyone but for me last week, and particularly this... 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 →

It’s Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month!

Did you know that it’s Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month? Get ready for a culturally rich ride in our two-part blog series! First up, we will explore the history behind the celebration of Asian/Pacific American Heritage month, how Clubs can incorporate recognition of the month into their Club day, and we will hear from one of... 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 →

Why Female Coaches Matter

Today's post is Part 2 of our special series for National Girls & Women in Sports Day! Be sure to check out Part 1 for more tips on getting girls involved in sports at your Club, plus information on how to get supplies to start a girls flag football league. Did you know that less... 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 →

Supporting Youth Coming Out

Today we are featuring an excerpt from BGCA's Serving LGBTQ Youth Toolkit here on the ClubX Blog. For the full toolkit and other resources, visit BGCA.net. Coming out is when any person reveals an aspect of their identity to another person or a group of people. An LGBTQ individual must choose if they will come... 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 →

Supporting Youth Activism

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 →

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