Chesapeake Teen Center
For Boys & Girls Clubs, safe places are our foundation.
Chesapeake has the second largest number of households in South Hampton Roads served by BGCSEVA. However, BGCSEVA programming in Chesapeake ends after the 5th grade. Each year, this leaves more than 3,000 teenagers entering high school without a local Club and without access to BGCSEVA’s life-changing programs. Club members in Chesapeake want to continue with BGCSEVA, and the community wants to keep teens safe and off the streets.
A new Teen Center in Chesapeake will provide teenagers with a safe, positive environment and access to comprehensive youth development programs proven to positively impact lives. For Club members, the Club is a special place—their place—to hang out with friends away from home and outside of school. At BGCSEVA, supportive relationships ensure that every young person feels connected to adult mentors in staff and volunteers and develops friendships with their peers. We create relevant opportunities to meet the distinct emotional, social, and psychological needs of teens. BGCSEVA helps teens develop the skills they need to thrive—now and into the future.
Capital Enhancements
Club locations are the heart of our operation.
BGCSEVA operates Centers of Excellence, or standalone Clubs, in Virginia Beach and Portsmouth. Now in its 26th year of operation, the TowneBank – Rosemont Club needs building upgrades and maintenance to remain a first-rate facility for the more than 500 kids, teens, and Virginia Beach families who depend on BGCSEVA. Capital enhancements will range from new camera and security systems and a new roof to renovated bathrooms.
Our Atlantic Bay – Portsmouth Club opened in 2021. Unique to this Club location is an Olympic-size swimming pool, operated by East Coast Aquatic Center. Club members receive swimming lessons and pool access during scheduled programming times. As we continue to offer this special benefit to our Portsmouth Club members and community, the pool and locker rooms need resurfacing and renovation.
Transportation
We can solve access barriers.
BGCSEVA’s ability to welcome young people, especially those who need us most, depends on their ability to reach us and get home safely after Clubs close. Nationally, transportation is regularly cited as one of the biggest barriers to kids’ regular attendance of afterschool programs. We want to change that in Hampton Roads. By securing our own fleet of vehicles, BGCSEVA will improve access to our Clubs and the benefits of BGCSEVA programming. Increased and more flexible transportation will also allow BGCSEVA to further enrich Club members’ lives through educational field trips and other opportunities, such as job shadowing.
Program Initiatives
Trauma-Informed Culture
We are committed to ensuring the youth we serve have a safe, inclusive place to heal and grow by completing four phases to become a trauma-informed organization. This will include partnerships, training, and enhancements to the Club.
Teen Programming
We will enhance programming for our teens to build the skills they need to thrive, now and in the future. This includes help with homework, educational activities, and programs designed to foster the development of healthy relationships and identities.
Workforce Development
Our vision is for each child who enters our Club to leave with a plan for success after high school. The Club helps teens recognize their potential and helps teens develop the skills necessary to become anything they dream.
Program Expansion
Our staff capture the hearts and minds of youth and teens. By getting to know our Club members individually, staff design programs and experiences that reflect teens’ passions, elevate their voices, and provide them with access to educational and professional development opportunities.