Elected officials from Southeast Virgnina come to celebrate Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia's Summer Advocacy Jam!
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Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia
Summer a critical time for Virginia Youth Impacted by Coronavirus
SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA, VA. – Delegates Alex Askew and Glenn Davis as well as school board members Jennifer Franklin & Tamara Shewmake visited the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia to learn about the summer programs offered by the organization. The tour was part of the organization’s Summer Advocacy JAM Session intended to showcase the depth, creativity, and value summer programs offer youth to access Jobs, Academics, and Meals as essential tools for recovery and success. “The impacts of this pandemic have been devastating but Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia are here to help every youth affected by the virus,” said Kevin Will, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia. “Organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs have the opportunity and responsibility to raise the visibility of the urgent needs of the youth we serve, the value the programs we provide bring to the community, and what can happen with the support of our elected officials and the community.”
COVID-19 forced Boys & Girls Clubs to address new sets of challenges facing youth. Clubs across the nation provided vital services along with a calming, steady presence for struggling families and communities. Summer is an especially critical time for America’s young people as the country addresses educational, social, and emotional gaps caused by school closures and remote learning. Summer programs offered by organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs provide youth with a place to learn and grow. Youth receive access to essential developmental tools including workforce readiness, educational enrichment, and nutritious meals and snacks all while keeping physically active and safe.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s (BGCA) research-based Formula for Impact offers BGCSEVA a guide to follow for programming at our Clubs. Together, these skills assist our outcome based programming in which programs are focused in five core areas. These areas include: Character & Leadership Development, Health & Life Skills, The Arts, Sports, Fitness & Recreation, and Education & Career. Together, they encompass our three priority outcomes: Academic Success, Good Character & Leadership, and Healthy Lifestyles. The Formula for Impact is an equation that takes young people who need us most plus an outcome driven Club experience to equal the three priority outcomes. Below, you will see just a few of the programs offered at the Clubs.
· DIY STEM (Do It Yourself STEM) is an activity based program for members ages 9-12 that makes the connection between scientific principles, real world applications, and technology.
· Torch Club is a chartered small-group leadership and service clubs for boys and girls ages 10-13. A Torch Club is a powerful vehicle through which Club staff can help meet the special character development needs of younger adolescents at a critical stage in their development.
· Keystone Club is Boys & Girls Club Movement’s most dynamic teen program. It affords teens, ages 13-18, an opportunity to gain valuable leadership and service experience. They conduct activities in three areas: academic success, career exploration and community service.
· Triple Play is the Boys & Girls Clubs of Americas initiative towards comprehensive health and wellness. The goal of this program is to improve the overall health of all members, by increasing their daily physical activity, teaching them good nutrition, and helping them develop healthy relationships.
· SMART (Skills, Mastery, and Resistance Training) Moves is a nationally acclaimed prevention program designed to teach children and teens how to avoid and resist engaging in risky behaviors. Underneath this umbrella, Clubs offer additional programs including; SMART Leaders, SMART Kids, start SMART and SMART Girls. These programs allow specific lessons for members. SMART programs run for 12-14 weeks at a time.
· Passport to Manhood promotes and teaches responsibility in male Club members and concentrates programming on a specific aspect of manhood through highly interactive activities.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia asked visiting legislators to consider the following:
Co-sponsor the Youth Workforce Readiness Act to support social and essential skill development, career exploration, and job placement activities in out-of-school time to make up for lost time and opportunities that help prepare our youth for work and their future careers.
Support nonprofits like Boys & Girls Clubs that have been providing critical community services such as educational supports both in-person and virtually, by co-sponsoring the WORK NOW Act (S. 740/H.R. 1987).
Support and expand access to Federal meal programs by co-sponsoring the Summer Meals Act (S.1170/H.R. 783) to make historic investments and improvements in how kids are fed over the summer months and year-round.
“Boys & Girls Clubs grants opportunities for all youth, equipping young people with the experiences and tools they need to reach their full potential,” said Kevin Will. “We must focus on providing resources to help young people recover from losses brought on the pandemic, both academically, mentally, and emotionally. Community youth providers like Boys & Girls Clubs remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring all youth can have access to great futures.”
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About Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia (bgcseva.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, the organization serves 7 cities throughout Southampton Roads and provides services to nearly 2,000 youth organization-wide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs daily during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. More than 4,700 Clubs serve 4.6 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing, and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in Boys & Girls Clubs of America-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook or Twitter.
