Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a nonprofit youth organization that provides support services to local Boys & Girls Clubs and communities throughout the United States. Boys & Girls Clubs in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands—and on U.S. military bases around the world—serve millions of young people every year. The Clubs form the country’s largest network of agencies that focus mainly on youth development for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Boys & Girls Clubs provide programs that are designed to give young people the skills they need to become successful adults. Membership dues are kept low so that any young person can belong to a Club.
Activities and organizations.
Boys & Girls Clubs offer programs in health and fitness, career exploration, delinquency prevention, educational enhancement, and citizenship and leadership development. Local Clubs are started by citizens and civic organizations in communities and neighborhoods where there is a need for after-school and youth development services.
Local boards of directors, made up of volunteers, govern Boys & Girls Clubs. Local citizens, merchants, and other private organizations help support the Clubs through gifts. ).
Boys & Girls Clubs are staffed by full-time professionals and by part-time and volunteer workers. All Clubs have their own building, and most have gymnasiums, libraries, recreation rooms, and vocational workshops. Most Clubs serve inner-city youths. But small cities, towns, and rural communities also have Clubs.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America has five regional offices. Each office has staff members who visit Boys & Girls Clubs and communities to guide and assist with planning and programming. Activities of the national organization include:
(1) Establishing standards of organization, facilities, personnel, programming, and operation for the guidance of individual Clubs.
(2) Furnishing information, advice, and other assistance to Boys & Girls Clubs.
(3) Conducting research, developing resources, and initiating planning.
(4) Aiding in the establishment, improvement, and expansion of Boys & Girls Clubs.
(5) Promoting the Boys & Girls Club Movement.
(6) Representing Clubs in relationships with other organizations and the federal government.
(7) Participating in discussion and planning that affects young people and Boys & Girls Club interests.
(8) Planning and participating in training courses and conferences for professional and volunteer workers.
History.
The first Clubs were organized in New England in the 1860’s. They were established to provide city youths with a safe alternative to the physical and moral dangers of the streets. In 1906, there were about 50 Clubs, and a national organization was formed. It was chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1956. The organization was called Boys Clubs of America, though many Clubs also allowed girls to join. In 1990, the organization’s name was officially changed to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The organization’s national headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America publishes CONNECTIONS, a quarterly online magazine.
