Age Groups: 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and up

Money Matters: Make It Count

Created with the Charles Schwab Foundation, this financial literacy program was designed specifically to help teens (ages 13-18) expand their knowledge of money management and learn the skills that lead to financial independence and well-being. The Money Matters: Make It Count program consists of five components: Teen Personal Finance Guide, Program Facilitator’s Guide, Money Matters Web site, Schwab eEmployee Volunteer Program and the Money Matters Awards. Via the volunteer component, Schwab employees can pass financial expertise to Club teens through their volunteer involve

Project Learn

Project Learn reinforces and enhances the skills and knowledge young people learn at school through "high-yield" learning activities at the Club and in the home. Based on Dr. Reginald Clark's research that shows fun, but academically beneficial activities increase academic performance, these activities include leisure reading, writing activities, homework help and games like Scrabble® which develop young people's cognitive skills. Project Learn emphasizes collaborations between Club staff, parents and school personnel. Formally evaluated by Columbia University, Project Learn has been proven to boost the academic performance of Club members.

Goals For Graduation

Goals for Graduation, sponsored by The JCPenney Afterschool Fund, introduces Club members ages 6-15 to the concept of academic goal setting. In one-on-one sessions with Club professionals, members set achievable "Know-I-Can" goals, more challenging "Think-I-Can" goals and yearly "Believe-I-Can" goals, then create action plans. The program provides for recognition of members' achievements at every step of the journey.

SMART Moves

The SMART Moves (Skills Mastery and Resistance Training) prevention/education program addresses the problems of drug and alcohol use and premature sexual activity. Based on proven techniques, the program uses a team approach involving Club staff, peer leaders, parents and community representatives. More than simply emphasizing a "Say No" message, the program teaches young people ages 6-15 how to say no by involving them in discussion and role-playing, practicing resistance and refusal skills, developing assertiveness, strengthening decision-making skills and analyzing media and peer influence. The ultimate goal: to promote abstinence from substance abuse and adolescent sexual involvement through the practice of responsible behavior.

SMART Girls

An outgrowth of the popular and effective SMART Moves program, SMART Girls is a health, fitness, prevention/education and self-esteem enhancement program for girls ages 10-15. The program is designed to encourage healthy attitudes and lifestyles that will enable early adolescent girls to develop to their full potential. The SMART Girls program is sponsored by Tupperware Brands Corporation.

ImageMakers: National Photography Program
View the 2006 ImageMakers National Photography Exhibit.

Funded by the Circuit City Foundation, this comprehensive photography program encourages girls and boys to learn and practice photography, expressing themselves in creative and innovative ways. The national initiative delivers a state-of-the-art photography curriculum, provides photographic resources and opportunities for Club members to compete on a national level. ImageMakers provides local, regional and national recognition through an annual photography contest. Winning photos will be displayed nationwide at museums as well as at BGCA's annual National Conference.

National Fine Arts Exhibit
View the 2006 National Fine Arts Exhibit.

This competition, which encourages creativity through a variety of media, is made up of local, regional and national exhibits. Young people are encouraged to create artwork in any of the following categories: monochromatic drawing, multicolored drawing, pastels, water color, oil or acrylic, print making, mixed media, collage and sculpture. Artwork selected through a national competition is displayed at BGCA's annual National Conference.

TRIPLE PLAY: A Game Plan for the Mind, Body and Soul

Triple Play, sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company and Kraft Foods Inc., is a dynamic wellness program currently being offered in Boys & Girls Clubs that demonstrates how eating right, keeping fit and forming positive relationships add up to a healthy lifestyle. The goal of the Triple Play program is to improve Club members’ knowledge of healthy habits; increase the number of hours per day they participate in physical activities; and strengthen their ability to interact positively with others and engage in positive relationships.

Program components include:

• Healthy Habits Nutrition Curriculum
• Daily Challenges
• Sports Clubs
• Triple Play Games
• Social Recreation

FITNESS AUTHORITY®

FITNESS AUTHORITY®, a small-group program sponsored by The Sports Authority, Inc., promotes fitness in all youth. FITNESS AUTHORITY provides a fun-filled, motivating fitness experience for members. There is a 12-week curriculum for each of three age groups: FITNESS SQUAD, 6-9; FITNESS MASTERS, 10-14; and FITNESS ALL-STARS, 15-18. Weekly sessions cover every aspect of fitness, drawing upon themes of sports culture and history, self-esteem, nutrition and physical fitness. The annual FITNESS AUTHORITY Club-Wide Pentathlon competition allows Club members of all ages to demonstrate and test their fitness levels.

ClubTech

Through Club Tech, and thanks to a more than $100 million donation from Microsoft, BGCA is providing Clubs with the tools to make Club members and staff effective technology users.

Clubs receive a comprehensive package of the latest Microsoft products - a combined $88 million software gift. With another $12.3 million in cash, BGCA has developed technology programs that will give members basic computer skills; introduce them to digital movie making, music making, photography, graphic design and Web development; and guide staff in using technology to enhance all program offerings. Club Tech also includes extensive technology training opportunities for Club staff at all professional levels.

These initiatives emphasize community mobilization and family involvement as strategies Clubs can use to better serve more young people and broaden the impact of all Club programs.