Boys And Girls Clubs Of Dorchester Inc

Recreation and education - boys & girls clubs of dorchester is a leading youth development organization founded in 1974 to provide a safe haven and life-enhancing programs to at-risk youth in and around dorchester, ma. With three clubhouses, we serve 4,000 youth each year through over 202 programs and activities in the areas of education, athletics, aquatics, college and career prep, art, music, film, social recreation, health and life skills, community service and leadership development. Our programs are fully inclusive, available to children of all abilities.these programs are designed to complement each other; together, they form a comprehensive youth development plan that helps our members thrive today while building the skills they need to succeed throughout their lives. Programming is offered year-round, six days a week; in the summer, we are open for teens until 11:00 p.m., and provide rides home for members who need them. We serve hot meals to 250 children per day, included in their membership fee. The full cost of programming exceeds $2,000 per member, but members pay only $5 per year to participate. The youth development professionals staffing our programs are extremely dedicated to our mission and many are considered experts in their field. Three of our five senior managers have served the club for more than 25 years; many program directors have served for 10 years or more. The continuity of our staff creates a consistent atmosphere for the youth we serve, many of whom face unstable situations at home. Fostering children's continual, positive progression from infancy to young adulthood, so that they may achieve the greatest possible success in life, is the larger purpose behind everything we do.our members mirror the diversity of dorchester (33% african american, 23% white, 19% hispanic, 11% multiracial, 5% asian, and 9% other). The city they call home is a fractured community: bgcd members attend over 168 different schools in boston, so the club provides an essential community hub for children and families. We are fortunate to partner with many outstanding organizations to enhance the depth and breadth of our programming. Students from berklee college of music provide music lessons and mentoring, the museum of fine arts provides art lessons and tours, and officers from the boston police department build relationships by engaging with members in team sports, boxing and junior police academies. In addition, we have an agreement wherby we provide recreational services to the youth residents of a local housing faiclity, that would otherwise be enrolled in the programs we offer.several of our programs have been nationally recognized with national merit awards from boys & girls clubs of america: safe summer streets, our summer evening program for teens; project b.i.n.d., our inclusion program; martin richard challenger sports, a four-season sports program that pairs children with disabilities with "buddies" in order to fully participate; and our music clubhouse, where members learn to play instruments, and perform, compose, record and produce original music.