Boys And Girls Clubs Of Greater Houston Inc

Academic Success programs reinforce and enhance the skills and knowledge club members learn in school. The overall goal is to help members improve their academic performance, graduate on time, and access a post-secondary pathway. Core programs aligned to science and technology, math, literacy, and arts offered at the club include Summer Brain Gain, Diplomas to Degrees, Money Matters, Power Hour, DIY STEM, NASA Astro Camp, BookNook, and Math Express. Our summer learning program utilizes field trips and fun, high-yield learning activities that help members apply what they learn in the classroom in an interactive and enriching manner and aligns with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. Continued on Schedule O. Academic enrichment is also offered during summer programs to minimize summer learning loss. Literacy programs provide accelerated learning opportunities to assist members with closing learning gaps.

Character and Leadership programs teach members about the importance of leadership, service to the community and being global citizens. Core programs include mentoring, the Keystone Program, and Youth of the Year. The Keystone Club affords teens ages 14-18 an opportunity to gain valuable leadership and service experience. Members elect officers, hold meetings, and work together to implement activities in three areas: academic success, career exploration and community service. Torch Club is a chartered small group leadership and service club for members who learn to work together to implement activities in four areas: service to club and community, education, health and fitness, and social recreation. Continued on Schedule O. Youth of the Year is a youth recognition program for club members that promotes and celebrates service to the club, community and family, academic performance, moral character, life goals, poise, and public speaking ability. Local clubs recognize members each month and select a Youth of the Year, who then participates in state competition. State winners participate in regional competitions and regional winners compete on a national level. The national Youth of the Year winner receives a scholarship and is recognized by the President of the United States.

The Life & Workforce Readiness program is an integrated framework and approach that provides foundational skills and experiences, foundational career education, and advanced opportunities including work-based learning for youth in the Greater Houston region. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston believes when every young person has access to quality out-of-school opportunities that intentionally support their post-secondary readiness, they are well-positioned for Great Futures. BGCA's evidence-informed approach to workforce readiness puts holistic skill development and career exposure at the forefront of each club member's experience. The goal is to provide all youth, from age six through their teen years, with the knowledge, skills, and learning experiences they need to succeed in life and work after graduation. Career exploration provides members with exposure to the world of work and pathways to careers of their choice. In their Club experience, all members as early as six years old develop essential skills critical to success in work and life. They also gain access to job-specific hard skills to prepare them for employment. Members receive opportunities to learn and demonstrate their skills in real-world work scenarios.

Family engagement is a family-centered and strengths-based approach to making decisions, setting goals and achieving desired outomes for our club members and their families. BGCGH believes in creating and sustaining strong relationships with families through engagement, empowerment, and access to community partners to positively impact the well-being of the whole family. BGCGH achieves this through family enagement, partner roundtables and family fun fests. Family engagement events are BGCGH events in which parents are invited as the audience as well as participants. The added criteria to BGCGH events which makes these events unique is an intentional thought of including community partners that will add benefit to families through these connections. We use this opportunity to bridge the gap of services that are available within a given community, which parents may not otherwise have. Parents receive information, ask questions and sign up for various services during our family engagements events. Clubs are required to have a minimum of two family engagement events per year. Family roundtables are BGCGH club meetings held with parents of club members and are facilitated by the club director. The goal of parent roundtables is to solicit input/feedback from parents regarding the club experience. Typicallly, 10-15 parents are invited to participate in the roundtables. The roundtable atmosphere is a "safe" place in which parents are invited to share positive experiences as well as share opportunities for the club to optimize the club experience for members and parents. Clubs are required to have a minimum of two roundtables per year. Family fun fests are typically Saturday events at clubs designed to provide FUN for club members and parents. Family fun fests are similar to traditional family engagement events as community partners who can provide benefit to families are invited. The added component making family fun fests different from traditional family engagement is a carnival-like atmosphere focused on engagement of club staff, club members, parents and community partners. Clubs are clustered for family fun fests (those within a reasonable vicinity) while others have individual family fun fests (those in rural areas not within reasonable distance).