In The News
Boys & Girls Clubs 2023 State Youth of the Year Announced!
Atlanta, GA 3/9/2023 – On March 7, 2023, Boys & Girls Clubs announced the 2023 Georgia Youth of the Year, at the Awards luncheon in Atlanta, GA. The celebration was hosted at the National Center for Civil & Human Rights.
Elias D. from Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta was named the 2023 Georgia Youth of the Year.
Partners, supporters, alumni, staff, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America representatives attended the culminating celebration of teens recognized by the local Club organizations. Elias D. was selected among six finalists to receive the prestigious honor of the state title, representing over 50,000 youth in Boys & Girls Clubs across Georgia. Elias joined the Club at just 6 years old. He found that he was empowered to be a leader “I am a leader amongst my peers, more compassionate toward others, and I know the importance of positively using my voice to speak up for myself and others”.
Elias was one of nearly 30 Youth of the Year participants recognized this week in Atlanta, GA.
During the celebration, Jaiya S was also recognized as the 2023 Georgia Runner-up. Only the top two candidates can go on to compete in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Regional Competition this Summer for chance to earn a $20,000 scholarship. If they win the regional title, they will go on to compete for the National title of Youth of the Year where they can win up to $50,000 in scholarships and a brand-new Toyota car.
Click here to read the full press release!
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Let's Hear It From The Kids! BGCA Club Members of Valdosta Share Their Perspective!
From Kristin Hanna, the Vice President of Marketing & Development at the Boys & Girls Club of Valdosta,
"We have a new video that we would LOVE to show you!
You have heard from the adults in our organizational "Who We Are" video, but wouldn't it be great to hear about the Boys & Girls Club from the kids themselves?
Well - now is your chance! Jayda and her friends want to tell you about the BGC in their own words.
I hope you will watch the video above and enjoy meeting some of the very children that YOU provide a safe place for each and every day through your support of the Boys & Girls Club of Valdosta.
As always, please reach out if I can help in any way or if you would like to come on a tour and meet our kiddos! Thank you for helping to make futures bright for children right here in our community."
Georgia Youth of the Year Workshop Returns In-Person
for First Time Since 2019
Georgia’s Boys & Girls Clubs will gather at our annual Youth of the Year (YOY) Gala on November 11th!
Youth of the Year is a character and leadership program that recognizes Club members who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership skills, and service to the community. The competition is open to all Boys & Girls Club members ages 14-18, and each Georgia Club honors one outstanding member to represent them at the annual fundraising YOY Gala.
Find out more about the Youth of the Year Workshop!
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Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia Announces Thriller Night Run 5K
September 28, 2022, Macon, GA – The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia (BGCCG) will host a 5K run on Friday, October 21 at 6:30pm. Beginning at Luther Williams Field, Willie Smokey Glover Dr, Macon, GA 31201, in Carolyn Crayton (Central City) Park, packet pick-up and day-of registration opens at 5:30 pm. The 5K will cover a portion of the Industrial District and a small part of downtown Macon. Parking for the run and parade is available at Central City Park. Awards will be given to the best M/F costumes, judged by a panel of Club Kids pre-race.
Several community leaders are running the 5K as ambassadors. Those who do not wish to run can still support by contributing to an ambassadors’ campaign. Run ambassadors and BGCCG supporters collaborated to create a Thriller dance video to help announce and promote the 5K.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said run ambassador Renee Corwine. “I participated in the Thriller Run 5K last year and I’m so excited to be able to do it again this year. This event combines two of the things I love, healthy living and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia. BGCCG has an amazing after-school program for young people, they provide a safe place for children where they can come to learn and grow. They also strive with every child they interact with to build caring, responsible, productive citizens for our community.”
Online registration is available. $20 EARLY BIRD registration for all entries received by September 30th, $25 advance registration for all entries received October 1st - October 20, and $30 registration on race day with limited t-shirt availability.
Presented by Flint Energies and Publix, the Thriller Run 5K is still open to sponsorships, as well as volunteers. For more information, Special Events Coordinator DeMarcus Beckham can be contacted at dbeckham@bgccg.org.
About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia: The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. It encompasses our desire to ensure young people are equipped with the skills and support systems needed to succeed in life. Our vision is to redefine the “success equation” for the nearly 3,000 youth impacted by our staff, programs, and services by building an even stronger Club experience, one that is characterized by intensive, targeted support in our three outcome areas: academic success, good character & citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. Learn more at https://www.bgccg.org
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2022 Georgia Military Youth of the Year named 2022 National Military Youth of the Year by Boys & Girls Clubs of America!!!
Selected among five outstanding regional finalists from Boys & Girls Clubs of America-affiliated military Youth Centers across the country and overseas, Ahsha B., of Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base has been named the 2022 National Military Youth of the Year by Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
National Military Youth of the Year is a component of Boys & Girls Clubs of America's National Youth of the Year recognition program for Club and Youth Center members. On October 13, Ahsha will join five finalists in Los Angeles for the National Youth of the Year celebration to contend for the National Youth of the Year title. If named the National Youth of the Year, Ahsha will receive an additional $50,000 scholarship, a brand-new Toyota Corolla and the opportunity to serve as a spokesperson for Boys & Girls Clubs of America representing 4.3 million Club and Youth Center kids and teens.
After a move from Virginia to rural Georgia, Ahsha's parents encouraged her to join the Military base's Youth Center. She was less than thrilled.
Within two weeks of the program, a Youth Center staff member encouraged Ahsha to audition for a talent program through the Youth Center. She had the opportunity to perform an original spoken word piece and perform alongside a spoken word artist. In the same year, she was nominated as Boys & Girls Clubs of America's East Coast National UPS Road Code Ambassador, which provided the opportunity to conduct safe driving workshops for teens. After these two major leadership milestones, Ahsha had the confidence to launch a podcast for teens at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, connecting directly with her peers.
To find out more about Ahsha's journey, click the link below!
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia partnered with the Georgia Department of Agriculture to bring the mobile classroom to the Terrill Thomas Center!
A state initiative made a stop in Glynn County last week as part of an effort to attract more students to work in the state’s agriculture businesses and to alter perceptions of what it means to work in this field.
The “Georgia Ag Experience” visited Brunswick to showcase its mobile agricultural classroom for students participating in the Boys & Girls Club’s summer program.
Inside, the students experienced a 36-foot space filled with digital learning and interactive games that taught them about agricultural commodities in Georgia.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia partnered with the Georgia Department of Agriculture to bring the mobile classroom to the Terrill Thomas Center. Clubs across the county brought their third-, fourth- and fifth-grade participants over so the students could spend about an hour enjoying the activities.
Habersham's Boys & Girls Club Celebrates Its One Year Anniversary
One year ago, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lanier opened a program in Habersham County and it’s been a great success!
According to Now Habersham news source, ‘In its first year, the club reached students in all of the county’s elementary schools through after-school programs, developing a total of 20 extension sites, and is now in its second year of summer camps. The summer program has grown so much that a second camp is being conducted at Demorest Elementary School. In fact, a total of 180 children are in camp this summer with a long waiting list of families hoping slots will open up for their children. That’s up from 100 students last summer.’ Thank you for all your support in Habersham County!
The Department of Human Services, Division of Family & Children's Services After-school Division visited our Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club in Savannah!
The Frank Callen BGC is the oldest Club in the state of GA, serving thousands of youth and teens for more than 100 years in the Savannah area. We are proud partners of the DHS Afterschool team and grateful for their support of out of school time programs at Boys & Girls Clubs statewide. This partnership places a special emphasis on social emotional learning, physical activity and workforce readiness.
Thanks to this partnership and TANF funds received, we offer a social emotional curriculum named Positive Action, an evidence based program Positive Action is based on the intuitive philosophy that we feel good about ourselves when we do positive actions. The Thoughts-Actions-Feelings Circle (TAF) illustrates how this works in life: our thoughts lead to actions and those actions lead to feelings about ourselves which in turn lead to more thoughts. When this cycle is negative, students do not want to learn. When this cycle is positive, students want to learn.
The essence of the program is to emphasize those actions that promote a healthy and positive cycle. The Positive Action program works through these concepts in a systematic way. Funding also supports our evidence-informed Triple Play program which meets the National Afterschool HEPA (Healthy Eating and Physical Activity) standards. This health and wellness program used by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, uses a three-pronged approach that focuses on the mind (by teaching nutrition and healthy habits), the body (through physical activity), and the soul (through social development). Workforce readiness is another key element of the partnership where we prepare teens to enter the workforce and take part in our Career Launch & Money Matters programs.
To help young people meet the workforce challenges of tomorrow, they need safe spaces, positive mentorship and work experiences today. At Boys & Girls Clubs, we allow kids and teens to explore their interests and passions, develop their employability skills, apply their knowledge to real-world work experiences through our summer youth employment program.
We keep kids active and engaged in programs and fun physical activity all year long thanks to support from our partners!
Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia Announces 2022 Youth of the Year
Governor Brian P. Kemp announced the availability of $15 million in Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia to advance student academic achievement by addressing learning recovery and other critical needs of youth brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Kemp Announces $15 Million in GEER Funds to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia to Address Learning Gaps Caused by COVID-19
Governor Brian P. Kemp announced the availability of $15 million in Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia to advance student academic achievement by addressing learning recovery and other critical needs of youth brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Georgia Dept. of Education Partners with Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network to Award BOOST Grants
The Georgia Department of Education, in partnership with the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network, is awarding $27 million in Building Opportunities in Out-of-School Time (BOOST) grants to community and statewide organizations.
The grants, funded with American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds and awarded to four organizations with statewide reach and 100 community-based organizations, will expand access to and improve the quality of afterschool and summer learning opportunities across Georgia.
Girls Empowering Movement (GEM) Statewide Leadership Summit
HealthMPowers and partner organizations: Boys and Girls Clubs of Georgia, Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, and the University of West Georgia hosted the 2021 Girls Empowering Movement (GEM) Statewide Leadership Summit from June 25-27
