Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County serves the Tarrant County area with afterschool and summer programs and services at 11 sites and three childcare centers. Branch programs and services are available to members ages 5-18, and no child is ever turned away due to an inability to pay. Branch activities focus on the areas of academic success, healthy lifestyles, and good character and citizenship. Our vision is that success is within reach of every child who enters our doors, with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County operates mobile services in communities through Tarrant and Denton counties. The mobile clubhouses use vehicles especially designed for taking the services offered in branches and school sites to communities. Support services provide daily hot meals, clothing, school supplies, hygiene items, and referrals for counseling. Programming offered by the Club allows us to reach and critically impact a diverse youth population, providing services throughout all phases of their lives. BGCGTC uniquely addresses multiple challenges youth face within their social environment and targets issues specific to youth growing up in low-income communities.

In addition to branch programs, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County also operates Comin' Up, a progressive gang-intervention program that serves more than 600 gang-involved youth between the ages of 13-24 years old in critical Fort Worth communities. In partnership with the city of Fort Worth, the program provides needs-based services and activities in an effort to reduce gang violence and influence positive change. The program operates in six target areas of the city and develops truces between rival gangs by working directly with gang members to assist with conflict resolution, provide information and referral services, and crisis intervention to reduce potentially violent situations.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County emphasizes the importance of education and workforce readiness across all program areas. To prepare low-income youth for post-secondary and future career opportunities, the Club offers pre-college programs. The Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search programs focus on graduation and college enrollment, providing services to low-income and potential first-generation college students. The programs focus on achieving academic success through intensive curriculum combined with personalized support and daily mentoring. The high grade-to-grade progression, graduation, and college enrollment rates speak to the impact the programs have on the academic success and achievement of participants.

Young people and their families participate in mental health support activities at branches, school sites and mobile clubhouses. Activities are conducted by trained professionals such as social workers and counselors. Support for outcries is provided by mental health professional(s). Youth prevention (YP) programs empower young people to meet life's challenges and transition into adulthood by partnering with their families and communities to promote healthy environments and behaviors. YP programs use an evidence-based approach endorsed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. These programs are delivered before the onset of a substance use disorder and are intended to prevent or reduce the risk of developing a health problem