Program areas at The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro South
Educational programs: our academic success programming provides our youth with The skills and resources they need to succeed in The classroom, apply learning to everyday situations, and embrace 21st-century technology to achieve career success in The future. Members engage in educational programs and receive support services that assist in improving their academic performance, creativity, and critical thinking skills. Teen members receive specialized programming and support services as they transition to high school and research their options for applying to college or trade schools and preparing to enter The workforce.
Summer camp programs: Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South operates several full-day summer camp programs for ages 5-15 from late june through late august and all provide safe, positive environments where children can develop self-confidence and social skills, build lasting relationships with peers and counselors, work to improve their grasp of core academic disciplines, increase their level of physical fitness, and explore their creativity - all while enjoying The fun and freedom that define summer as it should be. Our brockton-based teen camp serves ages 13-18 and blends club-based programming with external field trips, college tours, and other enrichment experiences.
Health & wellness programs: through a variety of programs, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South strives to improve The overall health of club members by increasing their daily physical activity, teaching them good nutrition, and helping them develop healthy relationships with a focus on nourishing The mind, body, and soul. We provide nutritious meals to our youth each evening during The academic year, and both breakfast and lunch during The summer months to ensure that no member who wishes to eat at our Clubs leaves hungry. Each day we serve meals to nearly 400 of our members; totaling more than 7,500 meals served per month and more than 100,000 meals served annually. We also aim to eliminate The anxiety that comes with never knowing where one's next meal will come from. By removing this constant worry from The minds of our members, we can help them better apply their efforts in school, and give them The freedom to just be kids. Positive social-emotional development is one of our most important goals for our members. Social-emotional development improves youth's readiness to learn, self-confidence, behavior, academic performance, and overall personal development. Socially and emotionally competent youth are better prepared to navigate The world around them and are more likely to succeed in school, at The club, and in life. Each of our Clubs employs a full-time youth resource navigator to support our members' mental and behavioral health and connect families with wraparound resources.
Licensed school age child care programs: our licensed school age child care (sacc) programs for youth ages 5-12 at our brockton and taunton clubhouses help participants to develop self-expression and independence, take pride in personal achievement, and hone critical thinking skills through unique program activities. Our intentional curriculum fosters The development of motor skills and healthy growth through physical activities and good nutrition. Our dedicated staff works to enhance academic success through homework help and educational tutoring. We provide a culturally diverse, enriching program that fosters self and community identity, which cultivates a sense of belonging and responsibility.
Community impact programs: our fleet of "freight farms" (hydroponic gardens housed within retrofitted shipping containers) provide our nutrition staff with consistent access to healthy, leafy greens to incorporate into our daily meal service program offered each weeknight at both our brockton and taunton clubhouses, and at lunchtime during The summer months at camp riverside. Moreover, our freight farms have allowed us to build upon existing partnerships with local community organizations and other nonprofits working to tackle food insecurity in our region to support their efforts to feed The hungry and to feed them nutritious food. Sharing our harvest helps to reduce hunger and food insecurity, increases The availability of healthy food to all residents (especially children), reduces food waste, and increases nutritional education for youth as we have developed programming within our clubhouses and summer camp programs which are designed to introduce our members to sustainable agriculture and provide a tangible example of using science, technology, engineering, and math to solve The complex challenges of our time.