When Olivia Anthony was applying to the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, the main extracurricular activity she listed was her participation in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington (BGCSW). “Not only did I list [BGCSW] on my application, I would speak about it in [scholarship] interviews. It was a good talking point and I had so many examples to share of my lived experience.”

Anthony credits her time in BGCSW and the mentors there for giving her not only safe place to relax after school, but also encouragement to dream big and support as she worked toward her goals. “[Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington] is less like an after-school program and more like a home. They offered me a lifetime of support and community. I honestly cannot envision my life without them. I have always had mentors to help me, with big or small programs,” she says.

Anthony began attending BGCSW programs as a third grader where she enjoyed spending time with kids from her neighborhood. After a long day at school, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington was a consistent place where she could decompress. “A really good memory that I have is when I was still at the elementary site in the Heights. I would sit in the director’s office, and it felt like such a safe place to go, and if I needed extra support or just rest, she made it really welcoming and comforting with snacks and chairs. I made so many very important friendships and relationships there.”

Now a rising college sophomore at UW studying business informatics, Anthony comes back home in the summer to work for Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington as a summer camp counselor. “I knew that I already had lots of connection here,” she says. “It would be welcoming to come back.”

June 1 of this year marked the 25^th anniversary of Boys and Girls Clubs’ presence in South Washington, with the Clinton and Gloria John Clubhouse adjacent to Hazel Dell Elementary as its first location. Today, there are six locations in Clark County, two of which have dedicated teen centers, and all offering after-school programs as well as summer camps.

During the 2023-2024 school year, “We had over 1,000 youth enrolled and saw up to 500 on a regular basis,” shares Ashley Jones, director of safety and program operations for Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington. “Right now we have 700 enrolled for summer and hope to see 600+ youth attending. Our basketball program also sees around 500 youth participating in fall and winter quarters.”

With every BGC program, “there is always a planned learning outcome,” explains Paige Persico, associate director of programs for Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington. The three main focuses of BGC are Academic Success, Good Character and Leadership, and Healthy Lifestyles. “Our Youth of the Year and Torch Club programs are nationally recognized programs by Boys & Girls Clubs. In addition to running our nationally recognized programs we also run locally developed programs. Each program has a different educational focus, such as art, education, games and gym. A few of our past locally developed programs include Hero’s Journey Comic Day, All About Me Book, Jr. NBA, Watercolor Wednesday [and] Game Show Madness.”

And though there are many options for fun and learning at Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington, kids are also given time to relax or just sit and read after their school day. During daily Power Hour, everyone is given quiet time to catch up on schoolwork, or staff will provide extra math worksheets or other learning activities. With academics as a main focus, an advantage for BGC members is the relationship between their school and the local clubs.

“We have three clubs situated within elementary schools: the Fruit Valley Elementary Clubhouse, the Washington Elementary Clubhouse and the Burton Elementary Clubhouse,” says Persico. “Being located inside the schools enables our staff to build relationships with students’ teachers and support youth in their academic achievements. Our mentors visit classrooms to assist students with their academics and check in with teachers to understand where students are excelling and where they might need additional support. This allows our mentors to tailor educational programming at the clubs to meet the specific needs of our students.”

“Our relationship with schools and teachers is integral,” adds Persico. She told me how BGCSW partners not only with schools, but other nonprofits including the Clark County Food Bank, YWCA, Friends of the Children and Read NW to help teach reading, communication skills such empathetic listening and healthy conflict and even nutrition and healthy lifestyles. The Vancouver Volcanoes help before basketball season kicks off to teach parent coaches how to run a practice. In every class, BGCSW aims to incorporate youth voices and gives recognition to those who complete different programs.

“[BGC] really is meant to be a wraparound service,” says Nicole Aliotti, director of development and communications. “We pride ourselves on being a resource for the whole family . . . We are impacting the community by supporting the youth and their families . . . Anyone can be a Boys & Girls Club member. Whether a family can afford to pay or not, we structure it [so] that we will turn no one away for financial reasons.”

While fewer teens and high schoolers attend BGC due to after school jobs and sports, Anthony was determined to finish what she started there. “It was me and about four or five others [who stayed],” she shares. “I never felt out of place or uncomfortable being the oldest. Our director would label us junior staff and would give us things to do.” The opportunity to become a leader was not overlooked by scholarships screeners, and Anthony was awarded multiple private scholarships to help fund her studies at UW.

For club members who want to stay close to home after high school, Clark College’s Penguin Promise partnership incentivizes youth to work toward academic goals beginning in the eighth grade. As they complete items on a rubric, the more money they are guaranteed toward their tuition at Clark.

Anthony is just one example of how BGC programs set youth on a path of success. Other national statistics show that 57% of Boys & Girls Clubs of America alumni volunteer once a month or more, compared to 43% of the general population. Ninety-seven percent expect to graduate from high school, 88% said they felt they could stand up for what is right even if their peers disagreed, and BGC members are more likely to abstain from smoking, vaping, marijuana, alcohol and opioid use.

For those interested in helping fulfill BGC mission to empower all youth, especially those who need it most, there are multiple ways to get involved. Read NW is always looking for more reading partners, and basketball season has many opportunities to help. Or you can contact the location where you’d like to volunteer directly at mybgc.org/membership/join-a-club to learn about specific opportunities. Financial donations are also welcome. “What a lot of people don’t know [is] when you donate to Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington, it stays local in Clark County,” says Aliotti. “Your support will help us continue to empower youth to reach their full potential as caring, productive and responsible community members.”

Read the Full August 2024 issue below.

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