Organization: BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS
Mission: TO NURTURE, EDUCATE AND ENRICH CHILDREN AND YOUTH FOR LIFE-LONG SUCCESS.
Activities: BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE SIOUX EMPIRE HAS ROOTS IN SIOUX FALLS DATING BACK TO THE 1950'S WHEN THE MORNING OPTIMISTS BEGAN A BOYS CLUB TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF YOUNG BOYS IN THE COMMUNITY. IN THE 1970'S, A SIMILAR GIRLS CLUB WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE SIOUX FALLS JAYCEES, ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF YOUNG GIRLS. THE BOYS CLUB AND GIRLS CLUB WERE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF RECREATIONAL AND AFTERSCHOOL SERVICES IN THE SIOUX EMPIRE. IN THE MID '70'S, THE TWO CLUBS WERE THE FIRST TO PROVIDE AFTERSCHOOL SNACKS AND EVENING MEALS FOR DROP-IN PARTICIPANTS AND TO BEGIN TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS WHICH ASSISTED PARENTS BY TRANSPORTING CHILDREN FROM SELECT SCHOOL SITES TO CHILDCARE LOCATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY. IN 1980, COMING TOGETHER IN AN UNPRECEDENTED EFFORT, THE BOYS CLUB, GIRLS CLUB, YMCA, AND YWCA JOINTLY FORMED KARE-4, AN ACRONYM FOR KIDS AFTERSCHOOL RECREATION AND ENRICHMENT. KARE-4 WAS AN AFTER SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM FOR LATCHKEY YOUTH SERVICING EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE CITY. IN 1985, THE GIRLS CLUB WAS THE FIRST IN THE COMMUNITY TO BEGIN A SPECIALIZED CHILDCARE PROGRAM CALLED KINDER CLUB, PROVIDING CHILDCARE, MEALS AND TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM SCHOOL FOR HALF DAY KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS. AS A RESULT OF KINDER CLUB, THE GIRLS CLUB BEGAN A PROGRAM CALLED KINDER PREP, AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM WHICH PREPARED FOUR-YEAR OLDS FOR KINDERGARTEN. THEN, AS IT CONTINUES TO BE TODAY, THE ORGANIZATION IS ON THE FORE-FRONT OF INNOVATION IN THE COMMUNITY. IN 1989, IN A MOVEMENT AHEAD OF ITS TIME, THE LOCAL BOYS CLUB AND GIRLS CLUB RECOGNIZED THE POTENTIAL IN A MERGER OF THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS. THEY CAME TOGETHER FORMING YOUTH ENRICHMENT SERVICES, A SEPARATE, STAND-ALONE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. YES ALSO INITIATED INFANT AND TODDLER CARE AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, PROVIDING EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS INCLUDING COMMUNITY BASED HEAD-START AND THE STARTING STRONG PRE-K PILOT PROGRAM. THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE CHILDREN AGES 0-5 YEARS WITH A SAFE, NURTURING, AND EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT. THE PROGRAM UTILIZES THE CREATIVE CURRICULUM, A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED, RESEARCH BASED CURRICULUM AS THE FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING AND REQUIRES LEAD TEACHERS TO POSSESS DEGREES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION TO PROVIDE THE OPTIMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. YES PARTNERED WITH THE SIOUX FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT IN 2013 TO PROVIDE THE SAME QUALITY CARE FOR CHILDREN WHOSE PARENTS ATTEND THE ALTERNATIVE HIGH-SCHOOL WITHIN THE DISTRICT. THE CHILDCARE IS PROVIDED ON SITE AT THE SCHOOL, WHICH ALLOWS TEEN PARENTS TO NOT ONLY GET AN EDUCATION, BUT ALSO INTERACT WITH THEIR CHILD, RECEIVE PARENTING INSTRUCTION AND MENTORING FROM TRAINED, EDUCATED STAFF MEMBERS. THE ORGANIZATION HAS GROWN TO BECOME ONE OF THE LARGEST NON-FOR-PROFIT CHILDCARE PROGRAMS IN SOUTH DAKOTA, OFFERING SERVICES AT THREE STAND-ALONE CENTERS AND IN SEVERAL BEFORE AND AFTER- SCHOOL SITES IN SIOUX FALLS, BRANDON AND HARRISBURG SERVING MORE THAN 1100 CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. HAVING CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ANALYSIS IN 2010 AND HAVING SOUGHT THE INPUT OF A LARGE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING VARIOUS SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING BUSINESS, SERVICE, GOVERNMENT AND FAMILIES OVER THE PERIOD OF NEARLY A YEAR, YOUTH ENRICHMENT SERVICES WAS CONFIDENT IN THE COMMUNITY'S SUPPORT FOR THE ADDITION OF SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA. IN A MOVE REMINISCENT OF ITS FOUNDATION, THE ORGANIZATION JOINED ALL OF ITS PROGRAMS UNDER ONE UMBRELLA BECOMING BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE SIOUX EMPIRE IN 2011. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO OPENED THE EASTSIDE CLUB PROGRAM IN APRIL 2011, SERVICING YOUTH AGES 6-18 PRIMARILY DRAWING FROM THE THREE TITLE 1 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN THE AREA. THE EASTSIDE CLUB PROVIDES SUPERVISED AFTERNOON AND EVENING PROGRAMS, INCLUDING A SNACK AND AN EVENING MEAL FOR ONLY 25 A SEMESTER. THE DROP-IN PROGRAM IS OPEN TO ALL CHILDREN BUT PRIMARILY SERVES FAMILIES WHO COME FROM ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED CIRCUMSTANCES. BOYS & GIRLS CLUB PROGRAMS FEATURE FIVE CORE AREAS: CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP, CAREER AND EDUCATION, HEALTH AND LIFE SKILLS, THE ARTS, AND SPORTS, FITNESS AND RECREATION. THESE CORE AREAS ARE WOVEN INTO PROGRAMMING THAT IS FUN, ENGAGING, AND POSITIVE. CLUB PROGRAMS AND SERVICES PROMOTE AND ENHANCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOYS AND GIRLS BY INSTILLING A SENSE OF COMPETENCE, USEFULNESS, BELONGING AND INFLUENCE AS WELL AS PROVIDING YOUTH A SAFE PLACE WHERE THEY CAN LEARN AND GROW. BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE SIOUX EMPIRE CONTINUES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY BY NURTURING, EDUCATING AND ENRICHING THE LIVES OF SO MANY CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN THE SIOUX EMPIRE.
NTEE category: Youth Development
Secondary category: Education