DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

OFF ICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS

BJA NI J OJJDP BJS OVC

Boys & Girls (B&G) Clubs of America

Nancy E. Gist, Director

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Boys & Girls (B&G) Clubs of America is a nationwide

network of 1,700 affiliated Boys & Girls Clubs serving

2.2 million school-age boys and girls. B&G Clubs help

children from all backgrounds develop the qualities

needed to become responsible citizens and leaders. The

B&G Club mission hinges on positive partnerships between young people and concerned adults, between B&G

Clubs and their supporters, and between the national organization and local clubs. Special concern is shown for

youth from disadvantaged circumstances.

From its national headquarters in Atlanta and five Regional Service Centers in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Los

Angeles, and Atlanta, B&G Clubs of America provides

onsite technical assistance and guidance to local communities in establishing new B&G Clubs. The network also

provides continuing support for established clubs to help

ensure their stability, effectiveness, and growth.

Background

Officially founded in 1906, B&G Clubs of America has

club facilities and programs in each of the 50 States,

Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Primarily located in communities and areas where children are the

most disadvantaged, B&G Clubs have provided at-risk

girls and boys with a full and fair opportunity to lead

productive, meaningful lives. Although B&G Clubs of

America was not incorporated until 1906 by the 53 clubs

existing at that time, it has served youngsters since

1865. The network has provided technical support and

organizational assistance to communities, establishing

new clubs at the rate of 125 per year for the past 7 years.

In 1987, recognizing that young people in public housing are at high risk for alcohol and other drug use, health

problems, pregnancy, crime, violence, delinquency, and

failure in school, B&G Clubs of America launched a

major initiative to establish new clubs in public housing

communities nationwide. A subsequent 3-year independent study conducted by Columbia University confirmed

that B&G Clubs in public housing have a significant impact on juvenile crime (reduced 13 percent), drug activity (reduced 22 percent), and the presence of crack

cocaine (reduced 25 percent). The study also found that

the clubs improved the overall quality of life for the

children and families who reside in public housing.

Through cooperative agreement grants in 1992, 1993, and

1994, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) of the U.S.

Department of Justice provided $7.2 million to B&G

Clubs of America to support the establishment of new

clubs in public housing and other at-risk communities and

to enhance and strengthen existing club programs through

violence prevention and reduction, educational and health

programs, and youth leadership development. During this

time, BJA funding resulted in the establishment of 31 new

B&G Clubs, 27 of which are in public housing; training

and technical assistance to 98 B&G Clubs to develop and

implement violence prevention strategies; improved and

strengthened health and education initiatives in 21 B&G

Clubs; and a national youth leadership conference for

1,300 teenaged club members. BJA funding during this

3-year period enabled B&G Clubs of America to reach

and serve 46,700 girls and boys.

Key Program Elements

B&G Clubs help their members build self-esteem, acquire honest values, and pursue productive futures. The

clubs achieve these goals by providing the following basic resources to club members:

❑ A safe haven away from the negative influences

of the street.
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❑ Guidance, discipline, and values modeling from

caring adult leaders.

❑ Constructive youth development activities and

programs in supervised supportive environments.

❑ Access to comprehensive, coordinated services

that meet the complex needs of youth at risk.

❑ Educational support, increased awareness of

career options, and goal-setting skills.

❑ A comprehensive violence prevention initiative.

❑ A future vision of life beyond public housing.

Depending on the community resources available and

the particular community needs and dynamics, programs

and services vary among individual clubs. Programs often include supplementary education, health and fitness,

drug abuse prevention, teen pregnancy education and

prevention, career exploration, arts and crafts, leadership

development, community service, and environmental

awareness. Although specific programs and services

may vary, B&G Clubs have the following features in

common. All clubs are:

❑ Designed for school-age girls and boys of all

races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds, with no

personal recommendations or proof of character

required for membership.

❑ Building centered, with 1,700 facilities ranging

from 1,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet in

size, open to all members during normal hours of

operation, and designed to satisfy the age-old

desire of children to have a “club” of their own.

Most B&G Clubs are open 5 to 6 days per week,

4 or 5 hours a day.

❑ Staffed with full-time youth-work professionals,

supplemented by part-time workers and volunteers, who emphasize positive values in the

relationships club members have both with each

other and with their adult leaders.

❑ Geared to help girls and boys make appropriate

and satisfying choices in their physical, educational, personal, social, emotional, vocational,

and spiritual lives.

❑ Committed to quality through evaluation, planning, and management.

When needed, even during non-club hours, B&G Club

staff are available to members in the event of emergencies that may require special attention.

Boys and girls “join” their local B&G Club by completing a simple membership application and paying an annual membership fee that ranges from $1 to $5—always

low enough so that any youngster can afford to join.

Club Activities

In addition to extensive onsite consultations and regional

training events, B&G Clubs of America develops, prepares, and distributes detailed program models and

guides to local clubs. Now numbering more than 25,

these programs include:

❑ Alcohol, drug, and pregnancy prevention—

SMART Moves and SMART Kids.

❑ Career exploration—Broader Horizons, Job

Search Club, One With One, and Goals for

Growth.

❑ Citizenship and leadership—Youth of the Year,

Keystone Clubs, and Torch Clubs.

❑ Cultural enrichment—National Photography

Contest, Fine Arts Exhibit Program, and Epstein

Scholarship Program.

❑ Delinquency and gang prevention—Delinquency Prevention Through Targeted Outreach

and Gang Prevention Through Targeted Outreach.

❑ Education—Power Hour!, Bo Knows Challenge,

and Michael Jordan Essay Challenge.

❑ Environmental education—The Ultimate

Journey.

❑ Health, sports, and fitness—The Body Works,

Jump Rope Challenge, Basketball Spot Shot

Challenge, Workout Challenge, Sir Thomas J.

Lipton Sportsmanship Award, and Sectional

Tournaments.

Milestones

In 1994, B&G Clubs of America reached a landmark by

serving 2.2 million youths nationwide in 1,672 clubs,

270 of which are in public housing areas. Club outreach

efforts have been extended to military families and Indian reservations, with services being offered in school

buildings and shopping malls. Partnerships have been

established with concerned corporations; private foundations; government agencies, such as BJA, the Office of

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development;

and caring individuals, including club alumni.

For Further Information

Boys & Girls Clubs of America

1230 West Peachtree Street NW.

Atlanta, GA 30309–3447

1–404–815–5751

Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse

1–800–688–4252

 FS000106

October 1995