Boys And Girls Clubs Of Dorchester Inc

Programs: Licensed early education & care- boys & girls clubs of dorchester's early education and care programs have provided high quality childcare in the community for over 25 years. Our goal is to instill a joy of learning in each child. Our programs have received statewide recognition for quality of instruction and classroom environment, and attract national and international observers and visitors to observe our teachers engaged with our students, encouraging learning in an atmosphere of play. Our early education and care programs are open to children ages 2 months to 7 years old, and include a boston public school k1 classroom that offers families extended day programming year-round. The varied curricula involve the children in educational activities inside and outside the classroom that stimulate growth and development in cognitive, emotional and physical skills to prepare them to enter elementary school ready to learn. We use a culturally sensitive approach and our staff reflects the rich diversity of our community, offering children opportunities to preserve their first language while engaging in and developing language and literacy skills in english. Our programs are staffed by highly trained and knowledgeable educators who hold degrees, and are passionate about providing high quality experiences for children. Our children enjoy indoor and outdoor spaces that are designed for exploration and play. Classrooms are equipped with developmentally appropriate materials, and children move around the classroom engaging in hands-on activities and making their own choices through the day. The children have two outdoor playgrounds to explore, which include play structures, garden space, trees and pathways. Incorporated in our early education and care programs are a variety of family engagement activities and events that help build connections, knowledge and access among parents in our community. We offer screenings, assessments and information about resources available in the community to build resilience and empower parents to advocate for their children. We train parents to lead outreach efforts and facilitate conversations about the issues they deal with every day. We also offer a school age program for children ages 5-12 which is licensed by the massachusetts department of early education and care. This program offers an alternative to our drop-in afterschool program, ideal for those families that require a structured program with developmentally appropriate activities within a safe and nurturing environment. Highly trained staff work with families to create a consistent schedule of enrichment activities that meet the needs of each individual child.

recreation and education - boys & girls clubs of dorchester is a leading youth development organization founded in 1974 to provide a safe haven and life-enhancing programs to at-risk youth in and around dorchester, ma. With three clubhouses, we serve 4,000 youth each year through over 202 programs and activities in the areas of education, athletics, aquatics, college and career prep, art, music, film, social recreation, health and life skills, community service and leadership development. Our programs are fully inclusive, available to children of all abilities. These programs are designed to complement each other; together, they form a comprehensive youth development plan that helps our members thrive today while building the skills they need to succeed throughout their lives. Programming is offered year-round, six days a week; in the summer, we are open for teens until 11:00 p. M. , and provide rides home for members who need them. We serve hot meals to 250 children per day, included in their membership fee. The full cost of programming is approximately $1900 per member, but members pay only $5 per year to participate. The youth development professionals staffing our programs are extremely dedicated to our mission and many are considered experts in their field. Three of our five senior managers have served the club for more than 25 years; many program directors have served for 10 years or more. The continuity of our staff creates a consistent atmosphere for the youth we serve, many of whom face unstable situations at home. Fostering children's continual, positive progression from infancy to young adulthood, so that they may achieve the greatest possible success in life, is the larger purpose behind everything we do. Our members mirror the diversity of dorchester (30% african american, 23% white, 16% hispanic, 14% multiracial, 8% asian, and 9% other), and youth with moderate to severe disabilities comprise approximately 17% of our total member population. Over half of bgcd families subsist on less than $35,000 annually. The city they call home is a fractured community: bgcd members attend over 168 different schools in boston, so the club provides an essential community hub for children and families. We are fortunate to partner with many outstanding organizations to enhance the depth and breadth of our programming. Students from berklee college of music provide music lessons and mentoring, the museum of fine arts provides art lessons and tours, and officers from the boston police department build relationships by engaging with members in team sports, boxing and junior police academies. In addition, we have an agreement wherby we provide recreational services to the youth residents of a local housing faiclity, that would otherwise be enrolled in the programs we offer. Several of our programs have been nationally recognized with national merit awards from boys & girls clubs of america: safe summer streets, our summer evening program for teens; project b. I. N. D. , our inclusion program; martin richard challenger sports, a four-season sports program that pairs children with disabilities with "buddies" in order to fully participate; and our music clubhouse, where members learn to play instruments, and perform, compose, record and produce original music.