Brigade Boys & Girls Club Inc

Programs: In 2017, brigade boys & girls club served over 2,800 youth and teens annually in three counties (new hanover, pender, and onslow) at thirteen club sites and through our school outreach and teen court diversion services. The club sites include two stand-alone buildings owned by brigade, two club sites in public housing, six clubs in elementary schools, two in churches, and one in a community center. We serve those who need us most, which includes at-risk youth and teens who may be living in difficult circumstances, such as poverty, homelessness, foster care, single parent homes, and the military deployment of their parents. In 2017, we served children representing over 400 military families. Over 40% of our club members are african-american, over 38% are caucasian, 10. 5% are hispanic, with the balance including other racial and/or ethnic make-up. In 2017, brigade boys & girls club served more than 300 at-risk teens. During the school year, the club sites are open after-school from 2:30pm to 6:30pm. On specific holidays and teacher workdays, when tenant partnerships allow, we are open from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm to assist working families. Our sites work the same hours during our summer camp programming. Brigade boys & girls club employs 20 full time staff. During the school year, there are 65 part time staffers, while in the summer, this number increases to 90. We offer more than 40 certified programs that were authored by the national boys & girls club of america or approved academic institutions. All of these programs fall into one of 5 categories: character and leadership development - empowers youth to become global citizens who support and influence their club and community, sustain meaningful relationships with others, develop a positive self-image and good character and respect their own and others' cultural identities;education and career development - enable youth to become proficient in basic educational disciplines, set goals, explore careers, prepare for employment and embrace technology to achieve success in a career; health and life skills - develop young people's capacity to engage in positive behaviors that nurture their own well-being, set personal goals and live successfully as self-sufficient adults; the arts - encourage youth to develop their creativity and cultural awareness through knowledge and appreciation of creative writing, crafts and visual and performing arts; sports, fitness and recreation - programs develop fitness, positive use of leisure time, skills for stress management, appreciation for the environment and social skills. A 'flagship' program that we have implemented in 2017, is the workforce development program. This program's activities are made available to club members 13-18 years old and targets high-risk teens providing them access to such positive pathways as jr. Internship, job shadowing, off-site internships, certificate programs and community college associate degree programs that will assure they are job-ready and/or prepare them to transition to a four-year college. We are especially interested in exposing participants to a variety of certificate programs leading to positions in the allied health, it, and mechanical engineering fields; trades such as hvac, electrical, etc. ; in conjunction with traditional business and professional opportunities such as banking and finance. In conclusion, the brigade boys and girls club offers a safe, educational, nurturing environment that allows underserved and at-risk youth the opportunity to lead successful, healthy and fulfilling lives. We have high expectations for our kids and we continually strive for academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles.