Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities

Our vision is to provide a high quality Club experience that assures success is within reach of every young person who enters our doors, with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle. Programs are designed to intervene early to keep youth on a pathway to success. Goals are as follows:
• Increase school engagement and performance while helping members prepare for college, military, or trade school
• Increase technology knowledge/computer literacy skills through STEM programming
• Increase appreciation for the arts
• Improve financial literacy skills
• Enhance work skills/help teens secure meaningful work experience
• Develop leadership attributes and skills
• Help teens gain an understanding of civic responsibility and volunteerism
• Enhance nutrition through meal delivery and cooking classes
• Coach youth to make positive choices leading toward a healthy lifestyle

To achieve our mission and goals, BGCTC maintains the Five Key Elements of Youth Development:
1) A safe, positive environment where kids feel they belong
2) Fun and exciting age-appropriate activities
3) Trained professional mentors who are well-equipped to build supportive relationships with Club members
4) High expectations in diverse experiences/opportunities that challenge youth to learn new skills and develop a positive self-concept
5) Emphasize positive reinforcement, praise, and recognition of youth achievement

We offer nationally recognized programs in three “pillars of success” outcome areas that closely align with the developmental needs of the youth we serve: Academic Success, Good Character & Leadership, and Healthy Lifestyles. Programs are driven by the research-based Clover Model of youth development that highlights four essential social and emotional learning elements needed for youth to thrive, learn, and develop: Active Engagement, Assertiveness, Belonging, and Reflection.

BGCTC has been meeting the needs of at-risk youth since 1926. BGCTC’s 79 staff members, many of whom have dedicated their careers to our youth, provide consistent guidance while delivering high-yield, outcome-driven programs. No other youth development program in our community offers the breadth of programming BGCTC delivers for ages 5-18. Programs are delivered in inner city neighborhood facilities dedicated to youth activities.

An important resource for BGCTC is our dedicated team of 1,200 volunteers. Volunteers mentor youth in programs and activities, and introduce our teens to industries and companies around the Twin Cities. Additionally, our affiliation with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), the nation’s oldest and largest youth development organization, allows BGCTC to maintain the highest standards of practice and continuously adapt to meet the changing needs of youth, with access to resources including program development, staff training, and some pass-through funding.

In FY18, our dedicated team of 84 staff members and 1,200 volunteers delivered programs to 8,398 unduplicated Twin Cities youth. This includes youth who participated in Club events, activities, or Voyageur programming.

In our Academic Success programs, 94% of students who received literacy instruction from November to May made positive gains in cumulative test scores. 733 youth participated in STEM activities; 274 teens were trained in job skills through Teen Pathways; and 176 Club seniors graduated from high school, up 65% over the previous year. In Good Character & Leadership programming, 62% of youth and teens surveyed volunteered in their local Club and/or in their community at least once a month. In Healthy Lifestyles programming, BGCTC provided 157,722 healthy meals and snacks to Club members; 1,069 youth participated in sports leagues; and 60% of Club members ages 9 and older reported getting at least one hour of physical activity five or more days per week.