Our Core Programs

BGCO offers five core programs that support youth in achieving positive outcomes in our three priority areas of Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles. Youth build social-emotional skills, which are needed to achieve academic success, grow character and leadership skills, and commit to a healthy lifestyle. In addition, high yield learning activities provide opportunities to practice these important academic and social skills through hands-on, interactive, fun experiences that develop and reinforce core skills to support our three priority outcome areas.

 

Character & Leadership Development

Empower youth to support and influence their Club and community, sustain meaningful relationships with others, develop a positive self image, participate in the democratic process, and respect their own and others’ cultural identities.

  • Highlights the academic, community, and Club achievements of our branch’s outstanding youth via competitions at the local, regional and national levels.

  • A nationally affiliated leadership development program for 14-17 year olds. The club meets weekly, planning and implementing their own activities and projects with guidance from an adult advisor.

  • Our youth advisory council is comprised of the officers of our four Keystone Clubs. With guidance from an adult advisor, teens learn how effective leadership skills, advocacy skills and organizational skills.

  • A nationally affiliated leadership development program for 11-13 year olds. The Clubs have objectives similar to Keystone Clubs and serve as a natural "feeder system" for Keystone.

 

Education & Career Development

The Education and Career Development programs enable youth to become proficient in basic education disciplines, apply learning to everyday situations and embrace technology to achieve success in a career.

  • The Junior Staff component provides paid employment opportunities for deserving members 14 years of age and older. The Junior Leaders component provides volunteer opportunities for younger members who aspire to Junior Staff status. This program prepares members for leadership roles as professionals or volunteers.

  • A tutorial and homework assistance Program that includes remedial and academic enrichment. The Brain Factory is coordinated with and supplements the work of the schools.

 

Health and Life Skills

Health and Life Skills programs 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.

  • A comprehensive national prevention program designed to instill anti-drug, anti-alcohol and anti-early sexual activity messages. This program helps members make smarter, more deliberate “moves” as they cope with being a youth in an increasingly hostile environment.

  • Provides free medical examination to determine fitness for physically oriented programs and activities.

  • Promotes the development of healthy eating habits via the USDA free lunch and snack programs supplemented with periodic Clubhouse cooking classes.

 

The Arts

The Arts programs encourage positive leisure-time pursuits which promote a constructive means of self-expression through painting, drawing, photography, ceramics, sculpting and other visual arts, and appreciation of all fine arts.

  • A positive leisure-time pursuit which promotes constructive means of self-expression which exposes youth to the fundamentals of dance, music and other forms of performing arts.

  • Student-members learn beat-making, songwriting, recording and software training As they are learning these skills, each member will work on a creative project and take it from start to finish.

  • Kids and teens are guided through arts and crafts projects that celebrate and encourage self-expression.

 

Sports, Fitness & Recreation

Physical fitness programs develop fitness, positive use of leisure time, skills for stress management, appreciation for the environment, and social skills.

  • A collaboration of local Club organizations united for the purpose of providing structured inter-club activities, events, sport leagues, tournaments, and game room competitions.

  • Promotes basic fitness as a lifetime pursuit. Programs include nutrition education, baseball, basketball, flag football, and other sports activities including a Girls Sports program.

  • Provides members with concentrated exposure to professionals from the fields of athletics and fitness.

  • Develops positive leisure-time pursuits, social skills and hand-eye coordination.

  • A residential camping experience that takes youngsters, age 6 through 14 years, out of the inner city for the 10 to 12 day camping trip.