Education
Power Hour
PowerHour helps Club members ages 6-18 achieve academic success by providing homework help, tutoring, and high-yield learning activities and encouraging members to become self-directed learners.
Jr. Staff
The newly revamped Junior Staff: Cultivating Tomorrow’s Club Professionals Today is a practical small-group program that assists Club teens in exploring a career in youth development or other human services, with a particular focus on working in a Boys & Girls Club.
Project Learn
Project Learn is a holistic strategy supporting learning in Clubs. Project Learn is intended to complement and reinforce what youth learn during the school day, while creating experiences that invite them to fall in love with learning. Rooted in social-emotional development practices, programs in this area enable all youth to be effective, engaged, adaptive learners who are on track to graduate with a plan for the future.
Stem
Boys & Girls Clubs of America is committed to closing the opportunity gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with innovative and creative programs, activity ideas and resources for Clubs and the youth they serve. After-school and summer learning environments provide unique opportunities to advance STEM knowledge and increase interest in STEM-related careers.
Digital Literacy Essentials
Digital Literacy Essentials activities are engaging and exciting project experiences that provide members of all ability levels with a foundation of technology skills. Members can explore digital safety, privacy, digital presence, online communication and the educational fun of retro gaming. Staff can tailor their members’ experiences by selecting from relevant digital badges. Each badge has one or more 45-minute activities, although some may require more time depending on members’ interest levels and passions.
The Arts
National Photography Program
Imagemakers National Photography Program is designed to help members go beyond snapshots and develop skills to take impactful photographs. The current popularity and accessibility of photography makes it a powerful activity to engage youth of all ages, simultaneously teaching skills they will use for the rest of their lives. The program offers five categories: Nature & Surroundings, Portraits, Culture & Tradition, Editing & Filter, and Fashion & Design.
Media Making
Media Making teaches creative expression by engaging members in experiencing, creating, sharing and editing digital media. The project-based activities introduce members to photography, audio production, video production, and design. Envisioning and developing projects gives members the opportunity to hone their creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills.
Lyricism 101
Since its inception almost 45 years ago, hip-hop has been the voice of teens and the unheard. The youth of today are not unlike their peers who laid the foundation for this art form. They are looking for an opportunity to tell their stories, build community and express their artistic vision. Using evidence informed curriculum design, Lyricism 101 is a program for teens to exercise their voices through hip-hop culture.
Health & Wellness
Smart Moves
The SMART (Skills Mastery and Resilience) Moves program is a nationally acclaimed prevention program originally developed in the 1980s with help from prevention specialists and Clubs around the country. Newly revised in 2011, the program incorporates the latest information and approaches that BGCA has learned about effective prevention. Participants will be exposed to various activities designed to hone their decision-making and critical-thinking skills, as well as learn how to avoid and/or resist alcohol, tobacco, other drugs and premature sexual activity.
SMART Girls
SMART Girls is a small-group health, fitness, prevention/education and self-esteem enhancement program designed to meet the developmental needs of girls in three age groups. Through dynamic sessions, Club girls explore their own and societal attitudes and values as they build skills for eating right, staying physically fit, getting good health care and developing positive relationships with peers and adults.
Garden Club
Garden Club provides an opportunity for our club members to learn about the joys of gardening from members of the Derry Garden Club. The goal of the club is to teach children how the garden evolves through the season as it is tended, and also to offer lessons about healthy eating. Throughout the growing season, children will get to taste the fruits of their labor. For some, the taste of truly fresh vegetables may be a life-changing revelation.
Leadership & Service
Torch Club
Torch Club provides opportunities for members to demonstrate the positive impact youth and teens can have on their communities. Through smallgroup, peer-driven Leadership and Service clubs, members ages 10-13 identify needs in their Club or community, and create and implement service projects to address those needs. New Leadership and Service Sessions allow members to explore, practice and strengthen critical leadership skills.
Keystone Club
Keystone is BGCA’s premier teen leadership program. Founded in 1964, Keystoning meets teens’ vitally important needs for positive group experiences. With the guidance of Club staff, teens are given opportunities to make leadership decisions, serve others and engage in experiences that help to shape their knowledge of academic, career, community service and teen outreach initiatives and projects.
Youth of the Year
Since 1947, Youth of the Year has been Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier recognition program, celebrating the extraordinary achievements of Club members. Each year, one exceptional young person from a Boys & Girls Club rises to the role of National Youth of the Year, becoming an exemplary ambassador who not only speaks as the voice of Club youth everywhere, but also stands up to represent all of our nation’s young people.
Sports & Recreation
Basketball
A mainstay of our Sports & Recreation Programs since the club's inception. Our teams compete against other local Boys & Girls Clubs and youth development organizations. Tryouts occur in October every year. Fees are determined by the number of kids that make the teams (generally around $100).
Karate
Taught by Mike Cassidy for over 30 years. Periodically adds students of all ages. Check in with Mike to find out when a new class is starting.
Wrestling
Rebels wrestling is in its 24th year. Learn things like self confidence, sportsmanship, athleticism, inner and outer strength, self-discipline, and respect, but most of all have FUN while working hard learning an awesome sport.