The Boys and Girls Club of America are on a mission to inspire and enable all young people, especially those that need us the most, to reach their full potential to be responsible, caring and productive citizens. Here at the Boys and Girls Club of Glasgow-Barren County, we currently serve over 130 youth aged six-18. Members have access to a full computer lab, gym activities, art supplies and gaming consoles to make sure we enrich all of our youth and prioritize three specific outcomes: Character and Leadership, Healthy Lifestyles, and Academic Success. While we do rely heavily on our offered programming to hit those targets, it is not the only way we keep our members happy, active and interested. Recent events like Donuts with Grownups and Pancakes with Parents have taken place to offer parents, guardians, and community members a chance to see for themselves the kind of place their members attend daily. Members also take field trips to places like the Hardin Planetarium in Bowling Green and Kentucky Down Under in Cave City as a chance to learn more about the subjects and concepts they are interested in. Birdies for BGC is another great opportunity for people in the community to come out and support Great Futures, as it will directly support any future field trips the members may take, as well as any supplies needed for programming, active clubs and holiday events ensuring our youth continue to thrive at the Boys and Girls Club of Glasgow-Barren County.
Our club also offers a range of classes and other clubs our members can join. The “How to be an Adult” class has been offered to our group of teens as a way of giving them a head start on things they will be dealing with soon. So far, they have learned about car maintenance as well a lot of good info concerning taxes. The “Aspiring Authors” club is a newer club and is offered for all age groups to support our members in their creative writing process. The Boys and Girls Club also currently supports another new club for the members that love online and internet culture. “Video Game Club” has been very popular with our youth in the last month, as it gives them a chance to experience video games in a safe and controlled environment. Video Game Club also teaches our youth about how to be safe on the internet, how to regulate their emotions, as well as learning team-building skills. Birdies for BGC is a direct response to the interest in golf from our members. A portion of our members participated in the Tee to Green team, where they learned the basics of golfing, and where our very own Unit Director, Wade Copas, was a volunteer. Multiple members have also shown interest in a more permanent golfing club, and Mr. Copas is working with his team to lay out the basics of beginning a golfing club. The staff at the Boys and Girls Club takes pride in listening to what our members want as well as what they need.
-submitted by Boys and Girls Club of Glasgow-Barren County
