Agency Background Mission Statement: To inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. Agency History and Background: Boys & Girls Clubs of America had its beginnings in 1860 with several women in Hartford, Ct. Believing that boys who roamed the streets should have a positive alternative, they organized the first Club. A cause was born. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America movement came to Pinellas County in November 1959 with the founding of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America of Pinellas Park by Police Chief Maurice L. MacTarsney. The Club began operating in January 1960 in an old frame building leased from the City of Pinellas Park with its first executive director, James S. Hart, Jr. The Boys Clubs of Pinellas, Inc was chartered in August 1967 when its second club opened at the Northside location in St. Petersburg. In May 1970, at the urging of both the United Way and the Boys Clubs of America, the Boys Clubs of Pinellas County, Inc. was organized. In 1991, the Boys Clubs of Pinellas County opened its programs to all youth, forming Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast, as we know it today, now with nine locations and four teen centers servicing nearly four thousand youth annually throughout Pinellas County. BGCS under the leadership of Carl R. Lavender, Jr. has the goal "to influence the behavior and the attitudes of each individual boy and girl in a wholesome manner." As members of the Boys & Girls Clubs, girls and boys ages 5 through 18 find a wide array of activities available to them in five core areas: 1) Character and Leadership; 2) Education and Career Development; 3) Health and Life Skills; 4) The Arts; and 5) Sports and Fitness and Recreation. The sole purpose of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast is to provide children, youth, their families and the community opportunities for safe, structured, well supervised after school and summer youth programs, with an emphasis on leadership, education and self sufficiency. The organization has proven its commitment to service for children and community members with innovative and progressive programming and opportunities. Supporters of Boys & Girls Clubs include government politicians, law enforcement agency representatives, financial institutions, and education boards, among other concerned citizens. Experience             Experience of the Agency:  BGCS has had a long and proven track record of operating prevention programs with focuses on educational, recreational, and social activities that are goal-oriented and structured.  We provide boys and girls with a safe, positive environment; a place to spend time after school, on weekends, and during the summer, time often spent in idleness when many problem behaviors are cultivated.  BGCS is unique in offering daily programs for youth of all ages at little cost.  Staff works with youth to increase their participation in programs that target education, character development, and health.  Staff and expert volunteers enable youth to realize greater academic and social success, thus decreasing dropout rates, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, and gang and criminal activity and increasing academic performance and graduation rates.   Performance   As members of the Boys & Girls Clubs, boys and girls ages 6 through 17 find a wide array of activities available during club operating hours:   Project Learn – Daily homework assistance is offered to all Club members.  Participants engage in high-yield learning and leisure activities, reading groups, and tutoring sessions designed to build academic success. Computer Learning Centers – Modern computers with up-to-date software that can be used for homework, resumes, job applications, and learning specialized skills. Science – The Immersion Project engages middle school youth in curricula that explore ocean life.  Through weekly lessons participants learn first hand about the wonders of the Black Sea. Arts – After school and summer art programs are offered in a community theater setting at The Royal Theater with a multi-discipline format.  Our art programs provide a safe, engaging, and constructive environment for young people who lack adult supervision during non school hours, a time when they are most vulnerable to community violence and gang recruitment. Game Rooms – Youth learn how the fundamentals of various board and table games available and stage competitive tournaments.  Team building and social skills are strengthened through these group activities. Rap Sessions – Discussion groups with expert volunteers, peers and staff on topics of interest to the youths.  Increased knowledge and life skills are gained through these sessions. Sports Teams – RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) Funding from Major League Baseball and local professional teams throughout Pinellas County are recruited to participate in little league and softball games and tournaments.  Community collaborations bring volleyball, basketball, and flag football excitement to our Club members.  Team sports are a key component to the Clubs.  Professional players often offer sessions and camps in sports’ fundamentals. Intergenerational Programs – Programs involving seniors, grandparents, parents, and youths in various activities.  These activities build an awareness of generations beyond the young people’s peer groups.  Counseling – Accomplished by trained staff and referral with a focus on offering the best social services available to our members and their families. LIT (Leaders-In-Training) – A program developed to help Boys and Girls Club youths become the leaders of tomorrow.  Junior Staff Development builds tomorrow’s leaders. Performing Arts – The newly renovated, state 0f the art Roy Theater offers a variety of art programs to children and teens living in and around the Midtown community and throughout St. Petersburg.  No prior experience in the arts is necessary to be a part of any Royal Theater program; students must simply exhibit a willingness to learn, self motivation, and an open mind.  These after school art programs offer a safe, engaging, and constructive environment for young people who lack adult supervision during non school hors, a time when they are most vulnerable to community violence and gang recruitment. Arts and Crafts – This opportunity to express creativity for youths allows free expression and provides an outlet for communication. Keystone Clubs – Small group leadership development clubs for young people ages 14-18.  Club members elect officers, choose their own activities and plan and implement community service projects.  Training today’s young people to become civic minded. Career Prep – Teens participate in activities that focus on improving employability among young people.  Sessions include:  preparing resumes, professional dressing, completing applications, and interviewing successfully. Torch Clubs – Leadership groups for 11-13 year olds.  These community service projects instill an understanding of community strengths among our members. Smart Moves Program – Skills Mastery and Resistance Training – a prevention/education program addressing the problems of drug and alcohol use and premature sexual activity.  Based on proven techniques, the program uses a team approach involving staff, peer leaders, parents and community representatives.  More than simply emphasizing a “Say No” message, the program teaches young people ages 6-15 years how to say no by involving them in discussion and role-playing, practicing resistance and refusal skills and analyzing media and peer influence.  The ultimate goal is to promote abstinence from substance abuse and adolescent sexual involvement through the practice of responsible behavior. Individual and Group Services – This project funded through the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County (JWB) has a specific goal to build resiliency in youth.  In addition, IGS provides parent education for participating parents and outside referrals for professional help if needed. Eagle Teen Centers – With four sites throughout Pinellas County, the Teen Centers help teens successfully navigate through this obstacle course called “life.” E.A.G.L.E. Teens have developed a model of “empowering” youth to design an attractive Teen Center that will attract teens from all walks of life.  Teens are then tasked with the creation and implementation of programs that will facilitate building confidence, esteem, leadership skills, and resiliency. KUNGA – Serving adolescent males at three sites throughout Pinellas County, KUNGA is a comprehensive prevention program designed to assist young men with their journeys through life.  Goals of KUNGA include increasing resiliency, improve academic performance, and develop strong critical thinking skills among the participants. COMPASS – Community Prosecuting Attorney Service System is a contracted program through the State Attorney’s Office Sixth Judicial Circuit.  Youth who have been charged with misdemeanor crimes participate in community service projects and anger management classes in an effort to avoid prosecution by the Courts. Summer Day Camps – Hundreds of youth participate in the countywide summer camp programs offered at all of our clubs.  Children and teens take part in games, field trips, sports, computer programming, and other fun activities throughout the summer.  Funding through United Way, JWB, and private donors allows disadvantaged youth a safe and exciting summer experience.