A 500 Families partner: Boys & Girls Club of Elkhart
Providing kids with a solid foundation to explore their futures
The Boys & Girls Club
Movement began in
By Ryon Wheeler
1860 in Hartford,
Conn. Three women
Director, Boys
wanted to give young
& Girls Club of
boys who roamed
Elkhart
the streets a positive
alternative to the
activities they found
in the streets. In 1906, several Boys Clubs (now Boys
& Girls Clubs) decided to affiliate, and this 53 member
organization began our nationwide organization.
More than 100 years later, the Movement that had spread
across the country and to military bases all over the world
finally came to Elkhart in 2010. The Boys & Girls Club of
Elkhart currently offers programs every day after school
and in the summer that focus on building our future
leaders into productive, responsible and caring citizens.
Frederick Douglass once said, “It is easier to build strong
children than to repair broken men.” More than 150 years
later, his words still ring true. At the Boys & Girls Club,
we work to take kids from where they are when they
enter our doors and inspire and empower them to reach
their full potential. We hire trained youth development
professionals to build relationships, so later we can guide
children into life-changing programs.
So how does the Club fulfill its mission? We strive “to
inspire and empower all young people, especially
those who need us most, to reach their full potential
as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” We offer
award-winning programs in our three priority outcome
areas of Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Good
Character & Citizenship. Programs like Indiana Kids offer
career exploration opportunities and educational learning
sessions. We partner with wonderful organizations like
Elkhart Community Schools, CAPS, ETHOS, the Horizon
Education Alliance, Salvation Army, Elkhart General
Hospital and Elkhart Public Library to offer programs to
strengthen our families and children.
Our early research shows children who regularly attend
the Club (three-plus days a week) outperform their
classmates in English/language arts and mathematics.
They do better on standardized tests and have less
behavioral issues than their classmates who don’t
attend. This school year, we had more than 375 members
regularly attend our program. With a membership fee of
$15 per year, the return on investment for our children
and families will pay dividends for years to come in the
Elkhart community.
Get involved with the Boys & Girls Club visit bgcelkhart.org or call (574) 295-6838.
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