The mission of the Boys & Girls Club of Lincoln County is to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible,and caring citizens.

Boys & Girls Club
Core Beliefs

What is a Boys & Girls Club?

The mission of the Boys & Girls Club of Lincoln County is to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible,and caring citizens.

A Boys & Girls Club provides:

• A safe place to learn and grow

• Ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals

• Life-enhancing programs and character development experiences

• Hope and opportunity
  

Living in a rural community, many of us have not had the opportunity to see the significant benefits a Boys & Girls Club has on its community's youth. The Boys & Girls Club is a national affiliation of local autonomous organizations working together to inspire all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. The Boys & Girls Club accomplishes this as a fun & vibrant, facility-based program for youth ages 5-19 that helps our youth make the right decisions through age appropriate programs. A Boys & Girls Club is always led by well-screened and well-trained, professional staff normally operating until 9:00 PM in the evenings and is open on Saturdays, when school is out, and all summer long - solving many concerns with afterschool care and the lack of safe, supervised evening activities for teens. Our Boys & Girls Club has a quality meal programs and a sense of community allowing the youth to feel "involved" and to develop a healthy self-esteem and sense of belonging.

Our Club...

Club Impact

During an exploration period, a community assessment was completed which involved distributing well over 1300 community surveys to the community's parents, youth, and business leaders. It was determined that both a need and a gap in services exist in the community - especially with the middle and high school youth. It was also determined that there was a significant need for safe, evening activities for the older youth and supervision and activities for our school-aged children on snow days, school breaks, and summer vacations. The assessment showed strong  support for safe, affordable activities that would keep our youth away from negative peer pressure. It can be best summarized with the following comments taken from the youth surveys: 

"Most teens are involved in most of these things (risk behaviors)... even I may be involved in a couple." -- survey comment, 9th grader

"If we had more places to go maybe less kids would drink, smoke, or do drugs."
-- survey comment, 9th grader

Click here to learn about how the Boys & Girls Club of Lincoln County began..

Studies conducted have determined that 87% of club alumni completed high school (compared to the US Average of 67%.) In addition, alumni reported average household incomes 39% higher than the national income figure for average households. Nearly seven out of 10 alumni felt that their Club involvement had helped them avoid drug and alcohol problems, 75% felt that the Club experience helped them avoid difficulty with the law, and more than nine out of 10 felt that being in a Boys & Girls Club had a positive effect on their lives, on learning to be a leader, on getting along with others, and on success later in life.

What Kids Need to Succeed

Competencies
Youth have the knowledge, skills, strategies and attitudes necessary to have a positive foundation for success. Youth become competent by mastering tasks, demonstrating to themselves that they can do things well. They develop competence in many areas.

• Education: Youth are proficient in basic educational disciplines and have the capacity to utilize technology. Having graduated from high school, they are motivated to pursue learning opportunities throughout their lives.
• Employment: Youth have the skills and attributes to be successful in the work force. They are motivated to constantly develop new abilities and hone existing skills to maintain a competitive edge.
• Social: Youth are able to develop and sustain positive relationships with others.
• Emotional: Youth are able to recognize, reflect on and appropriately express their emotions, manage stress and cope with positive and adverse situations.
• Cultural: Youth have an understanding and respect for their own cultural identity and for the culture of others. They are able to contribute in a multicultural society and demonstrate tolerance for differences amongst people.

Community And Civic Involvement
Youth have a sense of belonging to their community, family, and/or group and are willing to take civic responsibility. They work closely with others to contribute to the greater good.

Health And Well-Being
Youth live healthy lives, take part in regular fitness activities, are able to access health care resources and engage in positive behaviors. They use sound judgment about personal safety, nutrition and avoidance of alcohol, drugs and premature sexual activity.

Moral Compass
Youth have values enabling them to develop positive relationship with others. These values include honesty, a sense of justice and fairness, respect, caring and spirituality.

The Boys & Girls Club Movement must engage youth in activities that are fun and enjoyable, while supporting development of the capacities described above. This is accomplished through Club programs and in discussions between staff and Club members. Clubs cannot achieve without caring, capable staff who forge relationships with young people and influence their ability to succeed in life.

What Sets Clubs Apart

...have full-time professional leadership, supplemented by part-time workers and volunteers.

...require no proof of good character. They help and guide girls and boys who may be in danger of acquiring, or who already have acquired, unacceptable habits and attitudes, as well as those of good character.

...make sure that all girls and boys can afford to belong and even the least interested will not be deterred from joining.

...are for boys and girls of all races, religions, and cultures.

...are building-centered. Activities are conducted in the warm, friendly, atmosphere of facilities especially designed for youth programs.

...have an open-door policy. Clubs are open to all members at any time during hours of operation.

...have a varied and diversified program that recognizes and responds to the collective and individual needs of girls and boys.

...are guidance-oriented. Clubs emphasize values inherent in the relationships between young people, their peers, and adult leaders. They help boys and girls make appropriate and satisfying choices.

To learn more about The Boys & Girls Club, take a moment to visit the Boys & Girls Club national site.