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Mission
To inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need
us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring,
responsible citizens.
The
Organization
Since 1971, the Boys & Girls Club
of Greater Nashua has been helping our youth to stay out of
trouble, stay in school and succeed in life. The organization has 7
locations where kids can spend time after school. During the summer
months, camp programs and the Grand Avenue drop-in program offer
youth a place to learn, grow, and prosper. Our Club locations are
not just hang-outs, but places where young people can learn, do
homework, utilize technology, express themselves through the arts,
play, develop social skills, participate in athletics, give back to
the community and engage in meaningful conversations with caring
adults.
The Youth We
Serve
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua offers more than 4,000
kids each year our programs, activities, and services. Members pay
nominal membership fees per year to use our facilities and
participate in our programs. The Club provides our members a place
where they can be themselves while participating in meaningful and
valuable programs.
Character & Leadership
Development
Our Character & Leadership Development programs empower youth
to support and influence their Clubs and community, sustain
meaningful relationships with others, develop a positive
self-image, participate in the democratic process and respect their
own and others' cultural identities.
Keystone Club
- Teen members take responsibility a step further
when they participate in the Keystone Club. Community service,
service to the Club, social activities, and regional and national
conferences are what Keystone is all about. This group is
considered the premiere leadership group and produces a number of
outstanding members.
Teen Council –
This group provides teen members the opportunity to gather and
discuss issues common to all teens and to help plan Club-wide
functions. Members help make decisions that affect them throughout
the Club. The Council's committees help plan and run special
programs for teens.
Teen Girls
Group – a group formed by Club teen girls ages 13-18.
The group talks about teen girls' issues that affect their social,
school and home life.
Sports Club –
This teen leadership group promotes physical fitness, interests in
sports, and the potential for sports related careers. The Sports
Club enrolls males and females 13 years and up. They are trained to
coach, officiate, keep score, and assist with sports clinics.
Los Amigos –
This club promotes all cultures and traditions. It is designed to
teach and inform the community about youth from Latino and other
cultures and develop teen leaders. Los Amigos reaches out
across socio-economic and cultural boundaries to bring members
together in a common bond to help Nashua with several community
service programs. Offered at both Nashua High School South and our
Grand Avenue location, this group is the driving force behind the
"Los Amigos Conference on Higher Education." The annual conference
brings teens together from all cultures and helps them overcome the
barriers that prevent them from obtaining a college education.
Allstate Foundation has provided support to Los Amigos diversity
and tolerance activities.
Teen Initiative
Teens are not simply "older children" they have reached a
developmental stage that requires a different strategic approach to
recruitment, retention, marketing, staff interaction, space
utilization and programming. In addition, the needs and
developmental abilities of younger teens (13 to 15) vary from those
of older teens (16 to 18). The Teen Initiative provides program
resources, grant funding, training and technical assistance to Club
staff and the board of directors so they can deepen their impact
with teens in their communities and serve them more effectively.
This initiative is funded by Taco Bell Foundation.
Education & Career
Development
The Education & Career Development Core Program Area enables
youth to become proficient in basic educational disciplines, apply
learning to everyday situations, and embrace technology to achieve
success in a career.
Goals for
Graduation
Goals for Graduation introduces Club members ages 6-15 to the
concept of academic goal setting. In one-on-one sessions with Club
professionals, members set achievable "Know-I-Can" goals, more
challenging "Think-I-Can" goals and yearly "Believe-I-Can" goals,
and then create action plans. The program provides for recognition
of members' achievements at every step of the journey.
CareerLaunch
CareerLaunch™ is a career exploration and mentoring program for
teens ages 13-18. This program includes the CareerLaunch Web
site that allows teens to take an interest survey, explore
careers, identify training or college requirements, seek out
financial aid and play skills-building games. There's also an
easy-to-use Career Exploration Quick Reference Guide with a broad
range of career planning and job skills activities that Club staff
or volunteers can use with teens. The CareerLaunch Portfolio
contains a Teen Tips booklet with helpful interviewing and
on-the-spot job tips.
CLUBService
This program, the result of a partnership between Boys & Girls
Clubs of America and the Corporation for National Service
(AmeriCorps), provides education awards to Club members ages 17 and
18 and Club alumni ages 19-24 who serve their Clubs and
communities. CLUBService recognizes young people's service, helps
them access higher education opportunities, and encourages them to
pursue future careers as Club professionals.
Technology
The Club offers a variety of technology programs that include the
Netsmartz Internet Safety program, Skill Tech I and II to help Club
members understand networking, the Internet, and Microsoft Office
products, as well as a variety of technology based programs
including digital photography, Web page construction and other
digital arts programming.
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