2023  Special Project

Growing up can be hard on a young person, but today kids and teens in our community face hardships many of us did not experience. It is no surprise that many of our young people are feeling stressed, especially when they face challenges that include:

• lingering effects of the pandemic,
• increased availability of drugs,
• family poverty,
• violence in their homes and neighborhoods,
• food insecurity
• a loss of social interactions,
• uncertain housing situations,
• online social pressures,
• changing family dynamics,
• limited access to support systems that remove barriers to success.

Today kids and teens are in crisis, and we need to do more to help them develop or rebuild the essential skills and tools to process and cope with the hardships they face.  For the kids who attend the Club, the challenges are exacerbated because

• 57% qualify for the federal free & reduced lunch program,
• 24% live with families whose annual income is at or below 100% poverty,
• 44% live with a single parent,
• 82 were homeless or lived in a foster/kinship care situation last year, and
• Approximately 32% can be considered special needs.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County is proud to be at the forefront of this effort as we strive to equip young people with the necessary skills to manage their emotions and build resiliency so they can successfully embrace opportunities that come their way.  Social and emotional development has a significant impact on how youth grow and mature, including their readiness to learn, be self-confident, manage their behavior, and achieve academic success.  Simply put, kids and teens who are socially and emotionally competent are more likely to succeed in school and in life.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County have implemented programming to promote and empower social and emotional development and with your partnership and pledges towards our Special Project, we will continue to integrate, enhance and invest in our youth, teens and staff to incorporate social and emotional learning throughout our Clubhouses.

With help from our generous donors the Boys & Girls Club will:

• Nurture young people’s social and emotional skills to prepare them to be positive contributing members of their community through role modeling and mentoring programs.
• Build youth and teen’s soft skills as they face an increasing need for social and emotional skill development utilizing support tools like sensory paths, fidget toys, zones of regulation and comfort therapy animals.
• Invest in training for our caring professional staff to establish trusting relationships and open dialog that helps staff and youth recognize changes in thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
• Provide a safe, positive and stable environment where kids and teens can practice social and emotional skills on a consistent basis.
• Offer a trauma-informed experience for all members that is unwavering and steadfast in meeting them were they are and helping them grow and thrive to the young person they want to be.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County is doing Whatever It Takes to provide Club members with consistency to help our local youth build the social and emotional wellness that are critical to their current and future success.  Essential skills that range from communicating and effectively working with others to developing coping mechanisms for life’s unplanned situations.  We can’t do it alone.  We are thankful for our generous donors who make it possible for the Club to do Whatever It Takes to meet the growing needs of our kids!