Character & Leadership
Our program offerings in Character & Leadership...
development empower our members to discover their values, build strong relationships with peers, and make a positive difference in their communities. Our Clubs provide safe environments for youth to explore societal and personal values, develop new ways of communicating their perspectives, and increase their capacity to understand others.
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting youth’s well-being, we offer strategic and comprehensive social-emotional learning and mental health initiatives throughout all of our programming areas. Led by our two Youth Resource Navigators–licensed clinical social workers who serve as daily presences in each of our Clubhouses–our social-emotional learning and mental health initiatives are tremendously impactful for our members. In addition to providing interventions and support in our Clubhouses, our Youth Resource Navigators also provide external referral services to families to ensure that our members have access to the resources that they need—both within and beyond our Clubs.
Our teen members serve over 250 volunteer hours in our hydroponic Freight Farms each year.
76% of Club members agree that they feel empowered to make a difference in their community.
At Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South...
Torch Club (ages 11-13) and Keystone Club (ages 14-18) youth are empowered to support and influence our Clubs directly, sustain meaningful relationships with their peers, act as role models for younger members, and positively impact our community as a whole. We provide our Keystone Club members with intentional opportunities to develop and strengthen their 21st-century leadership skills and work to give them a firm foundation of good character and integrity. Keystone Club members elect officers, giving them the chance to participate in the democratic process and work collectively to implement projects. Our caring staff provides mentorship that helps our teens develop confidence, become self-advocates, and learn to celebrate their own and others’ identities.
BGCMS Keystone Club members also have the opportunity to become formal “Peer Leaders” through our partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. As Peer Leaders, our teens support Teen Department staff in developing and delivering programs that support the development of healthy relationships with peers and adults, the establishment of healthy habits, and the development of good character and leadership skills. Peer Leaders represent our Clubs at community meetings and events, elevate their peers’ voices to Club staff and leadership, and receive a stipend for their valuable contributions to our Clubs.