Our Mission & History

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South is the preeminent youth development organization in Southeastern Massachusetts, serving more than 2,500 youth annually from infancy to adulthood from nearly 50 zip codes at our Clubhouses in Brockton and Taunton, 100-acre Camp Riverside property, and at several community extension sites. 

BGCMS is fueled by a critical mission "to nurture strong minds, healthy bodies and community spirit through youth-driven, high-impact programming in safe and fun environments" to ensure that every child has a positive place to spend their out-of-school-time hours. We hold an intrinsic belief that every child deserves an equal chance to pursue the American Dream, to have a genuine opportunity to realize their full potential to achieve a great future. 

We view ourselves as an important part of the bright future of the Metro South region and with the guidance of our dynamic senior leadership team and Board of Directors, the quality and reach of our programs and support services have soared to new heights over the past decade. 

As chartered members of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, we proudly employ the national Movement's "Formula for Impact" model that focuses on achieving four priority outcomes for youth:

We believe in an interdisciplinary approach to youth development, and so we work to address the root causes of the challenges facing our region’s youth. When a child's basic needs – from nurturing to nutrition – are not met, they struggle to thrive in the classroom and to make smart choices during out-of-school time (OST). Our Clubs aim to drive systematic change by tackling issues head-on, talking early and often with our youth about the importance of setting goals, leveraging opportunities, and developing healthy relationships with others and most importantly with themselves.

Every day, we’re helping youth build great futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Critically, annual Club memberships cost just $35! 

When Schools Are Out, Our Clubs Are In!

Our Clubhouses operate structured choice “on demand” programs – meaning that members are welcome to come to the Clubs as often as they want or need, whether that’s once every few weeks or every day.

During the school year, we offer programming Monday through Friday from 2:00 to 6:30 p.m. with our Teen Centers remaining open until 8:00 p.m. We also serve youth before school, starting at 6:30 a.m. through our licensed school-age child care programs. We are also open on occasional weekends for special programs. When city schools are only open for half-days, our Clubs are open to members for extended hours. 

During the summer months, we operate several nine-week summer day camp programs for 5 to 15-year-olds Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Camp Riverside at Lewis Park along the Three Mile River in Taunton. Camp Brookside at the Brockton Clubhouse is home to additional summer programming for 5 to 12-year-olds as well as a specialized teen camp for 13 to 18-year-olds from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Camp Greenside at our Taunton Clubhouse also provides Club-based camp programs for youth ages 5 to 13.

Learn more about our core programs and services by visiting our "What We Do" page!