Keith Fletcher Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County, President & CEO We’re used to bringing kids to our five clubs. Now we’re bringing our latest “club” directly to them. Through June, we’ve been hosting a kind of popup program at Martin County High School that’s modeled after our Club at Jensen Beach High School. It introduces key facets of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County to a fresh cohort of young people who are at an important stage of their lives. “While the school can help get them academically ready for graduation,” says Lori Vogel, principal of MCHS, “there’s so many things that Boys & Girls Clubs can help with, including testing, resumes, college, jobs and just figuring out what they want to do next.” Nearly 70 ninth- through 12th-graders are in the program from 9 a.m. to noon. BGCMC certified teachers help students looking to improve their performances in math, science, and English. The individualized attention increases accountability measures and overall performances. In fact, we recently assisted in conducting testing for more than 100 seniors who needed to meet final requirements for graduation. But alas, it’s summertime. Everyone deserves a break from schoolwork. Outings and activities are a big part of Club life, so we made sure the Martin County High experience was no different. Every Friday, we’ve gone on field trips to play paintball or visit Dave & Buster’s, Elev8 Fun and Rapids Waterpark. It’s fun, so word is getting out—in the best way possible. “The kids are calling their friends and saying, ‘You need to come here, this is great,’” says Vogel, “which I think is really cool and we’ve been growing all week.” Workforce development is another key part of BGCMC programming. We offer industry certifications, courses, even apprenticeships in such diverse disciplines as drone piloting, coding, fashion design, electrical, HVAC, construction, and more. A centerpiece of our offerings is our culinary program. From our food truck to our growing catering business, the BGCMC culinary program gives participants diverse opportunities to gain marketable job skills and earn a paycheck. At Martin County High School, students get a literal taste of the program. Each day, our culinary team cooks them breakfast and lunch. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, anyone who’s interested in culinary can take part. There’s always more activity during the kitchen those days. By combining academics, fun outings, and jobs training, we’re upholding the core Club principles of academics, good citizenship and nutrition and healthy lifestyles. It’s all possible thanks to our partnerships with the Martin County School Board, the district and principals such as Vogel and Andrew Connolly at Jensen Beach High. We’re excited about the program’s future potential at Martin County High as it contributes to higher graduation rates and more young people pursuing greater goals for their lives. “This program needs to be repeated because it’s helping kids,” says Vogel. “We had to move fast to get this one off the ground. But next year, we’d love to get more job training involved. When we expose them to things through Boys & Girls Clubs and they see what’s out there, they’re like, ‘I’m not just going to work at McDonald’s or Target.’” It was a great beginning and can only get better, says my colleague, Dr. Timothy Aitken. "We're grateful for the opportunity to partner with the leadership of Martin County High School and bring this experience to the students so they can not only get help academically,” says Aitken, “but also experience the acceptance and support of Club culture—discovering more of what they're interested in and capable of achieving." To read the full article and more, click here.