Eliminate school drop out - Encourage Learning

Youth of Year and Junior Youth of the Year are multi-month leadership development programs, designed to equip young leaders, encourage their social and emotional growth, and provide opportunities to develop their writing, public speaking, and presentation skills. Club youth are nominated by Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County unit leadership based on their Club participation, emerging leadership skills, and overall character. This year 12 Club members were selected to participate between the O’Fallon and St. Charles units. The multi-month program required Club participants to engage in weekly sessions from October through January and includes service work, meeting with mentors, and preparing for the competitions. 

After 12 weeks of workshops, practice, and unit level competitions, four Club members (Aubryanna S., Brielle F., Maliyah R., and Radia J.) competed at the Organization Level Junior Youth of the Year Competition. All the young ladies did an incredible job sharing their unique Club stories and representing their individual Club units through essays, speeches, and interviews with judges from the community.

Five volunteer judges were tasked with making the difficult decision of choosing the 2023 Junior Youth of the Year. After thoughtful deliberation, the judges named Radia J. as the 2023 Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County Junior Youth of the Year.

Jr. Youth of the Year is one of the many programs provided by Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County to help build confidence, develop soft skills, and really step out of their comfort zones. We are so proud of all 12 participants and will be cheering Radia on at the state competition in April. 

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• Read more about Jr. Youth of the Year

One of the key values of Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County is belonging. We want all members to know the Clubs are a safe place, a place where they can be themselves, and a place where they belong. A component of this is encouraging our members to take care of themselves, their peers, and their Club spaces. Each month one member per unit is selected as the Youth of the Month. Nominations are submitted for these youth based on their behavior, their willingness to help others, and to go above and beyond. We know that recognizing these behaviors increases their sense of belonging and instills a stronger sense of community. Our Club Kids of the Month are recongized in a unit-wide meeting and their parents are invited to attend to celebrate with them. It is moments like these that encourage members to stay engaged in the Clubs, in school, and in their community. Thanks to Club supporters we are often able to recognize these strong Club members through additional special activities. At the close of our summer program we took a group of Club Youth to a Cardinals baseball game where they were recognized for their positive behavior. Your support allows us to better highlight these moments and encourage other Club Youth to step up as engaged leaders, no matter their age. 

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