By Stephanie Lindstrom | Development Coordinator
Recently a number of our Clubs underwent major facelifts for their teen centers. As Club youth grow older, they tend to start attending less and less. But these are the youth who need the most the structure and something to do after school.
Nearly 20 percent of students don’t graduate on time, and the odds are far worse for most young people of color.
Some 4,000 young people are arrested each day, all but guaranteeing an adulthood characterized by incarceration rather than careers.
The greatest risk facing teens, is pessimism. Half of teens BGCA surveyed at the 2015 Keystone Conference said they are not hopeful about the future. Without hope, teens are even more vulnerable to the forces encouraging poor choices.
By providing fun, cool spaces that are just for our teens, it encourages them to attend the clubs more regularly. Once in the Clubs they are exposed to many opportunities and programs to help them become successful young adults.
One of the most popular programs offered is YouthForce. YouthForce is a unique career development program which integrates adult coaching and mentoring, skill-building workshops, and service learning, with hands on work experience in paid internships to develop the assets and competencies that under-served teens need in order to realize their educational and professional potential.
Included in the YouthForce program is the TeamWork Internship Program which is a unique partnership between Boys & Girls clubs of Portland YouthForce and Timbers FC, offering teens meaningful entry-level work experiences with the Guest Services Department during Timbers and Thorns games. Interns are supported by adult mentors, positive peer and professional networks, and receive on the job training.
Teens also have the opportunity to particpate in YouthForce University which is our training arm, offering un-paid workshops and drop-in hours that prepare teens for life after high school. We collaborate with community partners to support youth with college and career planning, networking, financial and workplace etiquette, and community engagement. Youth are also encouraged to discuss social justice and equity.
We have a department of staff whose sole job is to work with teens. They send weekly email updates to the teens with information on available scholarships, or opportunities to visit businesses to learn from executives what is needed to excel in a certain field. They are invited to attend seminars on how to choose the right college or can attend career information days to learn about careers in a variety of industries.
Finally during the summer our teens can attend THE CLUB Summer Programs. They can do something new each week with their fellow Club teens as they plan and implement service projects and grow their leadership skills through team challenges. They learn how to inspire others to greatness, make tough decisions, and develop creative solutions to tricky problems.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland is making a difference in the lives of our teens with the targeted teen programming available at all our Clubs.
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