The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of America is to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. The organization offers after-school, teen, sports and summer programs for young people, giving them a safe place to learn and grow. Local Boys and Girls Clubs are located in Bethalto and Alton.
The Bethalto Boys & Girls Club is now in its 54th year. Kathy Wilson has been Executive Director since 2002. She has a degree in Social Education and has worked extensively in non-profit organizations throughout her career. She notes that her parents helped start the Bethalto Boys & Girls Club in 1968.
The Alton Boys & Girls Club turns 25 this year. Executive Director Al Womack, Jr. has led the organization since its inception in 1997. He says his degree in business administration has helped prepare him to lead the organization and he has always been interested in helping local children.
Both clubs offer summer programs as well as after-school programs during the school year. Wilson explains that all Boys and Girls Club activities are aimed at keeping kids interested while giving them skills they can use later in life. “We want children to learn, but we don’t want them to feel like they’re in school,” she says.
The programs fall into four general categories: Academic Achievement and Career Development, Good Character and Citizenship, Healthy Lifestyles, and then Arts, Sports, Fitness, and Recreation programs. Activities are usually structured separately for young children and for teenagers.
Clubs offer a wide range of STEM programs and activities. Science, technology, engineering, and math activities help prepare children for future vocations in these fields. Healthy Living programs include many courses based on curricula developed by the national Boys & Girls Club organization. Art programs include drama, sewing, crafts, digital art, and clay. The programs are tailored to the specific interests of the children.
Boys & Girls Clubs also offer fitness challenges, physical games, and even cooking and gardening. Sports include a variety of intramural activities. Past programs have included tennis and basketball clinics. Volleyball and field hockey are also offered. Children participated in ping-pong tournaments and learned how to watch the sports playoffs. Swimming, climbing and indoor recreational games are just a few of the many activities children can participate in.
A number of annual area activities are sponsored and organized by the Boys & Girls Club organizations. Community Easter egg hunts, Halloween parties, holiday shopping sprees, and Christmas parties are just a few. Children also participate in programs that help the community, such as cleaning up trash and visiting the elderly in nursing homes. Both directors emphasize the importance clubs place on citizenship and responsibility to their local communities.
All staff working with children and at events are fully trained, vetted and vetted. Both clubs are bus stops for their respective school districts so parents don’t have to figure out how to get their kids from home to the club during the school year.
The Bethalto Boys & Girls Club is located at 324 E. Central Street in Bethalto. Complete club information, including fees, programs, events and activities, is available online at bgcstl.org/bethalto. Wilson also encourages anyone interested in learning more about the club and its programs to call them at 618-377-6030.
The Alton Boys & Girls Club is located at 2512 Amelia Street in Alton. Detailed information on club activities and events is available online at bgcalton.org. The club can also be contacted by phone at 618-462-6249.
Both clubs also have Facebook pages with information and photos.
Clubs always welcome anyone interested in donating, volunteering, sponsoring or associating with the organizations. Information on how to help can be found on the web or by calling the clubs directly.
The area’s Boys and Girls Clubs are a unique resource that provides children with exposure to exciting learning experiences, allows them to develop friendships, and prepare them for the future, both physically and academically. “We focus on the positive and provide opportunities for children to have a bright future,” says Womack, Jr. “We are here for the children.”
