Boys and Girls Club of the Capital Area
The national mission of the is “enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens." In the Boys and Girls Club of the Capital Area (Austin, Texas), this mission is fulfilled at the community level.
Ben Barnes, the Chairman of the Board Directors, states the specific mission of the Boys and Girls Club in his Letter from the Chairman.
"For many of Central Texas’ most at-risk youth, however, they must often stand at those crossroads alone. That is where the Boys & Girls Clubs comes into play. Every year at Clubs across the Austin area, over 9,000 “at-risk" youth between the ages of 6 and 18 walk through the doors of their local Club and are transformed into youth that are “at-promise." Club youth have daily access to life-altering opportunities in such areas as academic support, educational enrichment, technology training, college and career exploration, the arts, character and leadership development and health and fitness.
Through the Boys & Girls Clubs, youth are provided safe havens in which to spend their time as well as access to trained, professional staff with whom they can interact, form lasting bonds, and to whom they can look for example and guidance."
The Program Categories offered by the Boys and Girls Club are divided into the following categories: Character and Leadership Development, Education and Career Development, Health & Life Skills, The Arts, and Sport, Fitness, and Recreation."
Within each Program Category, a wide range of activities are designed to ultimately be a positive force in children’s lives. For example, the Character and Leadership Development Program offers several Leadership Clubs, as well as the Youth of the Month/Youth of the Year. The Sports and Fitness Program hosts Inter-Club Sports Leagues for football, soccer, and basketball. The Education and Career Development offers such programs as increasing computer access and awareness and a literacy program.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Capital Area has partnered with the YMCA, the United Way, the Real Estate Council of Austin, and the Southwest Key Programs.
On their website, you can read a group of inspiring stories of people whose lives have been changed by the Boys and Girls Club, including Ben Barnes, Dan Rather, Darrell Royal, and Brian Jones.