Boys & Girls Club Gives Back

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a study was done in 2019 that compared youth who participated in activities outside of the classroom versus children who didn’t. The study found that “the percentages of students who attended an event sponsored by a community, religious, or ethnic group with their parents in the past month were higher for those whose parents had a graduate/professional degree (62%) or a bachelor’s degree.”

The Boys & Girls Club of South Puget Sound in Pierce County offers many educational resources to youth outside of school hours. Their missions are zero-hunger tolerance, educational resources, good health and well being, reducing inequalities, and creating sustainable cities and communities. These goals help give youth a leg up with schooling and supporting them in their success.

When asked about healthy living habits, the Boys & Girls Club noted that “70% of club kids reported getting 60 minutes of activity five days a week.” This is an essential part of healthy living for youth and is a great accomplishment. The Club offers many options to help kids: physical activity involving sports, mindful activities including cooking and nutrition classes, and soul activities focusing on self-worth and healthy communication.

The COVID-19 pandemic created a huge disadvantage among some of our youth. Online learning is not an ideal learning environment for many children and some truly struggled. Even a traditional classroom learning environment can be difficult. Online learning creates an environment where kids have to take more initiative on their own to reach out to teachers for help or ask questions when that can already be tough for them to motivate themselves in a normal setting.

The Boys & Girls Club of South Puget Sound provides snacks and dinner daily, free access to all events, help with homework, family events, and access to sports and field trips. The Club has found that kids thrive when given multiple opportunities to try new things or have a controlled setting where they can ask for help in a particular subject they may be struggling in.