Boys And Girls Clubs Of Skagit County

SEE SCHEDULE O.TO ENABLE ALL YOUNG PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO NEED US THE MOST, TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AS PRODUCTIVE, CARING, RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS.

SEE SCHEDULE O FOR PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS.BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SKAGIT COUNTY CONTINUED TO INCREASE SERVICES IN 2021 TO KIDS AND TEENS IN SKAGIT COUNTY WHILE MAINTAINING THE STRONGEST HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS RELATED TO COVID-19. IN THE SUMMER, TWO SITES OPENED AT LAVENTURE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND MOUNT BAKER MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND IN THE FALL, AT MOUNT VERNON HIGH SCHOOL, ALL WITHIN THE MOUNT VERNON SCHOOL DISTRICT. ALSO IN THE FALL, RESPONDING TO COMMUNITY REQUESTS, THE ORGANIZATION STARTED ITS FIRST BEFORE-SCHOOL PROGRAM, IN SEDRO-WOOLLEY, WA THAT QUICKLY FILLED TO CAPACITY.PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHIN THE CATCHMENT AREA WERE STRONG BEFORE THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC BUT DEEPENED SIGNIFICANTLY AS WE WORK IN TANDEM TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THE CRISIS. THROUGH TO LATE SPRING 2021, MANY CLUBS WERE STILL OPEN 12 HOURS A DAY, PROVIDING A FUN, SAFE, AND POSITIVE PLACE FOR KIDS TO BE DURING HYBRID AND REMOTE LEARNING SESSIONS. IN THE SUMMER, OPERATIONAL STRATEGIES CONTINUED TO BE LIMITED DUE TO HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS, SO PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON 'STAY TRIPS' INSTEAD OF FIELD TRIPS, BRINGING SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, GUESTS, AND ACTIVITIES TO ALL THE CLUB SITES. CLUB STAFF CONTINUED TO ASSESS THE LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT GAPS OF CLUB MEMBERS, PROVIDING INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTS AND INNOVATIVE ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES TO ENSURE MEMBERS REACHED AND/OR MAINTAINED GRADE LEVEL PROFICIENCY STANDARDS.IN GENERAL, CLUBS USE THE TALENTS OF PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED STAFF, AND HIGHLY ENGAGED VOLUNTEERS, TO FACILITATE CURRICULUM-BASED PROGRAMS AND HIGH-YIELD LEARNING ACTIVITIES THAT ARE AGE-APPROPRIATE, RELEVANT, AND INTENTIONAL IN BETTERING THE OPPORTUNITY A CHILD HAS AT A GREAT FUTURE. THROUGH THIS PROCESS, CLUBS WORK TO ELICIT THREE PRIORITY OUTCOMES IN CLUB MEMBERS: ACADEMIC SUCCESS, HEALTHY LIFESTYLES, AND GOOD CHARACTER & CITIZENSHIP. RECOGNIZING THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING CHALLENGES YOUTH HAVE FACED SINCE MARCH 2020, AND AN INABILITY TO FURTHER REDUCE ADULT-TO-CHILD RATIOS WITH PAID STAFFING DUE TO LIMITED FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND A LACK OF QUALITY APPLICANTS, THE ORGANIZATION LAUNCHED THE "CLUB MENTOR" PROGRAM. WITH A DEDICATED FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBER RECRUITING, SCREENING, ONBOARDING, AND TRAINING COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, THE FIRST PILOT IMPLEMENTATION BEGAN IN THE SUMMER. THE SUCCESS OF THE TARGETED ENGAGEMENT AND VOCAL SUPPORT AND TESTIMONIALS FROM ADULT VOLUNTEER PARTICIPANTS IN THE PILOT PROGRAM LED TO MORE THAN 35 ADULTS COMMITTING TO TWO-HOUR SHIFTS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH, TO FACILITATE SMALLER GROUP INTERACTIONS TO SUPPORT STRATEGIES IN SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING DEVELOPMENT.SPECIAL EVENTS RETURNED TO IN-PERSON FUNCTIONS WITH A LIMITATION ON GUEST CAPACITY DUE TO THE ONGOING HEALTH REQUIREMENTS, BEGINNING WITH THE 25TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT IN AUGUST. IN NOVEMBER, THE ORGANIZATION WELCOMED BOYS & GIRLS CLUB ALUM, AND SEATTLE SEAHAWKS LEGEND RICARDO LOCKETTE TO THE AREA TO SERVE AS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR THE GREAT FUTURES GALA. AS A PART OF HIS ENGAGEMENT, A SPECIAL ASSEMBLY WAS HELD AT SEDRO-WOOLLEY HIGH SCHOOL WHERE HE SHARED HIS PERSONAL STORY OF GROWING UP IN THE CLUBS, AND THE LESSONS LEARNED THAT HE CARRIED THROUGH TO BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE. LATE IN DECEMBER 2021, THE ORGANIZATION WOULD UNEXPECTEDLY RECEIVE MORE THAN $1.6MILLION IN BEQUESTS AND REFUNDS RELATED TO THE EMPLOYEE RETENTION TAX CREDIT. A RECENT NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF CLUB ALUMNI, CONDUCTED BY THE HARRIS GROUP, FOUND THAT 67% OF FORMER CLUB MEMBERS AGREE WITH THE STATEMENT THAT THE CLUB SAVED THEIR LIFE, A POWERFUL TESTAMENT TO THE POSITIVE INFLUENCE CLUB PARTICIPATION CAN HAVE ON THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PERSON.