The proliferation of the young segment of the population in a dynamic environment needs adequate mentorship, which will bring long-term benefits to the prosperity of America. The increasing diversity of cultures needs the young population to be socially adept at weaving through all sorts of red tape in the course of maximizing their input to the development of traditional American ideals. It is through these efforts that Boys and Girls Club of America will strive to be at the forefront of change, enabling these leaders of tomorrow to have the right competence together with skills to make lasting socially inclusive policies and regulations (Camino & Zeldin, 2002). As a result, a progressive youth culture will create amazing social benefits to the metropolitan societies of the future.
Roles of the Project
The club is designed to support all education and career programs for youths and students from vulnerable backgrounds. Individuals targeted include those within the confines of inner city boroughs coupled with households living below the poverty line. These households may not be adequately equipped with resources to maximize academic performance, which is the surest route to economic empowerment. If that is not enough, the project will cater for the budding graduates, offering them information and career prospects in line with their passions, academic excellence as well as potential.
It is also worth noting that the club is focused on imparting health and life skills, synonymous with the anti-narcotics programs. The young population within the country needs to be advised to ward off drug abuse, which might seriously deviate their life paths to the gutter. Positive behaviors will ensure a long and disease-free life as addiction is surely a disease that needs more resources to address. Individuals living below the poverty line might not be equipped with the financial or mental resources to address the plight of their addicts, which does not bode well with the overall welfare of the community. Additionally, the project is designed to provide leadership skills that will enable the focus group to illustrate self-leadership in the course of setting personal goals and following up on them to their end (Anderson‐Butcher, Newsome & Ferrari, 2003).
Audience
The project aims to undertake nationwide efforts in the course of guiding these innocent souls to success. The target audience ages range from children over five years upto late adolescents of 16 years. These target population will be connected through the myriad of independent organizations affiliated with the Boys and Girls of America. The aim is to gain access to children and young teens in the grassroots while stimulating their craving for a better life and all-around society. All demographic subsets will be targeted, beginning with the majority white, African Americans, Latinos, Asian as well as the natives. These children will also be accessible through school-based associations as well as the hundreds of BGCA-affiliated youth centers.
Outreach Programs
It is important for members and employees of BGCA to outreach programs, which will increase the visibility of the club while also placing enormous positive perceptions to the general public (Larson, Walker, & Pearce, 2005). It is also worth noting that BGCA is fully committed to the technical revolution, which is demonstrated by the utilization of information technology in communicating with the target groups. Websites, social media handles, and interactive online sessions will go a long way in changing the mindset of vulnerable youth, creating avenues for social change that will reverberate even as they proceed into adulthood.
Methods
The utilization of information technology will aid in data collection, where children will be actively induced to submit online data from the nondescript regions of the country. The numerous BGCA offices will also serve as collection centers, where forms can be dropped off after being filled by BGCA’s younger members.
- Anderson‐Butcher, D., Newsome, W. S., & Ferrari, T. M. (2003). Participation in boys and girls clubs and relationships to youth outcomes. Journal of Community Psychology, 31(1), 39-55.
- Camino, L., & Zeldin, S. (2002). From periphery to center: Pathways for youth civic engagement in the day-to-day life of communities. Applied Developmental Science, 6(4), 213-220.
- Larson, R., Walker, K., & Pearce, N. (2005). A comparison of youth‐driven and adult‐driven youth programs: balancing inputs from youth and adults. Journal of community psychology, 33(1), 57-74.
