BELONGING
At Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties, we are committed to creating and cultivating a sense of belonging and a welcoming environment for all youth and families we serve.
Across our organization, we have implemented specific programs, created accessible projects, and set goals to help us create a safe and positive environment that allows every youth to feel valued, supported, and included.
Programs designed to create a Culture of Belonging
Early Learning Programs
Utilizing storytelling, classroom displays, classroom activities and projects, and modeling the behaviors we want youth to emulate, our pre-K programs focus on the following:
- Kindness & Empathy
- Acceptance & Inclusion
- Cultural Celebration
- Diversity
Elementary Programs
Diving deeper into cultural awareness and celebrations as our elementary youth meet new friends at school, these sites run a variety of programs focused on personal well-being, leadership, and unity:
- Youth for Unity
- Torch Club/Leadership Programming
- Wellness Club
- Social & Emotional Learning
- Jr. Staff
- Culture Club
- Poetry Club
- Second Step Curriculum
Teen Programs
Focused on more nuanced and complex elements of diversity and belonging, our high school programs focus on acceptance, communication, leadership, and safe self-expression:
- Keystone Club/Leadership Programming
- Wellness Club
- Culture Club
- Proud Place
- Lyricism 101
- Second Step Curriculum
Monthly Themes
We have identified several themes throughout the year to highlight and plan activities around at our Clubs to help us cultivate a culture of belonging for all youth. *This is not a complete list of themes, and staff at each Club site determine how best to run activities based on the age of youth and other factors.
JAN
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
FEB
Black History Month
MAR
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
APR
Celebrate Diversity Month
MAY
National Asian American & South Pacific Islander Heritage Month
JUN
Pride Month
JUL
Boys & Girls Club Month
AUG
National Civility Month
SEP
Hispanic Heritage Month
OCT
Bullying Prevention Month
NOV
National Native American, American Indian & Alaskan Native Heritage Month
DEC
Universal Human Rights Month
Our Path Forward
- Recognizing all youth and staff for who they are and creating a safe space for them to be themselves.
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Creating more opportunities for staff, youth, and the families we serve to share their stories and their voices.
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Ensuring that age-appropriate programs that create a culture of belonging are offered at every Club location.
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Creating more opportunities for innovative programming to help promote the importance of diversity, and acceptance.
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Encouraging operational and hiring decisions that demonstrate that we support and promote diversity.
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Providing training opportunities for staff not only upon hire but on an annual basis that help create a culture of belonging across our organization.
Although our work to cultivate a culture of belonging is ongoing, we remain committed to creating a more welcoming and inclusive environment for all youth, staff, and families. Great Futures Start Here!