Boys & Girls Clubs Day for Kids
Youth Report to America
BGC Day for Kids Deemed as Largest Event Ever!
09/18/06 -- Due to the overwhelming support received, this year’s Boys &
Girls Clubs Day for Kids was the most successful celebration ever! Millions of
adults and kids participated in some 2,000 events nationwide and overseas. More
than 1,900 Clubs participated in the celebration, which was recorded as the
highest Club participation to date.
Day for Kids spokespersons Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus from the Disney Channel Original Series Hannah Montana were thoroughly enjoyed by thousands of kids and adults during the event in Los Angeles on Saturday, Sept. 16.
Other Boys & Girls Clubs held exceptional events both in the U.S. and overseas:
• Let’s Play Ball! Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami, Tampa Bay, Southeastern Michigan and Greater Cincinnati all hosted events at Major League Baseball Ballparks. These events included tailgate picnics, contests and pre-game activities.
• Kids and Adults Score Big in Italy. La Maddalena Italy Navy Youth Programs partnered with a local soccer team to host an exciting exhibition game against its very own soccer team. In addition, local residents participated in a variety of indoor/outdoor games, relay races for kids of all ages, face painting, balloons and giveaways.
• Day for Kids Goes to College. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County in Auburn, Ala., partnered with Auburn University Athletic Department and hosted their Day for Kids Celebration prior to the Auburn vs. LSU football game. The event included games, prizes, face painting and other fun activities for children and adults to enjoy.
• Flapjacks Anyone? Buckley AFB Youth Center in Aurora, Colo., celebrated by hosting a pancake breakfast for the entire family. Other activities included dance performances, caricature artist, face painting and arts and crafts.
• Happy Trails are Here Again. Boys & Girls Clubs of Hancock County in Greenfield, Ind., celebrated Day for Kids by hosting a Fitness Scavenger Walk for kids and parents. Participants walked along a trail through downtown Greenfield, the Pennsy Trail and Riley Park and back to the Greenfield Unit. Adults and kids made stops along the way to find scavenger items and participate in a fitness activity. Although a grand prize was presented to the person correctly completing the scavenger walk, all participants received prizes.
• Day for Kids Takes a Bite out of the Big Apple. Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in Bronx, N.Y., held a massive street festival with five hours of non-stop entertainment. Participants enjoyed performances by local artists and Club members, amusement rides, games, food and prizes.
No matter where in
the world BGC Day for Kids events took place, they all shared the same goal…to
share a moment, create a memory and make a kid’s day!
Setting the stage for a yearlong celebration of its Centennial milestone, Boys & Girls Clubs of America is turning to the nation’s youth – its most important audience – to lead a Youth “State of the Union” and help determine the nation’s agenda for America’s young people for the next hundred years.
The Youth Report To America is the largest national survey of teens, by teens – through which 46,000 young people (ages 13-18) deliver a candid message to America. American Express, one of BGCA’s four Centennial sponsors, provided the funding for the Youth Report to America.
Youth “State of the Union”
The youth of America are taking the opportunity to reveal their truest hopes, values, fears and more. Using Report findings, youth will conduct their own “State of the Union” – calling for Americans to come together and make positive changes for all young people.
During 2006, youth will take center stage to lead a discussion about the themes that resonate with them most. Those key Report themes include:
To underscore Report findings, BGCA has also produced a short documentary featuring compelling interviews with America’s youth, which Clubs across the country will share with their local civic and business leaders to kick off a year of focus and action on behalf of the nation’s youth.
Child psychiatrist, Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the Judge Baker Children’s Center in Boston, and former script consultant to The Cosby Show, has been working with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to analyze the findings in the Youth Report to America and interpret what it says about youth today and the nation’s future.
“Whenever young people take the courageous step of revealing their honest, innermost feelings and opinions, we should take time and listen,” said Dr. Poussaint. “This Youth ‘State of the Union,’ and the Report that guides it, provides America with a clear snapshot of the gaps that young people perceive between their hopes and aspirations, and their expectations of successfully reaching them.”
Closing the Gap
Throughout the year, Boys & Girls Club members across the country will work to bring Americans together to close the gap between hope and opportunity. They will participate in a series of grassroots gatherings to further discuss the issues uncovered in the Youth Report To America and develop proposed solutions. This fall, youth will unveil their own “Call to Action” in which they will present their vision for a better America to President Bush, Congress and the nation.
“After a century of serving our nation’s youth and providing a safe place for kids to learn and grow, we decided the best way for Boys & Girls Clubs of America to commemorate this Centennial landmark would be to provide a platform for our young people to express their views to the nation,“ said Roxanne Spillett, president, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Even better, we can utilize their insights and recommendations to help influence our mission for the next hundred years.”
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Centennial Celebration
Boys & Girls Clubs of America has been recognized as one of the nation’s most dynamic, innovative and successful youth service organizations. Providing vital programs and services to more than 4.4 million young people throughout the United States and on U.S. military bases across the globe, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has earned its reputation as the “The Positive Place for Kids” to learn and grow. In 2006, Boys & Girls Clubs of America reaches an important historical milestone as it celebrates its 100th year of service.
Youth Report To America Methodology
To compile this Report, Boys & Girls Club members helped determine questions, administered open-ended surveys to other youth in their local communities and compiled the responses into key themes. Some 46,000 youth participated. The youth respondents came from varied racial and ethnic backgrounds, representing each region of the country. The members reviewed and tabulated the data to make this the biggest report of its kind – ever – conducted of youth, by youth.