In less than
five years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound in
Tacoma, Wash., have developed a tremendous relationship with
the local
school system. And the positive impact is being felt throughout
the community.
Between its six traditional Clubhouses and
13 school outreach sites, the Boys & Girls Clubs of South
Puget Sound serve some 10,000 registered members and 14,000 other
youth through
collaborations
with local school districts.
Every weekday, in partnership with schools
and the parks and recreation department, Clubs provide structured
programming in school sites after the regular school day ends.
Club staff also provide Boys & Girls Club programming
to non-Club members at various schools during the day. Overall,
Clubs
serve five area school districts.
“The collaboration works because of
open communication,” says Gary Yazwa, president and CEO
of the South Puget Sound Clubs. Key Club staff members regularly
meet with school administrators, attend school meetings
and work with parents.
If after-school Club programming isn’t
available on site, the school district provides bus transportation
to designated Clubs. And in conjunction with the school,
the Club operates
an alternative school for 16 kids during the day.
According to Yazwa, the Club’s technology
center is so advanced that it actually supplements school programming.
The Club’s state-of-the-art facility – run
by three full-time Club staff and supported by two
school staff members – is
able to offer more sophisticated study, such as networking
and multimedia, Web services and programming.
To fulfill the community service required for
all high school-age Club members, kids at the Tacoma Club
offered technical services such as wiring for networks
and hosting
and building Web
sites to local nonprofit organizations. Club kids
are able to keep costs down by buying parts and building
computer
systems
from scratch.
Currently, the Club hosts more than 100 nonprofit
clients. The most impressive fact: the entire operation
is managed
by high
school students.
By working together, the Club and school system
have built on each other’s strengths
and bridged some very critical gaps.
“Our
collaboration with schools gives us the chance
to enhance educational development in a different
environment,” says Yazwa. “The
Club and the school are there to strengthen
and support each other.”
