Military Connected Youth

Established in 1947, Youth of the Year is Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premiere recognition program. It celebrates young people, ages 14 to 18, for their commitment to community service, academic success, good character and citizenship, and establishing long-term goals. National Youth of the Year is the top honor a Club member can receive.

Military Youth of the Year, a distinct component of the Youth of the Year program, was introduced In 2013 to recognize outstanding teens served by BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. With support from Disney and Toyota, six finalists emerge from local, state and regional competitions to represent Youth Centers in six regions – Overseas and the Northeast, Southeast, Pacific, Midwest and Southwest United States. The National Military Youth of the Year winner advances to the final round to join the five Regional Youth of the Year winners, from non-military Boys & Girls Clubs, to vie for the honor of National Youth of the Year.

In 2016, BGCA’s decades-long commitment to military families saw 457,000 youth served through membership and outreach on U.S. military installations worldwide, and 22,000 more military-connected youth served at 1,600 traditional Boys & Girls Clubs.