Programs
Academic Success
| Character & Leadership | Health & Wellness
The Clubs nurture young people's self-esteem by instilling in them a sense of belonging, usefulness, influence and competence; we do this daily by providing young people the opportunity to build relationships with caring adult professionals and fun, age-appropriate programs and safe environment. Our nationally recognized programs are carefully designed to support our achievement in Youth Development Outcomes for young people leaving the Clubs at age 18. These locally developed programs focus on meeting the interests and specific needs identified within the community. Their broad scope complements several of our core program areas.Below are the areas our program focuses on.
Education & Career Programs
These programs help youth create aspirations for the future, providing opportunities for career exploration and educational enhancement.
- Power Hour- Power Hour helps Club members ages 6-18 achieve academic success by providing homework help, tutoring, and high-yield learning activities and encouraging members to become self-directed learners. To be effective, Power Hour must be more than just time set aside for completing homework. That’s why the targeted program and activity guides include intentional facilitation and standards-aligned math and literacy activities.
- Reading Buddies- A literacy support program that pairs younger readers with mentors or older peers to build reading skills, confidence, and a love of books.
- My. Future- BGCA’s digital learning platform offering technology, media, and creative skill building activities that help kids explore interests and earn badges.
- Career Launch- Career Launch is BGCA’s job-readiness and career preparation program for teens. It provides fun and interactive activities for youth to explore a broad range of career areas, matches their interests to career clusters, and identifies the skills and education needed for their particular career paths. Career Launch is designed to support youth as they prepare for their first job, internships, summer employment and more.
- Club Scouts- Work Based Learning replaces and expands on the former Junior Staff program aligning the goals of Junior Staff with the membership requirements for youth safety and youth workers. The program offers a suite of guides for Safety, In Club Work Based Learning, and Out of Club Work Based Learning.
- Money Matters: Make It Count- Money Matters: Make It Count promotes behavior-changing financial education to help teens get on the path toward budgeting, saving and investing, planning for postsecondary education and financial freedom. The program equips teens to make wise financial decisions throughout their lives and invest in themselves and their futures. Money Matters: Make It Count Tween promotes financial well-being education to help tweens get on the path toward budgeting, saving and investing, planning for postsecondary education and financial well-being.
Character & Leadership Programs
Helping youth become responsible, caring citizens and acquire skills for participating in the democratic process is the main thrust of these programs. They also develop leadership skills and provide opportunities for planning, decision-making, contributing to Club and community and celebrating our national heritage.
- Keystone- Keystone is a teen-led leadership and service program. Teens conduct activities in three areas: academic success, career exploration and community service. Each year, Keystone Clubs are invited to come together to learn, serve and celebrate at the National Keystone Conference.
- Torch Club- Torch Clubs are chartered, small-group leadership and service clubs. Torch Club members learn to elect officers and work together to implement activities in the following four areas: service to Club and community, education, health and fitness, and social recreation. Each year, Torch Club members from all over the country take part in a service-learning experience through the National Torch Club Project.
- Youth of the Month- Youth of the Month, the entry point into the Youth of the Year Leadership experience, provides an opportunity for young people to showcase their leadership ability and be recognized among their peers.
- Youth of the Year- The Youth of the Year Leadership Development targeted program provide a strong foundation of leadership in three areas: self-leadership, leadership with others and leadership in the community. Youth build strength and understanding in social-emotional development, character and citizenship, social justice, leadership, and service.
- Inspire Them- A positive teen focused program that encourages leadership, creativity, and personal growth through supportive conversations and goal driven activities.
- K Squad Circles- Small-group sessions that helped students practice respectful communication. Guided by simple norms such as speaking and listening from the heart, using a talking piece to ensure one voice at a time, the circles created a safe space for honest dialogue.
Health & Life Skills Programs
These initiatives develop young people's capacity to engage in positive behaviors that nurture their own well-being, set personal goals and live successfully as self-sufficient adults.
- Positive Action- A social emotional learning program that teaches youth how to make positive choices, build self-esteem, and develop strong interpersonal skills.
- SMART Moves- The program resources in the SMART Moves suite work together to teach skill building in healthy decision-making. Each asset reflects contemporary youth development best practices. In SMART Moves: Core, youth build key social-emotional skills such as effective communication, decision-making and refusal skills that support healthy decision-making. Subject-specific add-on modules allow Clubs to customize learning to the interests and issues of their youth and communities. Designed to be implemented after SMART Moves: Core, each module dives deeply into a specific health behavior to help youth build the knowledge, attitudes and skills to avoid the behavior. SMART Moves: Emotional Wellness is part of the SMART Moves suite of resources that was completely updated in 2020. This targeted program helps youth build an effective toolbox for self-regulation and coping to support their overall wellness. Completing Emotional Wellness prepares youth to participate in SMART Moves: Core but the program can also be facilitated independently.
- SMART Girls- A health, fitness, and personal development program that empowers girls to build confidence, make positive choices, and develop strong self-esteem.
- L Group- A girls’ mentoring group for members under age 15, known as “Lovely Ladies Learning Life Lessons.” The program builds confidence, positive identity, and supportive peer relationships by helping young girls learn essential life skills in a safe, encouraging environment.
- B Group- A group based mentoring program for boys that connects them with positive adult male role models. The program focuses on emotional support, life skills, healthy decision making, and building strong character through discussions, service, and guided activities.
- Project L.A.N.E.- A wellness program that teaches youth positive Lifestyle choices, healthy Attitudes, good Nutrition habits, and the importance of regular Exercise. Designed to support balanced physical and emotional well-being, it helps members build lifelong healthy habits through fun, engaging activities. Our Turner Unit gym, the Lane Richards Gymnasium, is named in honor of Lane Richards, whose legacy is proudly celebrated by his widow, Karen Richards.
- Running Club- A fitness focused program that encourages healthy activity, endurance, and teamwork through group running (and walking!) and movement-based challenges.
Running Club Schedule by Site:
CCK Unit- Sequim
Grades: 3rd grade & up
Tuesdays & Fridays
3:30-4:30 PM
Turner Unit- Port Angeles
Grades: 3rd-6th grade
Tuesdays
3:30-4:30 PM
Roosevelt Unit- Port Angeles
Grades: 3rd-6th grade
Fridays
3:30-4:30 PM
CCK Unit- Sequim
Grades: 3rd grade & up
Tuesdays & Fridays
3:30-4:30 PM
Turner Unit- Port Angeles
Grades: 3rd-6th grade
Tuesdays
3:30-4:30 PM
Roosevelt Unit- Port Angeles
Grades: 3rd-6th grade
Fridays
3:30-4:30 PM
- FOOD SERVICE PROGRAMS- Read More HERE
The Arts Programs
Programs in this core area enable youth to develop their creativity and cultural awareness through knowledge and appreciation of the visual arts, crafts, performing arts and creative writing.
National of Fine Arts
Summer Programs
Brain Gain
Field Trips
As described on the following page, Summer Programs provide academic enrichment for our youth and keep them on track for the upcoming school year.
PROGRAMS OFFERED TO THE COMMUNITY
Summer Meals
The Club is a sponsor of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) which was established to ensure that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session.
Building Rentals
The Club building facilities are available for rental to members of the community for private functions and special events.
Deo Herbelin
Deo is a seventeen-year-old senior at Sequim High School, enrolled in the Running Start program, and on track to graduate in June with both a high school diploma and an Associate of Arts degree from Peninsula College.
Deo exemplifies dedication, creativity, and leadership as a longtime member Club member while balancing academic ambition with a passion for service, artistic expression, and entrepreneurial growth.
Within the Keystone Club, Deo has served as president for two years, guiding peers through community service projects and leadership development opportunities.
Beyond responsibility and civic engagement, Deo brings impressive creative talent to the community as a published author, small-business owner, and emerging playwright, sharing original stories through writing, handcrafted trinkets, and theatrical production.
Deo's steadfast work ethic, positive presence, and readiness to support others have made a lasting impact on fellow Club members. Through academic excellence, artistic accomplishment, and a deep commitment to service, Deo continues to embody the values celebrated through the Youth of the Year programs.