What we do
At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater New Haven (BGCGNH), we are dedicated building great futures for children, youth, and families in our local communities. Our Clubs offer a safe, joyful, and energizing environment where kids and teens are welcomed each day, entering a world where they are celebrated, encouraged, and inspired.
Healthy Kids, Healthy Behaviors
At our clubs, kids can strengthen old friendships and create new ones, play and replay favorite games, discover new challenges, and receive the positive, supportive, and encouraging mentorship that will enrich their lives now and stay with them into adulthood.
Having a supportive adult to turn to, even if it is not a parent or a guardian, is a protective factor in a young person’s life. Boys & Girls Clubs staff model healthy behaviors in a safe and stable environment, providing kids with positive mentors who help them to make good decisions.
Social-Emotional Learning
Programs
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater New Haven is proud to deliver proven national program models that we customize for the unique needs and interests of local kids and teens.
Here are just a few of the evidence-based Boys & Girls Clubs of America programs that we model right here in our local neighborhoods:
Project Learn
All ages
Project Learn reinforces the academic enrichment and school engagement of young people during the time they spend at the Club.
Triple Play
All ages
Triple Play is a comprehensive health and wellness program that strives to improve the overall health of members ages 6 to 18 by increasing daily physical activity, teaching Club Kids about good nutrition, and helping them to develop healthy relationships.
SMART Girls
Ages 8-17
SMART Girls provides health, fitness, prevention/education, and self-esteem enhancement for girls ages 8 to 17.
Passport to Manhood
Ages 11-14
Passport to Manhood teaches responsibility to boys ages 11 to 14 with sessions that focus on specific aspects of character through highly interactive activities.
Torch Club
Ages 11-13
Torch Clubs are small-group leadership and service clubs for boys and girls ages 11 to 13, meeting the special character development needs of younger adolescents at a critical stage in their lives.
Money Matters: Make It Count
Ages 13+
Money Matters: Make It Count teaches teens how to set goals, budget, save, and invest. In addition to staff-led financial literacy sessions, young people practice their financial decision-making skills through fun and engaging digital tools and games.
Keystone Clubs
Ages 14-18
This unique program for teens provides leadership development opportunities for youths to participate in, both inside and outside the Club, in three focus areas: academic success, career preparation, and community service.
Teen Club
High School
We offer workforce development activities focusing on youth economic development and college readiness, including soft skills building and career exploration, as well as Open Club Night, which features low-organized activities, giving teens a chance to connect in a supportive environment.
Our Impact
At our Clubs, we believe all young people deserve to thrive. Thriving begins with physical, mental, and emotional well-being, but also involves being grounded in a sense of identity, meaning, and purpose. Young people thrive when they experience growth and success, and when they feel and are seen as competent in many areas of their lives.
98% of our kids believe “People at this Club accept me for who I am.”
96% of our kids believe “The adults at this Club believe that I will be a success.”
88% of our kids believe “I can talk to an adult at this Club if I have a problem.”