Power Hour: Making Minutes Count 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. Printed program materials include a resource guide for program coordinators, homework helpers and tutors and a poster-sized Power Points chart for tracking and rewarding participants’ progress.
STEM Programs -- Boys & Girls Clubs of America is committed to closing the opportunity gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with innovative and creative programs, activity ideas and resources for Clubs and the youth they serve. After-school and summer learning environments provide unique opportunities to advance STEM knowledge and increase interest in STEM-related careers.
Using a cross-disciplinary approach that channels young people’s natural curiosity into the design process inherent in the arts, BGCA’s STEM programs empower youth to create new solutions to real-world challenges. This project-based approach develops critical thinking, problem solving and other 21st century skills critical to success in the STEM workforce and beyond.
• Essentials: A project-based digital literacy program delivered through BGCA’s My.Future platform
• App Lab: A curriculum in intermediate-level coding that uses MIT’s App Inventor platform to engage teens in building mobile apps; available through the My.Future platform
• DIY STEM: Fun, hands-on activities using easy-to-procure materials allow Club members to explore the “science of every day”
• Building Blocks: Introductory engineering activities challenge youth to improve their communities while learning about design processes and exploring STEM-related careers
More STEM programs are currently in development.
Club Tech: now called My.Future, BGCA is transforming the way we use technology in our Clubs. My.Future is a new technology initiative which will replace the current "Club Tech" suite of programs. My.Future provides Club staff and members with the ability to develop strong, grounded digital literacy competency through project-based learning experiences. Members produce portfolios of projects and present their projects to earn digital badges. Digital badges can unlock exciting Club technology or leadership opportunities.