Non-Profit Highlight: Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta
Disclaimer: Please note that this article is from our old blog site. This article was originally published on October 20th, 2020 and the original author of this article is Chaebin Park.
In Metro Atlanta, over 3,000 young children and teens are able to participate in life-changing programs that will prepare them to be ambitious, contributing members of society. These programs are made possible by the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta, a non-profit organization that works to provide safe, engaging, and positive environments for children and teens to learn life skills and pursue meaningful activities to help shape their lives in a positive trajectory. Currently, Georgia has higher than average rates of high school dropout, obesity, and teen pregnancy. BGC of Metro Atlanta believes that young people in Georgia are lacking the proper resources to positively change their lives and set out to provide those resources to kids.
BGC of Metro Atlanta offers more than 20 clubs which range from programs meant to help kids with their schoolwork to program meant to help kids eat healthier. Each program is meant to equip children with the necessary skills and knowledge to take charge of their own lives. Their programs focus on three aspects of a developing person’s life: academic success, healthy lifestyle, and character and leadership. For example, one such program that BGC offers, called Triple Play, is a comprehensive wellness program that teaches kids how to eat healthier, provides sports and fitness activities, and build positive relationships and cooperation among young people. Another program, Youth of the Year, is a year-round character and leadership program that recognizes Boys & Girls Club members who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership skills, and service to the community.
BGC of Metro Atlanta started in 1938 when the Atlanta Boys Club was founded. By 1952, a girls Metropolitan Club had been formed as well. By 1990, they had merged to form what is currently known as the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta. In 1994, the College Bound program was established to help youth pursue post-secondary education. Skilled mentors and staff kicked off the program, teaching young students how to prepare for testing, manage their time, and apply for financial aid.
By the end of 2020, BGC of Metro Atlanta hopes that 90% of its members that participate in its clubs three days a week or more will be on track to graduate on time, live healthy, and give back to their community. BGC of Metro Atlanta’s programs have been incredibly effective in the past, as exemplified by some statistics. For example, 100% seniors participating in College Bound graduated from high school and were placed in college, technical school, or the military, and high school members are two times less likely to have ever used marijuana, and two times less likely to ever have a drink of alcohol than their Georgia peers. However, they’re still working on reaching their goal.
In order to reach this goal, the Boys and Girls Club has partnered with the Bits of Good community to address three core issues within the organization: Safety, a better CRM System, and the Learning Management System. Within safety, Bits of Good is working on making sure that the lifecycle of students and guests in the club isn’t lost by implementing a check-in system to help students who use buses be accounted for through their entire journey up until they are picked up by a guardian. Additionally, Bits of Good is helping to improve their Custom Relations Management to be less more flexible and less costly. Finally, Bits of Good is trying to make sure that all training is uniform for staff, parents, and volunteers.