The Club Cash concept rewards club members for exhibiting good behavior by giving them points or “club dollars” which they can then use to redeem items. Club members earn items just as an adult earns a paycheck Each member starts off with a base “pay” of 80 points, and has several opportunities in all the programs to earn more. The total number can be added to or subtracted depending on a number of factors like grades in school and their behavior at home and during attendance at the club.

Project Learn

Project Learn reinforces and enhances the skills and knowledge young people learn at school during the hours they spend at the Club. This comprehensive strategy is based on Dr. Reginald Clark's research showing that students do much better in school when they spend their non-school hours engaged in fun, educational activities. Through Project Learn, Club staff use all the areas and   programs in the Club to create opportunities for these high-yield learning activities, which include leisure reading, writing activities, discussions with knowledgeable adults, helping others, homework help and tutoring, games like Scrabble that develop young people's cognitive skills, and incentives to reward Club members for positive academic participation. Project Learn also emphasizes parent involvement and collaboration between Club and school professionals as critical factors in creating the best after-school learning environment for Club members ages 6-18. Extensively field-tested and formally evaluated by Columbia University with funding from Carnegie Corporation of New York, Project Learn has been proven to boost the academic performance of Club members.

Sharpen your pencils and get ready for the revamped Power Hour: Making Minutes Count. The program provides Club professionals with strategies, activities, resources and information to create an engaging homework help and tutoring program that encourages Club members ages 6-12 and 13-18 to  become self-directed learners.

To teach youth how to make healthier choices, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) has teamed up with The Coca-Cola Company and Kraft Foods, Inc. to present Triple Play: A Game Plan for Mind, Body and Soul. This national program takes a holistic approach to educating boys and girls about good nutrition, making physical fitness a daily practice and developing individual strengths and good character. In addition to components for the mind and body, the Triple Play program gets at the soul of the Club experience – the gamesroom.  Each mind, body and soul program component can stand alone, yet integrating them allows Club members to reap more powerful, lifelong benefits. 

Computer lab instruction is used to teach basic computer skills. Members are instructed on how to surf the internet safely, research topics for school and to play games and other activities online. Members are instructed in Word for reports, letters and résumés, Power point for presentations, Excel for mailings and financial records and Publisher programs for newsletters, invitations, posters, cards and brochures.

Torch Clubs are chartered small-group leadership and service clubs for boys and girls ages 11-13. A Torch Club is a powerful vehicle through which Club staff can help meet the special character development needs of younger adolescents at a critical stage in their development. Torch Club members learn to elect officers and work together to implement activities in four areas: service to Club and community, education, health and fitness and social recreation.

Keystoning is the Boys & Girls Club Movement’s most dynamic teen program. Keystone Clubs are chartered leadership and service clubs for boys and girls ages 14-18. Keystoners elect officers and implement activities in six areas: service to Club and community, character and leadership development, education and career exploration, unity, free enterprise and social recreation. Keystone Club members and their advisors can be nominated to steering committees that organize regional and national TEENSupreme Keystone Conferences attended by thousands of Keystoners each year.

Youth of the Year is BGCA’s premier youth recognition program for Club members. All members can benefit from participation in this program, which promotes and celebrates service to Club, community and family; academic performance; moral character; life goals; and poise and public speaking ability. The Youth of the Year program is most effective when used as a year-round tool for fostering young people’s character, personal growth and leadership qualities. Local Clubs recognize members ages 14-18 who were Youths of the Month and select a Youth of the Year, who then participates in state competition. State winners participate in regional competition. Five regional winners each receive an engraved plaque and a $5,000 scholarship and compete on the national level. The National Youth of the Year receives an additional $10,000 scholarship and is installed by the President of the United States. Reader’s Digest Foundation has sponsored the Youth of the Year program for more than 50 years.

Money Matters promotes financial responsibility and independence among Club members ages 13-18 by building their basic money management skills. Participants learn how to manage a checking account, budget, save and invest. They also learn about starting small businesses and paying for college. Money Matters features three components. The Teen Personal Finance Guide is a fun, attractive booklet containing practical tips and activities to help teens learn the important skills of balancing a checkbook, creating a budget and saving and investing for college and retirement. The Facilitator's Guide provides Club staff and volunteers with basic financial information and instructions for easy-to-implement small-group activities.

JOB READY! prepares Club members ages 16-18 with specific skills to secure employment and be successful in the world of work. Using the comprehensive program materials and assessment tools that JOB READY! provides, Club staff can tailor the program to meet their members? particular needs. Teens learn how to identify job opportunities, write effective resumes, perform well in interviews, dress appropriately, develop good work habits and get along well with others in the workplace.

CareerLaunch encourages Club members ages 13-18 to assess their skills and interests, explore careers, make sound educational decisions and prepare to join our nation's ever-changing work force. Club staff or volunteers can use the Career Exploration Quick Reference Guide to work with teens individually or in small groups to build their job-search skills and job readiness. CareerLaunch Teen Tips is an easy-to-read, pocket-sized booklet for teens full of practical job-hunting advice that comes with an attractive portfolio for storing resumes, job applications and other job-hunting documents. The dynamic CareerLaunch Web site, provides Club teens, staff and volunteers with online career exploration and college and job search information and interactive activities. Mentoring and job shadowing opportunities for Club teens and training for Club staff round out the program. The Gap Foundation sponsors CareerLaunch.

Children experience art weekly through lessons that teach basic concepts of art, art  history, styles of art, colors and textures and a variety of other things related to art.  Children learn to express themselves through creative writing, painting, sculpting, dance and singing. 

This nationally acclaimed comprehensive prevention program helps young people resist alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, as well as premature sexual activity. The program features engaging, interactive small group activities designed to increase participants' peer support, enhance their life skills, build their resiliency and strengthen their leadership skills. This year-round program encourages collaborations among Club staff, youth, parents and representatives from other community organizations. The program’s components include: SMART Kids, for children ages 6-9, Start SMART, for youth ages 10-12, Stay SMART, for youth ages 13-15 and SMART Parents, for parents of Club members participating in SMART Moves.

An outgrowth of the popular SMART Moves program, SMART Girls is a health, fitness, prevention/education and self-esteem enhancement program for girls ages 8-17. The program focuses on issues specific to female Club members and is designed to encourage healthy attitudes and lifestyles that will enable those members to develop to their full potential. From interactive role playing to more tailored mentoring, girls are given the opportunity to explore personal and societal values as they build skills for eating right, staying fit, getting good health care and developing positive relationships.