Who We Are
When the school bell rings at the end of every day, thousands of kids across metro Denver pour out of classrooms and into their after school routines. For some, this means heading home where they are met by a parent who helps them with homework before driving them to basketball practice and piano lessons. For others in our community, after school options are far less certain, stable and safe.
At Boys & Girls Clubs, we know the hours between 3:00-6:00 p.m. are the peak hours for juvenile crime and the time when kids are most likely to experiment with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and other risky behaviors. We also know that today in our metro Denver community, children are facing obstacles more challenging than ever before. Kids from low-income families are six times more likely to drop out of school, and 41 percent of kids across Denver are overweight or obese – a number that continues to steadily increase year after year.
Boys & Girls Clubs provide young people with opportunities to engage in programs that help them achieve academic success, take charge of their health by building healthy habits that will stick with them throughout their lives, and foster the skills they need to become leaders in their communities.
Boys & Girls Clubs are there for kids when they need us most: after school, all day in the summer, and even during the school day. Our membership is open to all youth ages 6-18, and for $2 annually, our Club members have access to a wealth of programming that has the power to positively shape and change their lives.
How do we do it?
First and foremost, we ensure that every child who walks through Club doors has his or her basic needs met. By collaborating with families, schools, and other partners in the community, Clubs are able to provide children a safe space – an environment for learning and growing – and a warm meal.
Each Club is staffed by experts in youth development. These trained professionals deliver a well-rounded menu of both nationally-recognized and innovative, local programs to our Club members. By tracking participation and results, we are able to continually evaluate our effectiveness.
Unfortunately, the problems facing our families and kids are daunting and we know we can’t solve them alone. We also recognize that every child’s and every family’s situation is unique. That’s why we collaborate with hundreds of partner organizations and stay flexible with our approach, which allows us to meet the changing needs of the families we serve on the ground, in their communities. We’re proud to partner with the Colorado Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, a statewide coalition representing 17 organizations in the Boys & Girls Clubs Movement.
No other organization supports the whole child more than Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver.