Oceanside, CA (January 2017) Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO) received $10,000 in funding from Bridgestone to support teen programming. Grant funds will go towards enhancing the Club’s teen recruitment, programs, and field trips and extending Club hours.

Reaching and retaining teenage Club members is critical to the success of our children. Teen years are pivotal in a child’s life, and are often the period where they become involved in negative behaviors such as gang involvement and dropping out of school.  The Club experience has proven to make a positive difference as teens that stay involved, stay in school longer and graduate at a higher rate than the general school population.

To keep teens actively involved, BGCO provides numerous programs and activities designed to attract, retain and help teens reach their full potential. From sports such as basketball and soccer to entrepreneurial programs like Counselors in Training and Culinary Arts, which provide hands on work experience, the Club is committed to engaging teens and preparing them for the future. In addition, teens are offered a wide variety of prevention and awareness programs to help them combat negative peer pressure.

The $10,000 from Bridgestone enables BGCO to provide teens with experiences they might not have, had they not walked through Club doors, and provides them with the necessary 21st century skills to achieve future success. “We want to not only create a safe place for youth to be after school, but we want to create a Club experience where youth can be curious about the world, find their passion, and have a plan to pursue that passion in a way that contributes to society after they graduate” said Jodi Diamond, CEO.

BGCO in continuously improving upon their teen programming and is in the process of building a Center for Innovation, to create a space for youth to create, experiment and perform. The Center for Innovation will include a Culinary Arts Teaching Kitchen, Performing Arts Center and STREAM (Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Lab.

For more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside please contact Emily Crisman at ECrisman@bgcoceanside.org, call (760) 433-8920, and visit our website BGCOceanside.org or Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/BGCOside .

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO) is a youth development organization that is dedicated to providing a safe, fun and enriching environment for youth to spend time during non-school hours.  During the school year, we serve 1,100 youth daily, providing stimulating and quality Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STREAM) activities.  In addition, we offer a unique program to adults with disabilities, called R.O.A.D.’s.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside is a local, independent organization affiliated with Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The BGCO raises 100% of the funds that support our life changing programs through individual giving, events and grants.  100% of those funds stay right here in North County to serve youth in our local communities.

We continue to uphold our mission: To inspire, develop and enrich young people to reach their fullest potential as confident, responsible, caring members of society.