Health & Life Skills
BGCSF has three main components to our overall Health Initiative which include: a Healthy Clubhouse Environment, Health Education & Promotion and Access to Health Services. We aim to promote healthy habits through our cooking, gardening and meal programs; increase physical activity; improve healthy decision making; and provide behavioral health support. Our goal is to be the healthiest place for youth in San Francisco
Healthy Clubhouse Environment
Nutrition: BGCSF has a Citywide nutrition policy to ensure that youth have consistent access to healthy food and receive the same messages at each Clubhouse. Replacing sugary and fast foods with fruits, vegetables and whole grains has been shown to significantly improve youth’s behavior and academic performance. BGCSF provides daily snacks through DCYF’s Afterschool Snack program and summer lunches from Revolution Foods.
| What’s NOT ALLOWED in Clubs: Gum, candy, soda & sweetened beverages, or sunflower seeds WITH shells. |
Physical Activity: Experts recommend that all youth participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. The responsibility for ensuring that young people are active each day should be shared by parents, schools, community groups, and after school programs. While each Club provides daily sports and fitness programs, our goal is to have each of our nine Clubhouses offer Power Play, 30 minutes of fun, non-competitive physical activity for all youth.
During the 2011-12 program year, three Clubs will offer Power Play at the following times:
Mission: 2-2:30pm
Treasure Island: 4-4:30pm
Willie Mays: 3-3:30pm
Health Education & Promotion
Nutrition: BGCSF provides cooking classes at eight of our Clubhouses, using the Harvest of the Month curriculum, to teach members about healthy eating. We are fortunate to have an Edible Schoolyard at our Willie Mays Clubhouse at Hunters Point, where members have access to a 2,000 square foot garden, cooking classes and gardening programs. In addition to our Willie Mays Clubhouse, gardening programs are also offered at Columbia Park, Sunnydale and Treasure Island Clubs.
Healthy Decision Making: We offer a healthy decision making program, called WhyTry, which is a hands-on curriculum that helps youth overcome their challenges and improve outcomes in the areas of truancy, behavior, and academics. WhyTry teaches critical, social and emotional principles such as resisting peer-pressure and that decisions have consequences.
As a way to instill healthy relationships among our teen population, BGCSF offers a series of workshops that cover the following topics: healthy teen dating, STI’s, pregnancy prevention, anti-homophobia, and sexual assault/rape prevention. It also includes a field trip to a local reproductive health clinic.
BGCSF also offers Cavity-Free Zone, a 6-week program to improve the oral health of our youngest Club members ages 6-9. Weekly interactive workshops are taught by pre-dental and dental students from UCSF, USF, & SFSU.
Access to Health Services
Vision: BGCSF provides gift certificates from Vision Service Providers (VSP) for free eye exams and eye glasses for uninsured members and adult family members in need. A social security number is required.
Dental: The National Children’s Oral Health Foundation has partnered with BGCSF to assist at-risk teens ages 13-19 in need of dental care. The program restores self-esteem and encourages teens to take responsibility for their oral health and well-being. Once teens receive treatment, they are required to “Pay It Forward” and provide three Cavity Free Zone lessons to younger members at their Club. Learn more about the eligibility requirements. For more info, contact Brenda Woodington: bwoodington@ncohf.org or (704) 350-1600 x106
For a 2011 list of San Francisco dentists by location, type of insurance, language, and age, download in English, Spanish or Chinese.
Condom Availability Program: The Condom Availability Program emphasizes that abstaining from sexual activity is the only 100% effective way to avoid exposure to STIs and HIV. California Family Code 6925 gives minors the right to participate in the program without parental permission. However, we recognize that parents are their children’s primary teachers and we encourage parents to discuss issues of sexual health with their children.
Free condoms are available to Club members ages 13-18 by Teen Directors trained in condom education and during condom education workshops led by health educators. This program is modeled after the school district’s program that began in 1993.
