Brighter Futures Campaign Operations
The Brighter Futures Campaign is designed to help address the growing challenges facing inner-city children and their families, including staggering high-school drop out rates, gangs, crime, drugs, and juvenile violence.The campaign enables us to deepen and expand our offerings in three critical areas—education, teen services, and behavioral health—as well as hire, train, and retain the highest-quality staff.
Education Initiative
Our new Education Initiative bolsters our academic support programs to ensure that our young people attain better grades and higher graduation rates regardless of the neighborhood they live in. We now boast five new credentialed education directors, free one-on-one tutoring, stronger communications between staff members and schools, and a stricter requirement that all members participate in a full hour of learning time daily. We’ve also restructured so that all Clubhouse activities feature an educational component and every staff member actively engages young people in their academic success. With the new initiative, our priority is clear: education first.
Teen Campaign
Our new Teen Campaign steps up our efforts to give teens the guidance they need to successfully advance from eighth grade through high school and into adulthood. Teens come to us with unique needs and backgrounds. Many are functioning below grade level. Some have been in the juvenile justice system. All face tough choices every day. This campaign helps meet these challenges by providing highly-trained, full-time teen directors in our Clubs; a formal mentorship program; strengthened academic support; and better resources to ensure they have a viable life plan when they graduate. The Teen Campaign combined with dedicated teen space and our proven fun, engaging, skill-building programs keeps our teens coming back and investing in their futures.
Behavioral Health Services
The daily challenges that too many of our members face -- including violence, family instability, and lack of basic resources -- put them at risk of developing depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Through our expanded behavioral health services program, members at five Clubhouses are given the emotional support and coping skills they need to succeed. Children and teens benefit from a full array of services, including individual and family therapy with on-site therapists, prevention and early intervention programs, and anger management and other groups led by clinical therapists. All services take place within a comfortable and familiar setting, where research shows that kids are more likely to seek out help. In addition, key Clubhouse staff members receive continual training and coaching to provide a supportive environment that better meets the behavioral health needs of our youth. Behavioral health services are now offered at the following Clubhouses: Columbia Park; Excelsior; Treasure Island; Visitacion Valley; and the Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point.
“This campaign is about people. It is about existing and future members of the Club. It is about moms and dads hoping and praying that their children will have the support they need to thrive.”
Rob Connolly, President, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco
