Club Summer Camps Keep Youth Active and Healthy

Summer Camp programming at the Boys & Girls Clubs allows youth to engage in activities that foster healthy lifestyles. Youth find healthy living and active learning incorporated into every part of the Club Experience. The Healthy Habits program emphasizes good nutrition, regular physical activity and improving overall well-being. Children and teens spent spring and summer 2019 moving, cooking, growing, and playing in the Garden Club at the Lacey and Tumwater Clubs, the SMART Girls program, and the newly formed BGCTC intramural Dodgeball League.

Garden Club first began at the Lacey Club with dedicated Club volunteers helping kids discover the joy of growing plants from seed to bloom. Ron Lawson, or “The Garden Grandpa” as kids called him, sought out supplies, sponsors, and donations to ensure the Club kids had the soil, seeds, and supplies for 10 garden beds. The effort expanded to the Tumwater Club and now provides youth the opportunity to meet weekly with staff to till, weed, tend the growing beds,and care for the garden year-round.

Ron’s death did not stop his green thumb effort from continuing. This “Garden Grandpa’s” legacy has evolved to encompass topics such as plant care, sustainability, and nutrition as well as cooking lessons with the harvestd fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Club members  experience the pride of sharing their garden’s bounty with others through the Club’s daily snack program, and by sharing their harvest with Club families in needand local food banks.

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Thurston County’s first Intra-Club Dodgeball League ran throughout spring 2019 and was sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings. Each of the five Thurston County Clubs formed teams  to teach Club kids the ins, outs, rules (and fun!) of the game. Cutthroat play was minimized with the use of Gator Skin Balls made from a sponge-like material. Aligned to Club values about sportsmanship, all dodgeball games concluded with handshakes and acknowledgements of “Good Game!” throughout the gym. And for those tough losses, staff help youth work through those emotions. The league culminated in late May with a countywide tournament where teams competed for the 2019 Buffalo Wild Wings trophy.

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SMART Girls, a program developed by Boys & Girls Clubs of America, serves at-risk and under-served young women with a variety of activities to help enhance their physical and emotional health. It is no secret that youth are influenced by their peers and that girls, in particular, face unique challenges in their quest to self-sufficiency as they journey through adolescence. When Club staff saw a growing need for girls to have a positive, personal experience that encourages positive behaviors, they turned to the SMART Girls program. The program reinforces positive self-image and introduces critical life skills to help members become self-sufficient and confident adults who make well-informed choices in taking care of their bodies; creating and maintaining healthy, respectful relationships; and planning for their future.

The girls meet weekly as a group during the school year with the guidance of adult mentors. Since introducing SMART Girls in the Thurston County Clubs, over 120 girls at five Thurston County Clubs have engaged the curriculum. As one Branch Director noted, “The girls appreciate and value having this special space to create their own community of support and learn together.