Boys & Girls Club of Erie

Our Mission, since its founding in 1895 was to impart to newsboys the character necessary to become good citizens in a simple one room facility on the corner of 14th and Sassafras. The principles that continue to guide us are as timeless as our mission. The Club remains a safe, predictable and affordable environment to any child.

MISSION

The Mission of the Boys & Girls Club of Erie is to build a secure base for every child upon which they can build a positive, independent identity, one capable of dealing with the challenges of childhood.

STRATEGY

Our mission is our main tactical tool to achieve a strategy that is in perfect proportion to it, a strategy that aspires to help children rise above the circumstances in which they find themselves as children, a rise built into the American Dream, into the idea that every generation can rise above the one that preceded it.

PRINCIPLES

Core Principles:

• Foster secure attachments to caring adult mentors.

• Discover and nurture every child’s interest, talent and or attribute.

• Provide a building-centered safe place for youth to grow, learn and have fun.

• Provide diversified programming supported by sound educational and youth development principles.

• There when kids need it the most – after school and evenings.

 The Club concentrates its resources on having the greatest possible impact on the kids who come to us. Impact defined as the achievement of two key characteristics: mastery of a skill or attribute and the secure attachment to an adult staff member or volunteer – all within the civic context of being knowledgeable of and connected to the larger community. In this way, the Club can serve a larger civic purpose.

MAKING AN IMPACT 

1. Regular Attendance: Members who attend the Club at least three days per week, have better academic, civic, and peer decision outcomes. 85% of membership attend 3 or more days a week. The Club’s average daily attendance is 60 youth.

2. High-Quality Experiences: Members report feeling safe from harm while attending the Club (98%) and having adult staff who care about them (90%).

3. Engaging Programming: Evidence-informed programming is offered at the Club. 

4. Academic Success: Partnered with the Erie Public Schools District, our Anchor Tutoring Initiative offers after-school academic help in the I-Ready Math and the Core Knowledge Language Arts Curriculum. Of the members participating in this initiative, 72% have improved their overall grade point averages.

5. Healthy Lifestyles: Members who attend the Club on a regular basis are more likely to abstain from substance use.

PROGRAMMING

The Club offers a diverse youth development program with a focus on 

Arts                    Leadership                    Citizenship

Wellness              Recreation                      Sports         

MENTORING

Mentoring has been a long-standing component of achieving the Club’s Mission. The role that a positive adult relationship in a Club member’s life is important. The Club serves a population where an adult is not always present in their life.

Mentoring enables Club members to be connected with caring individuals who provide young people with emotional support, friendship and a constructive example in a structured and caring relationship.

CREATING EQUITABLE ACCESS

Historically, the Club has always served youth from at-risk, disadvantaged circumstances, regardless of socio-economic status. The programs and activities that the Club offers to its members are at little to no-cost.

The Club has always emphasized a holistic approach to the development of youth, not just the physical, but also the mental and personal development of each individual member.

A nutritionally sound, hot meal is provided to Club members on a nightly basis. Breakfast and lunches are provided throughout the summer.

POPULATION SERVED

The Club's facility is located in urban neighborhood. The members who attend the Club live in poverty and are at risk of getting involved in behaviors which include violence, bullying, drug use and truancy.

The Club serves one of our community’s most vulnerable populations, children from disadvantaged circumstances.  Virtually all of the kids who come to the Club everyday have a formidable challenge that stands in the way of a safe, secure and successful childhood.  John Bolby, generally regarded as the father of Attachment Theory, described that challenge this way, “All of us, from cradle to grave are happiest when life is organized as a series of excursions, large or small, from the secure base provided by out attachment figures" and for our Club Kids, it is the Boys & Girls Club staff.