BGC Northeast Ohio bring Youth Advocacy Board for 'Day on the Hill' experience

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio provided the opportunity for their Youth Advocacy Board to visit the State Capital, where they were able to speak to lawmakers about issues that are impacting them the most today.

 

The NE Ohio Youth Advocacy Board provides teens with the ability to learn and develop leadership skills. As part of the Character and Citizenship programing, the goal is to promote respect for self and others while building leadership qualities. Youth who participate in these programs are less likely to fail, get suspended or dropout of school. In fact, eighty-three percent of youth who are members of Boys & Girls Clubs report receiving mostly A’s and B’s (1).

 

The Youth Advocacy Board had a fantastic itinerary, giving members the opportunity to not only advocate but also experience Columbus.

 

They started their trip with a lesson by the Ohio Alliance that provided them with tools on how to effectively speak with lawmakers and how our state government works. Zai Knight, a teen member of the board said,” Atfirst I was nervous because the people we talked to have a higher image than I do, but [after the lesson with the alliance] I learned that they work for us so we are like their boss.” This gave them some extra confidence when going into these meetings.

 

This was followed by a tour of the statehouse and a visit to a Boys & Girls Club of Central Ohio. They also got to do some other Columbus experiences like Otherworld an immersive art museum.

 

The next day the Advocacy Board met with three legislators; Representative Sweeney, Representative Brewer and Minority Leader Antonio of the Senate. These meetings went great and allowed our youth to develop relationships with government officials that represent areas close to home.  

 

Tali Andino, a teen member of the board had this to say about the meetings, “the meetings with the representatives and senator helped me get over a bit of my fear. I don't know how to explain it but I'm not really used to talking to new people. Talking to them gave me a little more confidence and made me think “I don’t know these people, but they are really kind, caring, and loving." I also just felt really important, like it felt like thy listed to my opinion and they really cared and respected it and didn't judge it like others do."

 

This Day on the Hill provided a great opportunity for club youth to engage with elected officials and advocate for issues they find to be the most pressing.

(1) Boys & Girls Clubs of America (2022). Data from the National Youth Outcomes Initiative (NYOI) Member Survey, mydata.bgca.net/Home.aspx. 

Food Drive by Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club

In Ohio, 1,391,290 people are facing hunger and 386,430 of them are children (1). Specifically in Wayne County, where OABGC calls home, the food insecurity rate is 17.3% and the number of children that are facing hunger is $4,910 (2). Food insecurity, defined as insufficient access to an adequate amount of food, is a critical public health concern associated with negative social and health outcomes. Factors like unemployment, poverty, and sudden changes in income contribute to food insecurity (2). 

When members of the Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club became aware of the issue of hunger in their community, they decided to take action.They carefully considered and researched the most effective way to provide nourishment to families, resulting in the creation of their own canned food drive. 

Over the course of the project this group managed to gather more than 400 cans, which they donated directly to the Salvation Army, an organization they ultimately volunteered with. Additionally, they compiled a cookbook that consisted of recipes approved by children, all of which could be made using only the canned food collected during the drive. 

1.https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/ohio#:~:text=In%20Ohio%2C%201%2C391%2C290%20people%20are,of%20them%20386%2C430%20are%20children.&text=face%20hunger.,to%20meet%20their%20food%20needs.

2.https://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2018/child/ohio/county/wayne


Clean Water Initiative at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio

Family Dollar has partnered with BGCA to provide funding to Club youth across the nation in order to do more in their communities. In Ohio, four Clubs were able to take part in creating change within their communities, one of those being Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio. 

After thinking on and discussing issues that impact them, teens decided to focus on learning the importance of equity and access as it relates to clean water. Taking a deeper look into how water impacts their daily life as well as educate their community on why it is essential to keep water sources clean. 

BGC Northeast Ohio partnered with Drink Local. Drink Tap. Inc. which is an international non-profit focused on solving water equity and quality issues. They provided BGC NEO with educational information about how relevant water issues are right here in Ohio as well as across the world. Director of Teen Initiatives, Courtney Horne, said how impactful it was for teens to learn that concerns with quality drinking water are not just third-world issues but ones facing families right here at home.

In addition, the group made a visit to the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District wastewater plant. Here they were able to explore more about water utilities and learn how wastewater is processed, cleaned and pumped back into Lake Erie.

The youth board wanted to advocate for the importance of clean water throughout their own community. To do this, they created a lesson plan to teach their BGC peers what they had learned throughout this process. One student, Ka'Mya Allen (15, Broadway Club - Cleveland)  touched on the success of their project by saying, "The Club kids were really interactive and willing to learn about clean water. I learned a lot doing this project that I never knew about." The teens were able to provide all Club members who attended their session with a free water bottle from We Are The Ripple. 10% of the proceeds from each water bottle, purchased by the Youth Board, went to their program partner, Drink Local. Drink Tap. Inc. to support their clean water project in Uganda. 

As a result of this project, the Club was able to form partnerships with water utilities and the water alliance in the Northeast Ohio Region. These partnerships are providing youth with opportunities to interview professionals with the goal of leading to workforce development. 

After this project's success, students were excited and inspired to continue advocating for what they know is an important issue. The group has plans to visit the EPA in Washington D.C and the Ohio Statehouse to have conversations and discussions over important topics as they seek to continue creating change.


International STEM Day - Boys & Girls Clubs summer partnership with COSI

Happy International STEM day!

Today we celebrate science, technology, engineering and mathematics and the important role it plays in our society. 

We believe it is crucial to expose our youth to STEM as it helps develop critical thinking while also fostering innovation and problem solving skills. 

The U.S Department of Education states, “In an ever-changing, increasingly complex world, it's more important than ever that our nation's youth are prepared to bring knowledge and skills to solve problems, make sense of information, and know how to gather and evaluate evidence to make decisions” (1). By getting our youth excited about STEM, we can foster those ideas and a passion for exploring real life opportunities, such as hobbies or future careers. 

That is why we have partnered with COSI (the Center of Science and Industry), through their Learning Lunchboxes, to expose Club members across Ohio to STEM in a stimulating way. 

The Learning Lunchbox is a hands-on educational experience that has all the tools you need to do a STEM activity in a Club. We were able to deploy these boxes across the state four weeks out of summer programming. These boxes included projects on Nature, James Webb Telescope, Dinosaurs and Space. They also provided our Youth Development Professionals with guides and resources to follow making it an easy lesson to teach. 

The Lunchoboxes were very well received by our youth and Club Staff. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati, Director of Programs, Emily Yellman said “The members were engaged, and the staff appreciated the ease of the curriculum and the resources that accompanied each box.” 

STEM can be a fun, hands on, way for youth to learn problem-solving skills, critical thinking and creativity. The Ohio Department of Education states that skills like these learned through STEM are “vital to Ohio’s future economic growth and prosperity”(2). We are proud to have exposed our youth to such learning. 

“We must also make sure that, no matter where children live, they have access to quality learning environments. A child's zip code should not determine their STEM literacy and educational options.” - U.S Department of Education(1)


(1). https://www.ed.gov/stem

(2). https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/STEM-Science-Technology-Engineering-and-Mathem


Mental & Behavioral Health Program at Boys & Girls Clubs of Massillon

In Ohio, nearly 1 in 8 children received a diagnosis of anxiety, depression, or both in 2020, up 42% – the 10th highest increase nationwide. Additionally, five Ohioans die by suicide every day, and one youth dies every thirty four hours. We know that mental health challenges among adolescents have been heightened from the pandemic and while COVID-19 is beginning to be looked at as something of the past, Ohio continues to see children battling with their overall well-being.  

At the Boys and Girls Clubs, we are uniquely positioned to support kids and teens’ emotional and physical health by providing caring and positive adult influences, safe and inclusive places, and skill-building programs. Nearly all Boys & Girls Club youth (90%) in 2022 reported that they can talk to an adult at the Club if they have a problem, adults at the Club take time to talk to them (91%), and adults listen and understand what they have to say (91%).

In order to create this caring and positive environment for youth, the Boys and Girls Club of Massillon strengthened and expanded services that specifically support mental health and social-emotional development by creating their own Mental & Behavioral Health Program. Each staff member at BGC Massillon completes trainings that deal directly with trauma informed care, suicide prevention, and mental health first aid. Through partnerships, they have Qualified Mental Health Specialists now available to members everyday. They saw a need for these crucial additions to their club and responded in a way that best serves young children.

The program includes a Sensory room that is available for all members when they are having trouble navigating regular programming. The sensory room gives members a place to step away from their peers in order to self regulate and problem solve. Members who use this resource have access to fidgets, art supplies, flexible seating, and different lighting. These tools allow members to shift their focus and understand their feelings while responding to them rationally. 

Given the success of the sensory room, Massillon was able to reach more members in areas of need through the creation of a sensory walk. The walk is located in hallways and consists of a wall sit, hopscotch, push-up, jumping jacks, a large shape to trace on the wall, a variety of textured boards and a guided breathing prompt. It has given members a concrete way to self-regulate during transition times and quickly became the most requested way for members to take a break from programming, decompress, identify their emotions, and practice coping strategies for managing emotions. 

In addition, the Mental & Behavioral Health Program ran the curriculum SMART Moves: Emotional Wellness. This group, consisting of members who were identified as needing more focused behavioral, emotional and social support, are given art projects, hands-on activities, and games, which provide social-emotional skills while also creating fun experiences with their peers. The Club also has a certified yoga instructor from a local studio leading yoga sessions,with a focus on mindfulness and coping strategies. 


As Ohio works on improving the lives of children, the B&GC of Massillon continues to support youth mental wellbeing with a strengths-based service delivery approach that is grounded in an understanding of the impact of trauma, that emphasizes physical, mental, and emotional safety for youth, families, and staff.

'Give me the Gun' by BGC Youngstown

According to a study done in 2020 by the U.S. Department of Justice, a firearm was involved in two-thirds of all youth homicides (1). The number of children involved in gun violence is rising drastically. Ohio is one of ten states where firearm-related deaths among youths are highest (2), which is why in Youngstown, the community is joining together to put an end to this violence.

 The CDC estimates that the cost of youth violence is nearly $100 billion annually. It also increases the risk for behavioral and mental health difficulties. These can include future violence perpetration and victimization, substance use, high-risk sexual behavior, academic difficulties and suicide (3).

 At the Boys & Girls Club of Youngstown, youth asked staff members what they can do to help save their peers. They understand how prevalent the issue is and are tired of losing friends and loved ones. Because of their passion and dedication tobring change to their community, members of BGC Youngstown created “Gangs and Gun Violence - Give me the Gun.”

 A collaboration with the Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center, young people inside the center helped write and create a script based on real experiences, while youth at the B&GC helped bring the script to life. The video aims at creating awareness while also working to discredit assumptions that youth living within the community are violent.

 This is a project that Boys & Girls Club of Youngstown is proud of and hopes continues conversations about how to reduce youth gun violence.

 B&GC aims to inspire and empower young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens by providing after school programs. Boys & Girls Clubs provide positive mentors offering guidance, support and encouragement to stay focused on their goals.

 These programs discourage youth crime by providing a supportive and safe environment during the hours when most juvenile crime occurs. According to a study, youth who attend the Boys & Girls Clubs at least once or twice a week reporteddecreased levels of aggression, decreased number of negative peers as friends, decreased number of times stopped by the police and lower likelihood of carrying a weapon (4).

 To watch the full video click here

 

1 https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/publications/trends-in-youth-arrests.pdf

2 https://maps.everytownresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Every-State-Fact-Sheet-2.0-042720-Ohio.pdf

3 https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/yv/yv-factsheet_2022.pdf

4 file:///Users/nikkicox/Desktop/Avoidance_Health_Risk_Behaviors_Summary.html