About Our National Programs

Programs that Work

Boys & Girls Clubs nurture young people's self-esteem by instilling in them a sense of belonging, usefulness, influence and competence. Clubs do this daily by providing young people with on-on-one relationships with caring adult professionals and fun, age-appropriate, well-rounded programming.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America offers a framework to local clubs for youth development and proven, nationally recognized programs that provide young people with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to pursue their dreams and succeed in life.

11% of Club members are less than 7 years of age.

Key Elements for Positive Youth Development

Through extensive research, the Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA) has identified certain elements that make it possible for local clubs to assure positive developmental experiences for Club youth. We have learned that the level of impact our Club has on young people depends on how often and how long members participate, as well as how well our Club implements five key elements.

The Boys & Girls Club of Michigan City concentrates on these five elements, assisting our community's children to succed in reaching their goals.

A Safe Positive Environment:

Club staff, facilities, program offerings and age-appropriate settings create stability, consistency and a sense of physical and emotional safety for members. The Boys & Girls Club of Michigan City provides structure and clearly defines acceptable behaviors.

Fun:

Our Club generates fun for our members. Each child develops a strong sense of belonging through connections they establish with staff and peers. Staff members make the Michigan City Club feel like home, fostering a family atmosphere and creating a sense of ownership for our members.

Supportive Relationships:

Youth at the Boys & Girls Club of Michigan City (B&GC-MC) develop meaningful relationships with peers and adults. Staff members actively cultivate such relationships to ensure that every member feels connected to one or more adults and peers. Staff members demonstrate warmth, caring, appreciation, acceptance and proper guidance in their interactions with members.

Opportunities and Expectations:

Our Club youth acquire physical, social, technological, artistic and life skills. The Michigan City Club encourages our members to develop moral character and behave ethically. Staff members establish and reinforce high expectations and help our young people to do well in school and to pursue a post-secondary education.

Recognition:

We recognize and affirm our young people's self-worth and accomplishments. Staff members encourage our youth and provide positive reinforcement as they make improvements and experience successes. The B&GC-MC showcases young people's achievements.

A Local Program

After-School Tutoring

Measurable Success is our Commitment

Are your child's grades what you hoped?

Does your child not want to go to school in the mornings?

Is your child having difficulty with tests?

These may be symptoms of reading problems, and we can help.

DID YOU KNOW?

Disadvantaged students in the first grade have a vocabulary that is approximately half that of an advantaged student (2,900 and 5,800 words respectively).
The average student learns about 3,000 words per year in the early school years (8 words per day).
Five to six year olds have a vocabulary of 2,500-5,000 words.
The educational careers of 25 to 40 percent of American children are imperiled because they don't read well enough, quickly enough, or easily enough.
Since 1983, more than 10 million Americans reached the 12th grade without having learned to read at a basic level. In the same period, more than 6 million Americans dropped out of high school altogether.
Approximately 50 percent of the nation's unemployed youth age 16-21 are functional illiterate, with virtually no prospects of obtaining good jobs.

(All statistics from www.readfaster.com)

The Boys & Girls Club of Michigan City is in the fourth year of offering a highly successful tutoring program under the guidelines of the No Child Left Behind Act. Three schools in Michigan City qualify for this program: Niemann, Marsh and Knapp.

We meet or exceed the standards established by the Supplemental Educational Services Division of the Indiana Department of Education. Our Club has developed a process that works. Our tutoring groups do not exceed a ratio of 5 students to 1 teacher. As educators from Michigan City, we concentrate on the individual needs of our MCAS students.

After administering standardized tests, the tutors develop an Individual Learning Plan that addresses measurable goals for each student.

The youth involved in the tutoring program demonstrated distinct improvement and were more confident about independently tackling their homework after completing the 30 one-hour sessions.

Your Child Can Get Ahead

To qualify,students must receive free or reduced price lunch.
The program consists of 30 sessions, each lasting approximately one (1) hour. Participants are expected to complete all 30 sessions.
The tutors work with the chilid's teacher to target deficit areas where the help is needed most and then individualize instruction.
There is NO COST for the program.
We are on the list of providers established bythe Indiana Department of Education's Supplemental Education Service Division (SES). Although we can provide tutoring services anywhere in Indiana, we are concerned only with the Michigan City Area Schools in order to provide the best possible service to eligible students.
Participants are NOT required to be members of the Boys & Girls Club. They are always welcome to join, though, if they'd like.

JoAnn Engquist, Assistant Director

We are pleased to have Mrs. Engquist, former Director of Special Education for the Michigan City Area Schools, to oversee the tutoring programs that we offer. She has extensive experience in working with special needs children. Mrs. Engquist's education includes ED.S. Ball State University, M.S. Purdue University, and B.A. Northeastern University. She also served as consultant to the Indiana Department of Education, Division of Exceptional Learners and as Child Service Coordinator. Mrs. Engquist taught for more than 18 years.

Youth Development Outcomes

The Boys & Girls Club Movement seeks to help all youth live full and satisfying lives. The outcomes listed below describe our expectations and goals for young people. Through frequent participation in our Club's programming which intentionally incorporates the Key Elements, young people become productive, caring and responsible citizens.

Positive Self-Identity:

Youth set and attain goals and have a positive view of their future, confidently making the necessary decisions to achieve their life plans. They become self-sufficient and are able to support themselves and others.

Health and Well-being:

Youth at our Club adopt a healthy diet. They practice healthy lifestyle choices and make a lifelong commitment to fitness.

Positive Values:

Youth develop and demonstrate strong character here and are guided by positive values including honesty, integrity, caring and fairness.

Commitment to Learning:

Youth value education and lifelong learning and make them an integral part of their future plans.

Social Competency:

Youth at the MC-B&GC have positive relationships with family, friends, and coworkers and appreciate cultural diversity.

Community and Civic Involvement:

Youth are engaged citizens of their community and the world.

Club professionals can choose from a broad array of national programs to help meet the interests and needs of our Club members ages 6 to 18 and achieve positive outcomes for them, their families, and our communities. Thanks to the generous support of local and national funding sources, the B&GC-MC can provide many national programs to our members at minimal cost. Our staff members can obtain high-quality, developmentally appropriate, easy-to-use resources and materials in five core program areas - character and leadership development; education and career development; health and life skills; and the arts & sports, fitness and recreation - as well as in several specialized initiatives. Our Club staff participates in regional and national training programs, receiving technical assistance to implement many of the programs successfully.