2019 Mid-Year Report

“Many youth, who at first saw us as
untrustworthy, have come back to us, shared
their experiences, and asked for our opinions.”
This is the kind of experience that encourages
a youth to keep coming back to the Club.
and process through their emotions. We always
ask the youth how they are doing, listen to them
non-judgmentally, and give reassurance.” Button
explains that trust is built this way, and as a result
a Club member may be more apt to participate
in programs. “Many youth, who at first saw us as
untrustworthy, have come back to us, shared their
experiences, and asked for our opinions.” This is the
kind of experience that encourages a youth to keep
coming back to the Club.
Building relationships was the first step to build great
futures for the Concrete youth. As the youth began
to trust staff, they began to expand their horizons.
Last February, the Concrete Club organized a College
and Career Fair for the youth, spearheaded by
the Middle School Site Coordinator, Cheryl Weston.
The Concrete School District hadn’t had a college
and career fair for six years. Weston contacted over
100 Pacific Northwest companies, and the school
and a local church donated hundreds of supplies.
Escorted by their teachers, youth were able to
attend during class hours and had a chance to walk
around and ask questions from over 35 vendors.
The vendors included branches of the military, local
colleges and universities, trade schools, and jobs in
agricultural, transportation, fish & wildlife, and the
forestry services. The fair was so popular they made
a decision to stay open longer, and some youth
went back to visit after school as well.
The College and Career Fair is just one example of
how Club Staff have encouraged Concrete youth
to think about their futures. “Here in the Concrete
community, adult engagement is lacking for many
youth. As a result, our kids have a hard time trusting
adults. But when the members at our Clubs can
open up and discuss their futures, it means we’ve
connected with them. It means that they believe
that we care about them, and they care about us
and are listening,” says Button. Once these relationships
are in place, we can raise the bar on youth
engagement in our Clubs, in schools, and in their
lives. Our Boys & Girls Clubs are not just a place
to catch up on homework, but a community of
support for our members to achieve academic success,
healthy lifestyles, and good character & citizenship—and,
of course, great futures.
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