Program Spotlights

The Arts

National Fine Arts Exhibit

This competition, which encourages creativity through a variety of media, is made up of local, regional and national exhibits. Young people are encouraged to create artwork in any of the following categories: monochromatic drawing, multicolored drawing, pastels, water color, oil or acrylic, print making, mixed media, collage and sculpture. The program culminates in an organization-wide exhibit with winners advancing to the regional, and then possibly, nationally to the annual Boys & Girls Clubs of America national conference held in the spring.

Character & Leadership Development

L.I.T. (Leaders in Training)

The L.I.T. program is designed to enhance the professional development of Club members ages 13 to 17 by giving them opportunities to learn leadership skills and responsibility. The mission of the program is to provide Club members an understanding of the Boys & Girls Club movement, work ethics, personal skills and community responsibility.

At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale, the L.I.T. program is incorporated into the summer camp program at all branches to give teens a positive place to be while developing skills that will help them in the future. Most members view the L.I.T. program as a gateway to help prepare members who are interested in the Junior Staff Development program, the next step in leadership training at the Club that guides teens toward careers in youth development.

Education & Career Development

America Reads/America Counts

Through a partnership with Arizona State University, the Club provides the America Reads/America Counts education program at three of our locations: Hartley & Ruth Barker Branch, Lehi Branch and the Paiute Neighborhood Center (part of our Outreach Services).

America Reads/America Counts is a Federal work-study program in which college students work one-on-one with academically at-risk children. Tutors work with children in grades K-8 and create fun, hand-on activities that meet the academic needs of the individual child, as well as assist with homework, reading aloud and journal-writing. The program aim is to: spark children's excitement in reading and math; improve children's literacy and math skills; and provide greater access to books and opportunities for reading with an adult.

Health & Life Skills

SMART Girls/Passport to Manhood

The SMART Girls Program addresses social and development needs of girls ages 8 to 15. The goal of the program is to develop healthy attitudes and lifestyles at this critical stage of their development. SMART girls aims to provide knowledge, skills, self-esteem and peer support to help young girls avoid the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; learn the importance of healthy eating and fitness habits; develop an understanding and appreciation of their bodies and the physical, emotional and social changes they are experiencing; and to postpone sexual activity.

The Passport to Manhood program is aimed at making the transition from boyhood to manhood a positive and healthy one. It helps young adolescent males understand and manage such things as physical changes in their bodies; relationships with authority, friends and members of the opposite sex; greater freedom and responsibility for personal decisions; and increase peer pressure. The program consists of 14 sessions, each of which concentrates on a specific aspect of manhood through highly interactive activities.

Sports, Fitness & Recreation

Triple Play: A Game Plan for the Mind, Body and Soul

Triple Play is a dynamic wellness program currently being offered at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale that demonstrates how eating right, keeping fit and forming positive relationships add up to a healthy lifestyle. The goal of the Triple Play program is to improve Club members' knowledge of healthy habits; increase the number of hours per day they participate in physical activities; and strengthen their ability to interact positively with others and engage in positive relationships. Program components include: healthy habits nutrition curriculum; daily challenges; sports clubs; triple play games; and social recreation.

Because parents play such a critical role in the development of a child's physical and social well-being, Triple Play Parents Game Plan was produced as a tool that can be used at home - where healthy habits start, are modeled and reinforced. It is available in both English and Spanish.