We are very excited to announce that the Boys & Girls Club of Manitowoc County will be opening enrollment soon and very shortly after, our doors! Let us share more about the impact the new Club in Manitowoc will have on the future of not only kids’ lives but also the Manitowoc County area.
Why Boys & Girls Clubs Are Special
Boys & Girls Clubs are more than just another place for youth to attend after school.
Clubs focus on helping kids create a vision for their future, improve their academic success, build character, a sense of responsibility, and generosity. Clubs also aim to provide youth with a strong sense of belonging and the opportunity to form relationships with caring adults who are on a mission to see them become the best version of themselves. In addition, it provides an alternative to daycare, which can have an economic impact on families.
- Dedicated Youth Facility: The Boys & Girls Club is a place – an actual neighborhood-based building – designed solely for youth programs and activities.
- Open Daily: The Club is open every day, after school, when kids have free time and need positive, productive outlets.
- Professional Staff: Every Club has full- and part-time, trained youth development professionals, providing positive role models and mentors. Volunteers provide key supplementary support.
- Available/Affordable to All Youth: Membership dues are affordable. Clubs reach out to kids who may lack access to other community programs.
At the Club, we believe that every kid, regardless of income or circumstance, deserves the opportunity to thrive and an equal chance to reach their full potential and we’re proud to be here to support youth on that journey.
In Manitowoc County:
- Approximately 13% of children in Manitowoc County are living in poverty (2018 data) and many other families are struggling to make it paycheck to paycheck.
- A 2020 United Way ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Study of Financial Hardship found 31 percent of Manitowoc County residents earned an income below the basic cost of living.
- Approximately 51% of the students in the Manitowoc Public Schools qualify for free or reduced lunch.
- 60 percent or more of the youth in Manitowoc County are not proficient in reading or math, according to 2018-2019 State Forward Exam testing results (Wisedash Public data)
- The four-year graduation rate in Manitowoc County is 89 percent. (2017-2018 Wisedash Public data)
The Club Impact
For more than a century, Clubs have helped elevate young people on the path to their own great futures. Boys & Girls Clubs serve nearly four million young people each year, in over 4,100 Club facilities throughout the country and BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide.
This has resulted in positive measurable outcomes for academic achievement, career skill building, workforce development, juvenile crime reduction, prevention of opioid abuse, improved mental health, and positive civic engagement.
