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Esports Program Supports Adolescent Development

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Esports Program Supports Adolescent Development

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Our new esports program leverages video games to introduce young people, especially teens, to future pathways including college scholarships and careers in software development. Read more 👇

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BGCMB is one of several Boys & Girls Club organizations across the country piloting an esports program to use digital technology in a communal, interactive way to support the development of adolescents. Young people will have the chance to play console games at the Club-like Madden, NBA2K and Fifa-as well as web-based games through our virtual platform Clubhouse @YourHouse-like Minecraft and AmongUs. "Offering esports is definitely going to help us keep our older kids coming to the Club. Video games are a big attraction," said Marcus Robin who is the Director of Club Experience.

To supplement game play, this program will introduce members to future pathways related to video games, including esports college scholarships and careers in software development. "We want our kids to connect what they're doing today with how to plan for their future," explained Kaitlin Keefer who manages Education and STEAM programming.

The esports program launches this spring with an NBA 2K tournament surrounding the March Madness NCAA Basketball Tournament.

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BGCMB is one of several Boys & Girls Club organizations across the country piloting an esports program to use digital technology in a communal, interactive way to support the development of adolescents.

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Clubhouse @YourHouse brings virtual programming to kids across Maryland

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Clubhouse @YourHouse brings virtual programming to kids across Maryland

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In coordination with the seven other Boys & Girls Club organization across Maryland, we offer virtual programming five days a week through Clubhouse @YourHouse.

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Welcome to Clubhouse @ Your House (C@YH)! You can't come to the Club so we're bringing the Club to you! Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington (BGCGW) developed Clubhouse @ Your House, offering dai

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Our STEM Symposium introduced Club kids to the myriad of careers in STEM. Read more 👇

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Building on the success of its first-ever STEM Symposium this summer, the Boys & Girls Clubs Maryland Alliance convened again in early December to host a second event introducing kids to careers in STEM.

"The overarching theme of this Symposium was to showcase nontraditional STEM fields, and demonstrate to our members that there are many, many professional avenues to advance their study of STEM," explained Kaitlin Keefer, BGCMB's STEM Program Director. The Symposium took place over the course of four days, December 7 -10, and featured the following topics: Women in STEM, Life Sciences, Technology, and Architecture & Engineering. Among the guests were a physical therapist, ornithologist, sanitation pathologist and meteorologist.

The event was open to both Club members as well as kids yet to be affiliated with a Club via the virtual platform, Clubhouse @YourHouse. Boys & Girls Club staff from across the state teamed up to recruit professionals representing a swath of different backgrounds. "It's important to show our members that there are people who look like them working in these fields. Identifying with a person supports their interest in the subject," underscored Kaitlin, adding, "These events are especially important for our girls, who around fifth or sixth grade, start to see STEM as a boy subject and not an everybody subject."

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Building on the success of its first-ever STEM Symposium this summer, the Boys & Girls Clubs Maryland Alliance convened again in early December to host a second event introducing kids to careers in STEM.

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Summer learning loss, already pronounced among students of color and those in high-poverty communities, will be exacerbated due to lost classroom time in response to COVID-19. Our summer program will center on high-yield learning activities to provide academic enrichment and remediation to complement and reinforce what students learn in school.

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Ensuring Trauma-Sensitive Environments at our Clubs

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Ensuring Trauma-Sensitive Environments at our Clubs

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We recently welcomed a Director of Social & Emotional Wellness! Amber will provide mental health resources and services to BGCMB families, as well as support youth in their social, emotional, and behavioral development. Read more 👇

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Baltimore, Maryland - The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore (BGCMB) has hired Amber Reed to serve as its Director of Social & Emotional Wellness. Reed's role will be to direct and manage the organization's initiatives related to social and emotional wellness for staff members and the youth BGCMB serves across Baltimore. She will also manage community relations, as well as mental health resources and services for BGCMB families.

Reed is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker by the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners. She earned her Masters of Social Work at Morgan State University where she graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology. In addition to her new role with BGCMB, Reed works as a Mental Health Therapist for Balance Point Wellness. Previous roles she has held include serving as a social worker for the Maryland Department of Health at the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents (RICA) in Baltimore and as a health services coordinator of special programs with the Maryland Department of Health's Developmental Disabilities Administration.

"Boys & Girls Clubs are rooted in the idea of safety and belonging," explained President & CEO Jeff Breslin, "As our organization continues to grow, we must not only be responsive, but we must lead to support the mental and emotional wellbeing of youth, families and the team that shows up every day to support them. Our organization is thrilled to welcome Amber to the Boys & Girls Clubs family."

As BGCMB's Director of Social & Emotional Wellness, Reed will work closely with Club Directors to create a trauma-sensitive environment for the young people enrolled in the organization. Her responsibilities will be to develop, facilitate, and monitor systems and procedures to support all youth in their social, emotional, and behavioral development. Additionally, she will lead training programs for BGCMB's youth development professionals and Club Director in areas related to mental health, trauma, behavior, social skills, emotional stress and more.

BGCMB is a youth development leader serving over 650 young people at its four Club locations: Brooklyn O'Malley and Westport Homes South Baltimore, Webster Kendrick in Northwest Baltimore and O'Donnell Heights in East Baltimore. The organization works to ensure every young person has access to a great future by providing caring mentors, a safe environment, high-quality programs and unique experiences.

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Amber Reed Hired as BGCMB's Director of Social & Emotional Wellness

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The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore (BGCMB) has hired Amber Reed to serve as its Director of Social & Emotional Wellness. Reed's role will be to direct and manage the organization's initiatives related to social and emotional wellness for staff members and the youth BGCMB serves.

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We are opening an expansion site in East Baltimore to serve an additional 50 youth beginning this fall!

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One of many smiles the day of our first tablet distribution. Since then, we've distributed a total of over 200 devices!

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Thank you.

2020 was a challenging year for many, but our Club kids and families were acutely affected.

Your generous donation helped close the digital divide for our Club kids and their families in a year when staying connected has never been more important.

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Visit our website to see what lies ahead for us 😊

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Our Clubs remain open extended hours (8am - 5pm) to serve as virtual learning support centers 📚

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"I just wanted to express my appreciation to the Boys & Girls Club for being a valuable resource to our students here in Brooklyn. In my role as a school social worker, I see firsthand how all the safety precautions are in place. This student really benefits from the environment and is now on task in all of his classes. My only request: please consider opening more slots for students who can likewise benefit from such a valuable resource.
Keep up the great work!"

- Moshe Brown, social worker, Maree Farring Elementary School