Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia
 | This article contains promotional content. (September 2016) |
| Formation | 1887 |
|---|---|
| Type | Youth organization |
| Legal status | Non-profit organization |
| Purpose | "Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence." |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia |
Region served | Greater Philadelphia |
| Website | http://www.bgcphila.org/ |
Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia is a non-profit organization established in Philadelphia for young people.[1][2][3] The organization is one of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.[4][5]
History
Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia was established in 1887 with the opening of the Germantown Club.[6] In 1892, the organization opened the Nicetown which became the first club to serve girls. In 1896 the Wissahickon club was opened and it became the first in the US to serve African American youth.[6]
The three original Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia in Germantown, Wissahickon and Nicetown were part of the Federated Boys Clubs that formed in 1906 as the precursor to Boys & Girls Clubs of America.[6] Currently, Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia is made up of at 16 Clubs which are serving youths across Philadelphia’s most impoverished communities.[7] For the past 129 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs have been dedicated to ensuring that Philadelphia’s most economically disadvantaged youth have opportunities to enhance their lives.[8][9]
In 2012 Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia celebrated their 125th year anniversary. In the same year, the first husband and wife CEO Team; Joseph & Lisabeth Marziello, were hired to lead and transform the organization.[2][10] In 2015, the organization launched $40 million Bold Change for Kids Capital Campaign which was spearheaded by Comcast Corp aimed at renovating 7 Club buildings throughout the city of Philadelphia.[11] The $40 million fund-raising drive will allow the Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia to demolish the Germantown club and replace it with a modern one named after the 95 year old founder of the Comcast Corp, Ralph J. Roberts who lived in Germantown as a young man and was part of the Boys and Girls Club in the neighborhood.[3][12]
In 2013, Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia launched the Call to Action Literacy Initiative to address Philadelphia’s literacy crisis. Currently operating in 12 Clubs, including three elementary extension sites, the Literacy Initiative utilizes the Slingerland Multi-Sensory Approach to engage youth in kinesthetic, auditory and visual learning.[13] In the 2015-16 program year, over 1,200 youth participated in this critical program.[13]
Services
Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia provides quality programming to youth in neighborhoods across Philadelphia.[14][15][16] The clubs foster creativity and opportunities for learning in core areas of youth development such as Education and Career Development, Character and Leadership Development, Health and Life skills, Arts and Culture, Sports and Recreation.[17][18]
See also
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America
- Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Clubs
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada
- Essex Boys and Girls Clubs
- The Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong
References
- ^ "Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia announces fourth annual ‘Philly Showcase of Wine & Cheese", philly.com, March 29, 2016.
- ^ a b "Boys & Girls Club of Phila. now run by a married couple", bizjournals.com, March 25, 2012.
- ^ a b "Boys & Girls Clubs Of Philadelphia Launches 'A Bold Change For Kids' Campaign", corporate.comcast.com, May 19, 2015.
- ^ Angelly Carrión, "New Projects In Store for Seven Boys & Girls Club Branches in Philadelphia", phillymag.com, March 20, 2015.
- ^ Erin Edinger-Turoff, "Boys and Girls Club denies campus salesman", temple-news.com, January 21, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Boys and Girls Club Philadelphia - Our History", bgcphila.org,
- ^ "Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia-Bridesburg Unit"[permanent dead link], phillyboost.com,
- ^ Aja Beech, "Making Bridesburg better for 75 years", starnewsphilly.com, June 1, 2016.,
- ^ "Arthur Robert Marsden, 92, executive Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia", articles.philly.com,
- ^ Cheryl Elias, "Philadelphia Boys & Girls Clubs Hosts Showcase Of Wine And Cheese Fundraiser", philadelphia.cbslocal.com, May 5, 2013
- ^ Amy Seasholtz, "Comcast to lead $40m fund-raising drive for phila. Boys & girls clubs", philanthropynetwork.org, May 19, 2015
- ^ Ayana Jones, "Boys & Girls Clubs of Phila. launches $40 million capital campaign", philanthropynetwork.org, May 22, 2015
- ^ a b "Boys & Girls Clubs of America Prepares Youth for Back to School Season with 'Stuff the Bus' Challenge"[permanent dead link], wmcactionnews5.com,
- ^ "Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia Inc.", bizjournals.com,
- ^ Tristan Stovall, "Boys and Girls Club attends Camp Soaring Eagle", neshobademocrat.com, June 22, 2016
- ^ Zach Schonbrun, "Victorino teams up with Boys & Girls Club", MLB.com, June 21, 2010
- ^ Colin Graf, "MetaSource Supports Technology Upgrade for Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia", metasource.com, February 17, 2015
- ^ Jason Lee, "Philly Wine And Cheese Festival", phl17.com, APRIL 8, 2016