(This article first appeared in the March print edition of the Hendersonian.)
The Boys & Girls Club of Henderson continues to grow, and now with warmer weather and a break from school in sight, leaders there are seeking an increase in summer enrollment.
Anywhere from 70-75 children come to the club after school each day, and there are about 200 total students ages 6 through 18 who are enrolled, said Maddie Moore, the special events and donor relations coordinator for the Henderson club.
Those daily enrollment numbers are up from last year—Moore said it’s about 15 to 20 more children coming to the club daily this year.
Now, the goal for the summer is to increase last year’s daily average of about 100 up to 150 or so, Moore said.
Leaders said when the Boys & Girls Club of Henderson was just getting started that having a place to go after school is one way to keep kids from doing things they shouldn’t. The time between the end of school and a parent’s arrival home from work is a time when many get in trouble, they said.
But even more than that, the club offers activities, study help, chances to meet and interact with students from other schools. It’s also a way for children to learn values and resilience, according to past comments from leaders.
According to Moore, the Boys & Girls Club runs two vans to pick up students after school from Bend Gate Elementary, and North and South middle schools. Henderson County Schools buses transport students from every other school in the district, she said.
“I believe we have kids at this point from every school,” Moore said.
She said that the biggest challenge is getting teenagers interested and getting more involved. About 15 teens come to the center each day, she said. Club leaders focus on teen-specific programming, looking for topics they might be interested in, such as vet tech, CDL driving and other hands-on demonstrations.
And the club also hosts a teen gaming team that competes against other gaming teams from around the state, she said.
The current staff levels include two full-time and six or seven part-time staff members whereas in the summer the club will have the full-time plus 10 or 12 part-time staff for the days that start at 7:30 a.m. with a 5:30 p.m. closing time.
In addition to the normal activities housed at the club, summer days can also mean field trips, and those trips usually take children to local parks, Audubon State Park, the movie theater and swimming.
Moore said signs of maturity and leadership are evident is some of the older children who have been with the club since its start several years back and have chosen to stay with it.
“Those kids are choosing to stay here and choosing to be mentors of younger kids,” she said.
She said the summer fee for one child per week is $20.
Open enrollment starts near the end of the school year, usually in May, Moore said, and can be found at cliffhaganboysandgirlsclub.org/Henderson.
