"I had to make better health choices. I started feeling more energized, more in-tune... Seeing those differences made me want to stay that course."
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A Reason to Choose Healthy
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Our Jerry Gamble Club in North Minneapolis partners with
Minnesota Preparatory Academy
to provide students with exclusive high school and post-graduate education as well as elite athletic training. These potential D1 athletes travel across the country to play against other national league teams while learning to take responsibility over their physical and mental health.
Rudi
, now a senior, has been playing basketball since the fourth grade and attending the Boys & Girls Clubs since the fifth grade. He is grateful for the opportunity to challenge himself, travel, stay physically and mentally strong, and build meaningful relationships with his teammates and coaches. For him, the program is a reason to make better health choices – to prioritize nutrition, balance, and recovery.
“I had to watch what I ate and make better health choices,” Rudi says. “I started feeling more energized, more in-tune, I’m grasping concepts faster than I normally would. Seeing those differences made me want to stay that course consistently.”
Rudi’s time at the Club has taught him responsibility, good character, healthy habits, time management, and the value of hard work. His dream is to go on to play D1 college basketball and potentially pursue a degree in Computer Science.
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Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities knows that Minnesota winters can be hard on our health. Here at the Clubs, our kids and teens are
Growing Strong!
each and every day by eating nutritious meals and snacks, participating in daily physical activity, and striving to stay mentally and emotionally healthy as we wait for spring to arrive!
Please consider supporting the
Healthy Lifestyles
of our kids TODAY by making a donation to
Growing Strong!
Become a monthly donor to have a year-round positive impact on our young people!
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2020 Teen Leadership Conference at Voyageur
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During the weekend of February 21-23, 40 teens from Boys & Girls Clubs around Minnesota attended our 2020 Teen Leadership Conference at BGCTC
Voyageur Environmental Center
. This weekend getaway focused on helping our teens develop leadership skills, build positive relationships with other Club youth, and grow confidence and self-esteem in a fun, supportive environment.
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In teams of eight, our teens spent the weekend participating in team-building activities and friendly Olympic-style competitions. Events included an outdoor winter relay, a Gaga Ball tournament, group games, leadership and identity workshops, and a team rap battle!
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We're very inspired and impressed with the great work ethic and commitment to growth shown by each and every one of our youth. This year's testimonials reflect our teens' strength of character and eagerness to learn, and we look forward to our next gathering of young minds!
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A Visit to the State Capitol
Our Twin Cities Youth of the year, Ke'la Scuefield, met with Minnesota Representatives Jay Xiong, Rena Moran, and Mohamud Noor last week at the State Capitol. Ke'la spoke in support of restoring state funding for career readiness programming in our Clubs. We are very proud of Ke'la for representing our Clubs and the work we do to prepare our teens for their future careers and education goals!
YOU can help strengthen our Clubs by asking your local representatives to support state funding for career readiness programs! Learn more
here.
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Teen Night at East Side
Nearly 100 Club teens gathered at our East Side Club last Friday for Teen Night, a fun and friendly event that brought together teens from many of our Clubs across the Twin Cities. The night's festivities included volleyball and pickup basketball tournaments, a karaoke contest, table-top games, and plenty of pizza! Teen Night was an excellent opportunity for our youth to make new friends and enjoy some friendly competition, and we're looking forward to next time!
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Ice Fishing on Lake Waconia
On President's Day, kids from five of our Clubs took a trip to Lake Waconia for an ice fishing excursion with
Clam Outdoors
,
Ice Team
, and the
SPPD Police Activities League
. Kids helped drill holes in the ice, learned how to choose the right gear and cast lines, and competed for titles like Biggest Fish and Most Colorful Fish. Our Southside Village Club took home the title for Most Fish, with a total of 34 fish caught!
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Celebrating Black History Month with the Timberwolves and Lynx
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During the month of February, four of our Clubs - East Side, Jerry Gamble, Mt. Airy, and Southside Village - received visits from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx Book Mobile in honor of Black History Month! These visits included a brief story performance for our younger members, featuring appearances from the Lynx' Rebekkah Brunson and Jess Shepard, the Timberwolves' Jordan McLaughlin, and both team mascots. Following storytime, kids had the opportunity to choose their own books from the Book Mobile! Check out a short video from the Timberwolves
here.
We were also honored to be recognized at the Timberwolves game on February 21, receiving a $75,000 grant from the FastBreak Foundation in support of our kids and families. We are truly grateful!
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Major League Soccer at Jerry Gamble
Our Jerry Gamble Club welcomed a Major League Soccer (MLS) volunteer group on February 13, including 4x World Cup winner DaMarcus Beasley,
MN United
's Mason Toye, and Jessica McDonald of the renowned
Women's National Team
. Our kids got help with their literacy activities and practiced soccer drills in the gym with the pros!
We were also featured in a Black History Month video created by MLS. Check it out
here!
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Spring Thaw
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Quincy Hall
Please join us for the 8th Annual Spring Thaw Gala at the NEW Quincy Hall in Northeast Minneapolis! You won’t want to miss out on this fun-filled night hosted by our
Associate Board
, BGCTC’s Young Professionals Network! The evening will include exciting live and silent auctions, delicious food and drinks, casino games, music, and more.
Proceeds from this annual fundraiser directly support BGCTC’s mission to enable ALL young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
Any questions, please contact Director of Special Events Amy Kuehn at
[email protected]
or 651-200-4107.
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Great Futures Fair
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Jerry Gamble Club
The
Great Futures Fair
seeks to connect passion with purpose. Teens and young adults from across the Twin Cities will have the opportunity to meet with local corporations, businesses, colleges, tech schools, and trade unions as they begin to plan their post-secondary paths. The fair will educate and introduce teens to the multitude of employment and educational opportunities that exist across the metro area and allow prospective employers and educators to interact first-hand with the next generation of employees and students.
Stay tuned for updates on our vendors, schedule, speakers, and more!
For questions regarding teen outreach and attendance, please contact Andréa Carroll-Franck at
[email protected]
or 651-200-4114. For questions regarding vendors or sponsorship information, please contact Tim Schober at
[email protected]
or 651-200-4108.
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Join Our Team
Are you looking for a career where you can make a big difference in the lives of kids and our communities? Our Clubs are in need of Education Specialists, Teen Specialists, program staff, facility staff, and more! Check out our current job listings to see how YOU can get involved!
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You Can Change a Child's Life
With your support, we can continue to provide life-changing academic, leadership, and healthy lifestyles programming to youth across the Twin Cities.
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