To inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.

 

With today’s uncertain economy, families are being faced with difficult choices as they try to find balance in their conflicting financial and personal demands. For this and many other reasons, an increasing number of children are being left at home with no adult care or supervision. In every community, boys and girls are left to find their own recreation and companionship in the streets.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands offers not only an affordable solution for families facing this problem, but so much more. All of our Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands are a safe place to learn, grow and BE GREAT – all while having fun. They are truly The Positive Place For Kids.

 

The Club provides a diverse offering of programs that meet the interests of all young people. Kids may walk through our doors for the fun we offer, but we do far more than entertain our club members. Core programs use developmentally appropriate activities to build physical, emotional, social and cultural competencies in youth. Our nationally recognized programs and activities impact children in five essential ways:

 

• Character & Leadership Development
Programs in Character & Leadership Development empower youth to support and influence their Club and community, sustain meaningful relationships with others, develop a positive self-image, participate in the democratic process and respect their own and others’ cultural identities.

 

• Health & Life Skills
 Programs in Health & Life Skills develop young people’s capacity to engage in positive behaviors that nurture their own well-being, set personal goals and live successfully as self-sufficient adults.

 

 • Education & Career Development
 Programs in Education & Career Development enable youth to become proficient in  basic educational disciplines, apply learning to everyday situations and embrace technology to achieve success in a career.

 

• The Arts
Programs in The Arts enable youth to develop their creativity and cultural awareness through knowledge and appreciation of the visual arts, crafts, performing arts and creative writing.

 

• Sports, Fitness & Recreation
Programs in Sports, Fitness & Recreation develop fitness, positive use of leisure time, skills for stress management, appreciation for the environment and social skills.

 

 

Our programs vary from Club to Club, allowing each Club to create programs that are tailored to their specific communities and member demographics. From our before and after school programs, summer camps and teen center to our Riverbanks Zoo Teen program, we offer a wide range of opportunities for youth development within our community.

 

The Boys Clubs of Greater Columbia was organized on November 30, 1959, in an older two-story frame building located at 2320 Park Street by a group of concerned Columbians who provided resources and leadership to establish what later became the first official Boys Club site in Columbia.

 

In 1964, the mortgage on the clubhouse was paid through a generous gift from the Ben Arnold Memorial Foundation. In 1967, the Cayce/West Columbia Sertoma Club founded the Westside Boys Club. The facility was the old City Hall building at 1900 State Street, which was leased from the City of Cayce. It was at the request of the United Way that the two organization’s merge into what became known as the Boys Clubs of Greater Columbia established January 1, 1969.

It was not until September of 1990 that the Corporate Board elected to change the name of the organization to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands, Inc. This change would more accurately define our membership base and the geographic area served as well as to reflect the name change of the national organization to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands has experienced incredible growth and success in its half century of existence and celebrated it’s 50th anniversary in 2009. Today, The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands operates 31 Clubs, 8 summer camps, a teen center and a Zoo Teen program with Riverbanks Zoo serving youth and families from Fairfield, Lexington and Richland Counties.

 

The Boys and Girls Club Movement began in the United States during the Civil War when several women in Hartford, Connecticut believing that boys who roamed the streets should have a positive alternative, organized the first Club in 1860. A cause was born.

 

By 1906, several Boys Clubs decided to affiliate. The Federated Boys Clubs in Boston was formed with 53 member organizations, marking the start of a nationwide movement. In 1931, The Boys Club Federation became Boys Clubs of America.

 

In 1956, Boys Clubs of America celebrated its 50th anniversary and received a U.S. Congressional Charter – a rare honor bestowed on only a few non-profit organizations in our country’s history.

To recognize the fact that girls have long been a part of our cause, the national organization's name was officially changed to Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 1990.

 

Boys & Girls Clubs of America marked its centennial year in 2006, celebrating 100 years of providing hope and opportunity to young people across the country. Today there are over there are club locations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as well as U.S. military bases around the world with more that 4,300 Clubs serving over 4.5 million members.

 

Our board is essential to our success. The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands is proud to be led by an energetic board of prominent local business and civic leaders. The expertise, commitment and support provided by these individuals enable us to fulfill our mission each year and is leading the Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands as one of the premier youth-serving agencies in the Midlands.

Click here to get to know our board members.

 

The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands are made up of an incredible group of professionals who work and live in the Midlands and who are committed to promoting, enhancing and advancing the mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs.

 

The Management and Senior Staff serves as our support, providing the guidance and leadership needed to establish our foundation, continue our mission and grow within the community.

 

Our next generation of leaders consists of like-minded individuals, serving as caring mentors and role models who are dedicated and driven to provide energy and fresh ideas, hope and opportunity, support programs, in the work and volunteer leadership of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands.

 

Click here to get to know our Team.