Published May 29, 2019 06:00
Name: Max
Age: 7
BGC Club Location: West End Hub
BGC Member Since Age Five
What is your favourite activity at the Boys and Girls Club?
Playing in the Jungle Gym & Sports League
How does coming to the Boys and Girls Club make you feel?
Happy
What is your favourite memory of the Boys and Girls Club?Meeting an NBA Star [Jerome Williams] at the Dunks for Diabetes event, and getting a Raptors jersey!
As Kingston’s only HIGH FIVE Accredited child and youth focused nonprofit organization, the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston & Area can say with confidence that they are meeting the highest standard of quality in their programming for children and youth in our community. HIGH FIVE Accreditation is Canada’s highest recognized level of quality and safety in children’s sport and recreation, and it is the base that all Boys and Girls Club programming is formed on. Organizations that have achieved Accreditation have been registered for at least three years and are distinguished by their focus on healthy child development in all aspects of their operation, from programming to policies and procedures.
HIGH FIVE ensures all programs take a holistic approach to programming, taking into account what is seen through the eyes of a child. This includes the general atmosphere, equipment needed, interactions between children and interactions between child and leaders. This holistic approach is critical because all of these factors can affect how a child views the program itself and will greatly impact their participation in all future programs as well. Through Accreditation, BGCKA maintains this high level of quality programming through an evaluation tool for recreation programs using this holistic approach. The validated tool is called QUEST 2 and breaks down a child’s experience from the moment they walk into a program until the minute they walk out the door. It focuses on ‘small’ things like being greeted as they arrive by their name, to how staff work together, and whether children are being respectful to one another.
‘Where we’ve got HIGH FIVE and its quality controls, we have a greater assurance that what is being done with the child is developmentally appropriate’ says Dr. Colin Higgs from Canadian Long-Term Athlete Development Expert Group.
With the guidance of HIGH FIVE, Boys and Girls Club After School programs transform the after school hours from an unsupervised, uncertain time into a safe, fun, and productive time by offering children and youth a constructive, supportive, and safe way to spend these critical hours. Through a variety of programs, members are able to access homework assistance with certified teachers, get involved in healthy activities, play games, engage in positive conversations with peers and mentors, interact with positive role models and are mentored by qualified young people who want to make a difference in our community.
Summer Camps offer the same great programming for children and youth through the out of school months, making lasting memories and offering new experiences for children and youth in Kingston and area. A new initiative has campers going home earning a HIGH FIVE bead or award throughout each week of summer. The HIGH FIVE beads stand for Helper, Initiative, Growth, Hero, Friendship, Imagination, Versatile & Enthusiasm. Staff look for these qualities in all campers each week, and campers work to collect them all summer long.
Each and every Boys and Girls Club program staff are certified through HIGH FIVE’s training in the Principles of Healthy Childhood Development, which work in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada Model for Success. During HIGH FIVE training, staff are taught about the five main principles to ensure a child’s enjoyment; A Caring Adult, Play, Participation, Mastery & Friends. There are also three design guidelines that are essential to all programs; Developmentally Appropriate, Safe & Welcoming to Diversity & Uniqueness. Staff implement their learnings into the programs that they deliver each and every day, while encouraging members to actively participate in developing the core values of HIGH FIVE.
At the Boys and Girls Club, no child is ever denied access due to inability to pay. With the support of community partners such as United Way KFL&A, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, City of Kingston, LDSB, ALCDSB and generous donors, the Boys and Girls Club subsidizes members who do not have the means to cover the full cost of program, and now serve over 5,500 children and youth annually.
Nearly 70% of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada Alumni say that the Club saved their life. Join us in helping to ensure that more children can access these life changing programs for years to come, support the Boys and Girls Club today!
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Thank you to our donors!
$10,000 - Cintas
$100 - In memory of Marjorie Morrison
$500 – Leonard Harris
$1000 - Jack Blacklock
$100 - Patrick & Nancy McCue
$50 – Anonymous
$100 - Tim Utting
$50 – Susan Miklas
Total Raised to Date: $88,667
Donate Now
Whig-Standard/Boys and Girls Club Campaign How to Donate By cheque:
To the address below and indicate if you would like to keep your donation anonymous.
By credit card (Visa, MasterCard): Call 613-507-3306, ext. 110
By cash: At the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston and Area West End Hub, 1300 Bath Rd., Kingston, ON, K7M 4X4
Online: At www.bgckingston.ca , click on the secure “Donate Now” button on the top right side of the website.
Tax Receipt: A tax receipt will be mailed to you within four weeks.
Questions: Heather Hayhow, heatherh@bgckingston.ca
Thank you for supporting the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston & Area!