Boys And Girls Club Of America (BGCA)

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Agencies and programs are a vital part of society. They aid individuals in many aspects whether that be financially, educationally, or socially. The agency that will be discussed and evaluated is the Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA). The BGCA is a national organization and its mission is to, “Enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential, caring, and responsible citizens” (Boys and Girls Club of America, 2017). The BGCA is comprised of 1,594 school based clubs, 481 Boy and Girls Club Affiliated Youth Center on U.S. military installations, 990 clubs in rural areas, 296 clubs in public housing, and 175 clubs on native lands. As shown, the BGCA has a variety of locations and is able to help many …show more content…

Up until 1990, this organization was only for boys to be apart of. When 1990 came along, the national organization’s name was changed to, “Boys and Girls Clubs of America” to recognize that girls are apart of the cause as well (BGCA, 2017). This agency now welcomes kids and teens of all ages and interests. The majority of the kids that attend the BGCA are between the ages of 6 and 18. According to the BGCA website, “Some of the school-based programs service kids in age ranges that are served by that specific school, such as high school aged kids and elementary aged kids” (2017). This is helpful because it keeps kids that are on relatively the same grade level together. At the other branches, kids are split up according to their age as well. If kids and teens ages 6 to 18 were kept in the same room together, this wouldn’t be helpful to anyone. The age gap is too high and none of the kids would accomplish anything. Relating to the organizational theory, the BGCA caters to what the specific child need. If they need help with planning for the future, there are specific staff members or volunteers that can assist with that. This way, there are a variety of programs within the BGCA so a child doesn’t feel left out. The BGCA offers help with homework, educational enrichment, tutoring, and college preparation programs designed to support young people’s academic …show more content…

Transportation to and from the BGCA is not guaranteed. Seating on the bus is very limited and is on a first come, first serve basis. If a child doesn’t have a way to the club and the bus is already full, they won’t be able to attend and will have to find another program to be involved with even if the BGCA is more cost effective. Transportation shouldn’t be on a first come first serve basis, but on a necessity basis. For parents that just don’t feel like picking up their child from school to take them to the BGCA, shouldn’t be given priority over a child’s parents who are in work and don’t have the option to drive them. This is an issue that can be easily resolved but would take some work from the national leadership team to help put that rule into place. In most locations, the BGCA is only open until 4pm. They should be open until at least 6:30 or 7 pm because most parents don’t get out of work until 5 or 6 pm. The whole reason for the BGCA is to give kids and teens that stimulation after school and keep them on track and motivated to attend and finish school. With the locations that are only open until 4 pm, parents may have to leave work early, or send their kids to another program and pay more money. Both of these weaknesses aren’t necessarily a big deal while looking at this agency and the big picture, but to parents that want to send their children here because it’s cost effective and

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