May 28, 2013 • Page 8 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com At the Boys & Girls Club of Yankton, we are in the business of changing lives. Our mission is “to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.” We are able to meet that mission through offering our youth and the community high quality Youth Development programs focused on 3 Priority Outcomes: Academic Success, Character & Leadership Development, and Healthy Lifestyles. I have found that most people have heard about the Boys & Girls Club, but don’t have a real grasp on the many great things we have to offer. Like many before me, I also thought that it was only for the bad kids, or the kids who had no direction in life. So my goal as Unit Director is to spread the word in the community about how we can work together and invest in our youth to ensure that the Yankton community continues to thrive in the years to come. The Boys & Girls Club movement is nation-wide – we are 1 of over 4300 Clubs in America; in South Dakota there are 29 different Boys & Girls Club organizations. A unique factor of the Boys & Girls Club movement is that we are a “bottom-up” non-profit organization. I began my career in Youth Development as an intern with the Boys & Girls Club in St. Cloud, MN. This experience truly opened my eyes to how delicate a young person’s life can be, and how crucial a positive role model is to a successful transition into adulthood. I fell in love with the Club and realized that when given proper recognition and opportunities all young people have the potential to become successful adults. I moved to Yankton, SD from Minneapolis, MN in December of 2011, to my current role as Unit Director. While each of the communities I have lived in and worked in is drastically different, the one constant for me has been the needs of the young people. No matter where I have gone I have met young people who have needed direction in their lives, who have parents who would move mountains for them but don’t have the time or resources to do so, who have struggled with issues like self-identity, bullying, and peer pressure, and who have needed that extra push to reach their full potential. Locally, the Boys & Girls Club of Yankton has been in existence for 4 1/2 years in the Yankton Community and currently has 6 sites. First, I’ll start with our school based program – the Academy. Serving grades pre-K-5, the Academy is a state-licensed, feebased, before and after school and summer program that we are able to offer to the community through a partnership with the Yankton School District. The Academy program runs throughout the school year in the five elementary schools in Yankton and we take pride in the fact that we are much more than a daycare facility or simply a “place for kids to go”. There are 5 Key Elements that we implement daily to make our program successful and impactful for youth: Fun & Engaging Activities, Opportunities and High Expectations, Daily Recognition of Accomplishments, Positive Adult Role Models, and a Safe & Positive Environment. Currently we serve over 270 youth in the Academy program and we are gearing up for a fun and exciting summer at Yankton Middle School! The Academy summer program features weekly themes and field trips, swimming at Memorial pool, special events and family fun nights, as well as a variety of fun and engaging programs. Our goal is to serve as many Yankton Pre-K – 5th grade youth as possible in proven, impactful programs centered on Academic Success, Character & Leadership, Healthy Lifestyles, and Cultural Arts. For older youth (grades 5-12) we have our Traditional Site on Broadway – this site serves over 190 youth throughout the school year and summer. As stated above, our mission is to serve the young people “who need us most”, so we aim to be accessible to all regardless of race, religion, or socio-economic status. Therefore the Club offers membership for only $25 per year – ensuring that everyone can afford to attend. At the Club, we run what we call “Impact Programs”. These are programs designed to meet a specific need of the youth and/or community and produce measurable results. An example: Recently the Yankton Leadership Group (through the Yankton Chamber of Commerce) volunteered at the Club to run our Career Launch program which addressed the recent trend of qualified workers and high school graduates leaving Yankton to pursue jobs/careers elsewhere. Through this course, youth learned how to write resumes, conducted mock interviews, explored the 4 main industries in Yankton, and took tours of popular work places in Yankton. When we started the 8 week course, 2 of our members were employed; at the end of the course, 14 members had found employment, in Yankton, and 1 even got offered a summer internship with Applied Engineering! Many people have heard the phrase: it takes a community to raise a child – we use that same approach at the Boys & Girls Club. One example of this in the Yankton Club is our partnership with Mt. Marty College. Students at Mt. Marty can get work study hours at the Club by serving as Academic tutors and mentors to K-12 students who may need additional support. We are proud to boast the fact that 100% of our members have maintained on track or improved in their academic performance and graduated on to the next grade. We are establishing a Club culture around academics that asks the question “what college are you going to?” as opposed to “do you think you’ll be able to go to college?” This summer at the Club we are going to be focusing on giving back to the community that helps support and sustain us by establishing programs around volunteerism and service-learning. For the past several years, we have helped out with Keep Yankton Beautiful community cleanup, served as waiters at the Banquet, Names left to right: Jose Pena, Brittany Johnson, Devin Warren, Lynell Kooistra, Angela Knodel, Mike Johnson. and some of our older members have helped out the Academy program by volunteering their time to read books to the Academy kids. Oh, and I may have forgot to mention – THE CLUB IS FUN! The core component to our programs and sustained membership we have seen in our 4 1/2 years is the fact that kids come here to have fun and learn – and yes, both of those things can and do happen at the same time! For instance, starting June 7th, our members have an opportunity to participate in the Advanced River Rangers program through a partnership with SD Park Rangers. In this program, youth have access to fishing clinics, hiking/biking, and canoeing – all courses will be led by a SD Park Ranger and we will explore and learn about the many great outdoor spaces our community has to offer. We have three main requirements for all of our members: Re- spect the Club, Respect Yourself, and Have Fun! All of us who work with your kids do this work because we can think back to that 1 person in our lives that kept us on track and motivated us to be our best. All we want to do is return the favor. If you have a young person in your life that needs some direction or just something to do this summer, stop by the Club today and get signed up! So, how can you join the movement and help support the Club? We have a variety of daily Volunteer Opportunities for interested individuals and we definitely appreciate YOUR help. Or you can attend the Boys & Girls Club of Yankton’s 1st Annual “Rhythm & Brews” Fundraiser at Minerva’s on Friday, August 23rd. This fundraiser is a Craft Beer tasting event with entertainment, silent auction, vendors, appetizers, games and a special VIP crafting session. Tickets are for sale for $50 each and can be certified public accountants For Flooring with a Professional Touch Harry Lane, Electrical Contractor • Commercial • Residential • Farm Wiring • Prompt Service • Quality Work • Competitive Prices New Construction or Remodeling • Home 665-6612 Yankton Office 207 Douglas Avenue • PO Box 1018 Yankton, SD 57078 605-665-4401 • Fax: 605-665-0592 212 Walnut Street, Historic Downtown Yankton 605-665-2067 1-800-759-5275 Fax: 605-665-8908 T R U S T E D F O R G E N E R AT I O N S DIRECTORS: Jim Wintz • Jerry Wintz • Paul Wintz • Steve Wintz www.wintzrayfuneralhome.com 2901 Douglas Yankton, SD 57078-4841 605-665-3644 Fax 605-665-3646 1-800-765-6213 Copy provided by Devin Warren, Unit Director If you would like to support our Guardians and advertise your business call us at 605-665-5884. DAKOTA ARCHERY & OUTDOOR SPORTS RESTAURANT 1000 Cattle Drive • Yankton, SD 501 Summit • Yankton, SD (605) 668-8000 purchased starting July 1st. All contributions and funds raised directly support the programs and service of the Boys & Girls Club of Yankton. For more information call 605-668-9710 or email me at dwarren@greatfuturessd.org. The Academy summer program (grades Pre-K-5th grade) is open Monday through Friday (6am-6pm) at Yankton Middle School and runs from May 28th – August 13th. The Traditional Unit/Club summer program (grades 5th12th) is open Monday through Friday (11am-6pm) Today – August 13th. For more information about membership to the Club/Academy please call 605-668-9710 or visit the Traditional Unit on 1804 Broadway. Information can also be found online at www.greatfuturessd.org. 2809 Broadway Ave., Yankton, SD 605-665-8340 2305 E. Hwy. 50 • Yankton NOW OPEN AT 11 a.m. FOR NOON LUNCH – MONDAY-SATURDAY SUNDAY 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. M.T. & R.C. Smith Insurance, Inc. 204 West 4th • PO Box 1077 Yankton, SD • 605-665-3611 Toll Free: 1-888-665-3611 Fax: 605-665-2560 2507 Fox Run Parkway Yankton, SD 57078 • (605) 665-8073 Open every night ‘till 9:00 p.m. PHARMACY: 665-8261 • FLORAL: 665-0662 www.firstchiropracticcenter.com 605-665-3762 800-952-2424 2200 E. HWY. 50 YANKTON, SD 57078 Yankton, SD • 605-665-3762 Freeman, SD • 605-925-4241 Wagner, SD • 605-384-4580 2100 BROADWAY • YANKTON, SD 605-665-3412 Visit Our Website at... www.missourivalleyshopper.com Salute Our Guardians with the 319 Walnut St. Yankton, SD 57078 Phone: 605-665-5884 Fax: 605-665-5882 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O